About 9 o'clock yesterday morning our citizens were completely thunderstruck by the announcement
that John Lambie, a well-known farmer residing just outside the village, had committed suicide by
hanging. We immediately went with many others to his place, and found the statement was only too
true. The facts as near as they can be learned, are these:
Several years ago Mr. Lambie sustained serious pecuniary losses through indorsing for others,
which, although satisfactorily adjusted, have kept him financially embarrassed ever since. For
the past few weeks he has been considerably depressed and melancholy, and Tuesday evening told
his family of several sums of money he owed, which were due; and his inability to meet them seemed
to weigh heavily upon his mind. He retired at a rather late hour, and after a restless night
arose and breakfasted as usual, and accompanied by his son Willie, a lad about fifteen years of
age, went to the barn, milked and did other necessary chores. This accomplished, Willie mounted
a horse and went to Mr. Richmond's of an errand and Mr. Lambie walked over to Mr. Percival's on
business connected with some cattle. Willie returned about 9 o'clock, and as he put out his
horse and went into the house to warm, he noticed his father going into the cowbarn, which is some
little distance from the house. After warming himself - not to exceed 10 or 15 minutes - he went
over to the barn, and not finding his father in the stable, called but obtained no reply. Looking
through a door onto the dimly lighted hay floor, he thought he distinguished his father standing on
the temporary ladder used for ascending the mow, and looking up toward the roof. A second glance,
however, revealed the fatal rope. His first thought was to run up and cut the rope, but the ladder
had been removed and his knife was in the pocket of another pair of pants. Running to the house he
told his mother of his discovery and snatching up a butcher knife hurried back to the barn. Just as
he arrived Patrick Coyle was passing by, and being appealed to he helped the boy onto the mow where
he could cut the rope. Drs. Frazier and DuBois were soon on the spot, and the unfortunate man
having been removed to the house, did everything possible to rususitate him, but without avail.
The suicide had evidently been accomplished by placing the temporary ladder accross the opening
in the loft floor, on some grain, which raised it some 4 or 5 feet., attaching the triprope of
a horse fork to one of the rounds, and then swinging off from the edge of the mow, which left
the feet about 5 feet from the floor below.
Mr. Lambie was a highly respected citizen, a prominent member of the Presbyterian church, and
one of the largest hearted men we ever knew. He was generous almost to a fault, and in several
instances in serving others injured himself. Some twenty years ago a sister committed suicide,
and this, with want of perfect physical health and his now know financial embarrassments, lead
many to suppose he was suffering under a fit of temporary insanity. He leaves a wife and three
sons and three daughters, who have the sincerest sympathy of the entire community.
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