Show SUICIDES GIVE SOUTH PROBLEM S Sc Scientists c i C 11 t s Trying to Fathom Cause of Killings DT By D GORDON BUSTER KUSTEn Special s Correspondent of The Standard I Standard Copyright 1926 by The Consoli Console Consolidated dated Press Association BIRMINGHAM Ala March 6 An An epidemic of suicides which has swept this district within the thelast thelast thelast I last fortnight has baa set lIet scientists to studying the question lIow many ca cases es were due directly to suggestion How glow many would have Ilave taken their own lives had they not been aware that others had preceded them 1 Nine persons tour four four of state wide state prominence have killed them themselves selves within the last t ten n days The number Is one fourth as great as the total ot of suicides for 1925 Several Several strange stories were ere re- re revealed revealed re revealed In the tho tragedies One or of orthe the suicides a widely known automobile dealer left a long statement directly accusing a state senator and prominent attorney o of Birmingham of or causing his act Another of ot the slayers self s sl ir-sl a ne-gro ne ne- ne negro negro gro woman women whose body was found floating In a lake committed commuted sul- sul sui suicide cide clde because of o unrequited love Jove This case drew wide comment to in Birmingham because despite Its Hs huge buge negro population nearly population nearly 35 per the cent cent the suicide of ot a ne negro ro woman for any cause is almost unheard of ot T T MEN JIEN DIE DIEThe DIEThe The suicide epidemic started when Herbert Cobbs president of the Athletic club and assistant p paymaster for tor the largest steel plant In the district was found In his room with a II bullet through leis his brain Closely following his death W A wealthy merchant drove to a lonely road and sent a bullet Into his head Then a young girl Josephine Brannon look took poison polson tablets In quick succession W V It R Everett ercH Eddie Baines Balnes Harvey Harvcy II n Ilmer Eimer Long and A P r Rich Illch end ended end end- ended ed their lives by various means now Right now the Birmingham dis district dis- dis district district is stirred over the suicide ot of filch Kich the latest VIctim victim In a note written shortly before he took his hie life he explained that lIe had been In financial dim difficulties culli and and that a II sta state e senator senat II a lawyer yer whom he ho named had been making repeated calls for payment of or debts The death note stated staled that that the lawyer had to have Rich flogged ed unless he paid Various causes were given s-Iven forthe for lor forthe the acts of the others unrequited ed love financial troubles do do- do some were never explained Under the last named category came the case of Herbert Cobbs the athletic club president Amiable popular among his business associates tI- tI fi financially sound no motive could be found for tor his act Officials Of his 11 company to discount ru- ru rumors rumors ru rumors mors which circulated after his d death issued a II statement that his accounts had been checked and found Cound to be bo without shortage CO COMES rES IX IN A day after Cobbs had com cont- committed committed suicide It developed that thata II a teda's few te das da's days earlier he had spoken spoken en to his associates concerning II a suicide about which he had Iad been reading A man had flipped a coin to decide whether ho he would kill himself or would carryon carry on The coroner of ot this district who has held that office for six lx years has this to say of the suicide epi epidemic ell epi- epidemic demic It It has been my experience that suicide comes In threes We Ve have often orten n noted ted that when one man takes hl his own life ho he Is fol- fol followed fol followed lowed by another But during the tho aix years ears I have been In ot- ot office of office fice I have never Known nine cases to come so close together I 1 e belte It Is ts almost almost almost totally due to suggestion In one mans man's pockets when I made an exam exam- examination examInation examination of ot the body LOdy I found nine clippings telling tell of others who had committed In a psychoanalysis of the sit situation sit sit- situation three professors gave this explanation In cases of ot suicide there here must be a II certain set o of Impending cir cir- circumstances cir circumstances working towa d men men- mental mental mental tal derangement ment A mans man's mind must be bo wearied by constant me- me meditation me meditation on one ono particular thing which will be bo assigned a as the cause o of his self-destruction self This This at first Is a II small all ap apprehension ap- ap apprehension apprehension which bothers him then something s happens and blackens even rore his hope fora for tor torII fora II a solution of bis problem An- An Another An Another other event adds ads to the problem than another and another until they have assumed such proportions that they outweigh all other factors Quite Quite naturally these matters become so burdensome on a II mans man's mind that they overshadow all allgood allgood allgood good which he might obtain bya by bya bya a more optimistic view on the tho whole scheme of o things Ho He Is morbid and seeks what he thinks the easiest solution of ot the whole problem death death But Dut But this thia final decision does not come by thinking logical His nervous system Is la completely up- up upset up upset set by his worries upset to II a point responsible where here he e is not ble blo for tor his act acts even In to dally daily life Nothing matters to him and ond then he Is Inflamed lamed to his do- do de decision by another example High pressure preSure In business also was assigned by the psychologists as causing many suicides They traced the Immediate cause to nerve reaction on the brain |