Alexandria Gazette

Dreadful Self-Murder.

The American Hotel in this place, (Madison, Wisconsin,) was, on Sunday afternoon last, the scene of a horrid occurrence of this kind. At about 4 o'clock, the attention of Mr. Fake, the keeper of the American, was attracted by a gurgling noise; and in casting his eye, observed standing in the door of a room a short distance from him, a man literally covered with blood, pointing to his throat, and beckoning him to approach. Startled and shocked, Mr. Fake advanced towards and followed him into the room, where he beheld a scene horrid and sickening in the extreme. The floor and bed covered with blood; an open razor, the implement of death, lying on a chair; and the wretched self-murderer, who had sunk upon his knees, struggling for breath, with his throat cut—the trachea completely severed! Surgical assistance was immediately called; but nothing could be done for him, as he determinedly and frantically resisted every attempt made to dress or even touch the wound. His only desire was to see his wife, who was in the family; and having obtained a slip of paper, wrote with a pencil, "I want to see my wife. It's all I ask. N.T.D." It was deemed proper, however, not to grant his request; and after half an hour of intense suffering, he expired. His name was Nathaniel T. Duncombe.

As will be seen by the following letters, which we are permitted to publish. one of which was addressed to his wife an hour or two before, and the other found on his body after death, the cause of the suicide was an unfortunate difficulty between himself and wife: which it appears. he could not succeed in reconciling. This difficulty arose from brutal treatment at his hands, and which compelled her six or eight months ago, to leave him. During this time, she lived at Madison. and was in the family of Mr. Fake. The husband who resided at Jefferson, came to this place two or three days before his death, for the purpose of reconciliation. Having failed in this, he came to the determination of destroying himself:and waited until his wife and Mr. Fake's family had gone to church, and then crawled through a window into her apartment, where, after cutting his arms, which were found to be deeply gashed in several places,he opened his wife's trunk. took out her clothing, and besmeared each separate article with blood, wrote the initials of his name N. T. D. in glaring capitals. with blood, upon the wall, and then cut his throat!

Duncombe formerly resided in the city of New York, where he now has a brother, and was a baker by trade.—Wisconsin Intelligencer.