Why did Meriweather Lewis kill himself?
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An Excerpt from Troy Taylor's Book HAUNTED ST. LOUIS THE DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS\nDid the Famed Explorer Die by His Own \nHand -- or Was He Murdered?\n \nMYSTERIOUS DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS \nIn September 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition returned to St. Louis after an absence of two years and four months. The men had crossed more than 6,000 miles of wilderness and arrived in the city to much celebration. The welcoming festivities were even more joyous than the ones that had marked their departure. The adventurers of the expedition crew were mustered out and Lewis departed for Washington, followed by Clark a short time later. \n\nLewis was welcomed into the home of President Jefferson and managed to obtain both extra money and land grants for his men. He was also appointed as Governor of the Louisiana Territory, with Clark serving as the region’s Indian agent and being promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Clark was the first to depart for St. Louis and there, the general married and moved into a new home. He invited Lewis to stay with he and his family but the governor refused, not wanting to impose on the Clark’s. Instead, he moved in with Auguste Chouteau and took over his duties as governor. He soon found much to dislike about the office, such as sitting behind a desk all day long and dealing with politicians, which he despised. There were abuses with the fur trade and problems with land titles, all of which were brought to Lewis. \n \nMeriwether Lewis\n \n\nIn spite of this, he seemed to be the man for the job. He was well acquainted with the Louisiana Territory, an experienced military officer and popular in the city. The closest post office at that time was in Illinois and it took weeks for mail to reach the city. With that in mind, he opened the city’s first post office and encouraged newspaper publishers to open in St. Louis as well. This news was met with enthusiasm, but Lewis’ early initiatives would not last. \n\nIn order to keep the peace and intimidate the Indians, he demanded more money and troops than Washington could afford to send him. War seemed to be coming with England once again, as British ships were seizing sailors on the high seas. Lewis also became involved in several local quarrels and made an enemy of his subordinate, Frederick Bates. A heated argument at a ball one night resulted in Bates humiliating Lewis in public. The furious governor sent Clark to invite Bates to a private meeting. Clark refused to go, convinced that the two men would end up involved in a duel if he did. Bates soon became the governor’s tormentor, spreading rumors about Lewis and reporting the mistakes that he made to men in Washington. \n\nLewis’ administration began to fail and as it did, his personal life began to deteriorate as well. Land speculating drained his finances. He became careless about his clothing and his appearance. He began to drink too much, complaining that he was unable to sleep unless he took laudanum. To make matters worse, Thomas Jefferson left the presidency and a new administration took over in Washington. Vouchers that Lewis had signed for medicine for the Indians had been returned unpaid and he went deeper into debt by paying for the bills out of his own pocket. He raved and fumed and wrote angry letters to Washington, becoming so ill with worry that he was confined to his bed. He feared that his loyalty was being questioned and that he was being accused of treason. He wrote letters, vowing that he would not try and separate the Louisiana Territory from the United States and become a traitor. \n\nSuch a fear is not as strange as it sounds. Lewis’ predecessor had been General James Wilkinson. Although barely remembered today, Wilkinson was famous in his time. Born in Maryland, he had reached the rank of commanding general during the American Revolution. After the war, he sought to make his fortune on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and in 1789, became the paid agent for Sp
385256
The country song Rose Colored Glasses by John Conly.  I was engaged to a guy for a year before I found out that he had a cocaine problem and called the engagement off til he got help.  A month and half later, he begged to come home but I wouldn't let him.  Three days later I drove out to see him and he committed suicide, shot himself in front of me.  When we first started dating, I was at his house and he asked me to dance, I thought okay, we'll dance on carpet I guess and instead of putting on music that was the song he sang.  That was three and a half years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
778525
Unfortunatly the loss of a great R&B singer was overshadowed by the divorce of Bitney and Kevin. I heard about it on the news at like 11pm, but that's it. Even BET hasn't covered it, which is weird. I guess if it's not loud and ghetto, they don't care about it. I send my prayers out to his fam and friends...
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More likely, it'd make you violently sick.  If you're planning suicide, forget it.  '40s star Lupe Velez decided to commit suicide with booze and pills.  She got herself all dolled up in her best clothes, hair and makeup, filled her bedroom with beautiful flickering candles, totally set the scene so she'd be discovered at the peak of her beauty.  Then she took the booze and pills and lay down on her bed to await the end.  Soon, however, she got totally, horribly sick, staggered off to the bathroom to throw up, and drowned in the toilet.  It's not a romantic way to go.
