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Show SUICIDE AN HONORADLE DEATH. Strange Belief Among the Chukchees of Siberia. A Russian correspondent was talking talk-ing about Siberia. "In that strange land," ho said, "the strangent thing is tho sulcldnl tendency ten-dency of tho Chukchees. Among, tho Chukchees, actually, suicide Is ono of tho most common forms of death. "The Chukchees live In northeastern Siberia. They aro small and copper-colored. copper-colored. They dress in skins and ride, reindeer. Tallow and raw kidney are their chief delicacies. In every Chufc-cheo Chufc-cheo house hangs a death coat. "A Chukchee doesn't kill himself by his own hand. He appoints his nearest near-est relative his wife, son or daughter to do tho deed. And tho delegate never rebels, never declines this sad itnd horrlblo task. "Innumerahlfi are' tlio causes of suicide sui-cide jealousy, unrequited love, an Incurable In-curable disease, melancholy, poverty and so on. "I knew a man who was prosperous and apparently hnppy. Suddenly n desire de-sire for death solzed him. 'In threo months,' he said, 'I will so homo to my fathers.' And ho calmly settled his affairs and at the appointed time bado his wlfo to knot a cord about his throat and his two sons to pull upon this cord (ill he should he strangled. Ho died, they told me, Joking "Tho death coat which hangs in ovory Chukchco houso has a hood. It Is for ttso in suicide. The hood hides tho facial contortions of the dying. "There are Chukchee families wherein where-in suicide is hereditary, wherein It Is a point of honor for the tons to kill themselves, a natural death being regarded re-garded In such families us disgraceful lUi.t scandalous, a sign of the most unpardonable un-pardonable cowardice. "The Chukchees, despite their suicidal sui-cidal tendency, are a happy and healthy people, moral, truthful, brav and temperate." |