668031
That person is so full of b.s.  He died in a plane accident.  It was a little plane they had decided to take up and the plane crashed.  The bus driver I think was the pilot and his license was expired.  The plane actually hit the bus that ozzy and everyone else were sleeping on.  It woke them up when one of the wings hit the plane.  Here is a detailed descrip...\nThe bus arrived at Flying Baron Estates in Leesburg at about 8:00 a.m. on the 19th and parked approximately 90 yards away from the landing strip and approximately 15 yards in front of the house that would later serve as the accident site. On the bus were: Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Arden, Rudy Sarzo, Tommy Aldrige, Don Airey, Wanda Aycock, Andrew Aycock, Rachel Youngblood, Randy Rhoads and the bands tour manager. Andrew Aycock and his ex-wife, Wanda, went into Jerry Calhoun’s house to make some coffee while some members of Ozzy Osbourne’s band slept in the bus and others got out and "stretched". Being stored inside of the aircraft hanger at Flying Baron Estates, was a red and white 1955 Beechcraft Bonanza F-35 (registration #: N567LT) that belonged to Mike Partin of Kissimmee, Florida. Andrew Aycock, who had driven the groups bus all night from Knoxville and who had a pilots license, apparently took the plane without permission and took keyboardist Don Airey and the bands tour manager up in the plane for a few minutes, at times flying low to the ground. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, Andrew Aycock’s medical certificate (3rd class) had expired, thus making his pilots license not valid. \n\nApproximately 9:00 a.m. on the morning of March 19th, Andrew Aycock took Rachel Youngblood and Randy Rhoads up for a few minutes. During this trip the plane began to fly low to the ground, at times below tree level, and "buzzed" the bands tour bus three times. On the fourth pass (banking to the left in a south-west direction) the planes left wing struck the left side of the bands tour bus (parked facing east) puncturing it in two places approximately half way down on the right side of the bus. The plane, with the exception of the left wing, was thrown over the bus, hit a nearby pine tree, severing it approximately 10 feet up from the bottom, before it crashed into the garage on the west side of the home owned by Jerry Calhoun. The plane was an estimated 10 feet off the ground traveling at approximately 120 - 150 knots during impact. The house was almost immediately engulfed in flames and destroyed by the crash and ensuing fire, as was the garage (pictured) and the two vehicles inside, an Oldsmobile and a Ford Granada. Jesse Herndon, who was inside the house during the impact, escaped with no injuries. The largest piece of the plane that was left was a wing section about 6 to 7 feet long. The very wing that caught the side of the tour bus, was deposited just to the north of the bus. The severed pine tree stood between the bus and the house.\n\nOzzy Osbourne, Tommy Aldrige, Rudy Sarzo and Sharon Arden, who were all asleep on the bus, were awoken by the planes impact and (at first) thought they had been involved in a traffic accident. Wanda Aycock had returned to the bus while keyboardist Don Airey stood outside and witnesses the accident, as did Marylee Morrison, who was riding her horse within sight of the estate. Two men, at the west end of the runway, witnessed the plane "buzzing" the area when the plane suddenly "went out of sight" as it crashed. \n\nOnce outside of the bus the band members learned of the catastrophic event that had just taken place. The bus was moved approximately 300 feet to the east of the house that was engulfed in flames. The band checked into the Hilco Inn in Leesburg where they mourned the death of Randy and Rachel and would wait for family members to arrive. While Orlando’s "Rock Super Bowl XIV", scheduled for later that day, was not canceled, the Ozzy Osbourne band would not play and the promoters of
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Kurt Cobain shot himself in the head with a shotgun. If you Google his suicide note, you can see it in full. There are photocopied versions of it that are in his handwriting. If you have a hard time reading that version (and you will), there is also a typed out version of it on the web.
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No, he had a small aneurism, which bled into his brain and caused his death.  \nWell, it's as good a guess as any!
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The power of internet rumors are what killed him. He is in fact not dead of an intentional heroin overdose as an email circulating around the 'net would have you believe. This rumour started from a story on Broken Newz which was suppose to be taken as satire.\n\nAnything else is just wishful thinking.
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its rare that people who write dark poems and stuff kill themselves because they usually see that the world wouldnt be phased either way. one life is meaningless if they die or not, sure it may have meaning to the people they are close to, but in the end, life is nothing. sad but true.
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Isn't that the one who OD'd? I know the lead singer of Sublime died of an overdose. Totally sad. He had a little kid and everything. JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS!
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They said he will recover.\n Jerry Lewis is a real HUMANITARIAN.  The world is not ready to let go of him yet. He still has work to do for MS.
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"It was heart failure. It was from his past – the drinking and the drug abuse. They found signs of heart disease. She (the examiner) said that the blood vessels were very worn and narrow, and that just showed all the abuse from the scheduling of work and his past. And Eddie just worked out like crazy all the time. It made his heart grow bigger and work harder and the vessels were getting smaller, and that's what caused the heart failure. He went into a deep sleep." \nQuote from his wife i found on about.com
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He comitted suicide. Don't believe any of those conspiracy theories.
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That needs to be asked because sometimes people kill themselves by accident or it's very possible it may not have been suicide but murder and it was covered up. All people do not kill themselves because they are depressed however a large percentage are depressed.
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How ridiculous, these are nothing but vile accusations of which there's never been any documented proof...no, he died from  heart and respiratory problems.\n\n\nktilton13, if you can't prove it, then why impune the man's reputation with unsubstainated rumors? You might as well say he was an alien...
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He overdosed (heroin I think) on the tour bus. Very sad.
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None. He died of a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head several years ago after a bout with drug addiction.  His son became a successful actor however and is very much alive and well.