Hangings leave West Texas town's residents wondering about suicides

[JayS]

Now this is just plain strange.

July 24, 2003, 7:01AM
Hangings leave West Texas town's residents wondering about suicides
Associated Press
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2009764


COLORADO CITY - West Texas law officers say there's probably no link among four hangings within less than three months, but the deaths have left residents wondering why so many have taken their own lives.

Law officers say that before this summer, the town of 4,500 people about 70 miles north of San Angelo and 250 miles west of Dallas averaged only one suicide a year.

*SNIP*

"The first couple, I would say was a coincidence," said Toombs. "These last couple, I can't tell you for sure."

John Smith, a licensed professional counselor and case manager at the Harbor, a mental health branch of Community Medical Center, said that getting help in small towns is sometimes more difficult than in larger cities because of a difficulty in protecting anonymity.

"Some people worry that other people will see their cars outside of a counselor's office," Smith said.

[baffie]

1. "Only" one suicide a year? Is that normal

for a town that small!

[JayS]

2. It is in West Texas where if the insect does not bite you it will...

...sting you, the plants are thorny, it seldom rains, and the blowing sand hurts the skin and clogs the lungs...so maybe "only" one is normal there. :)

[damnraddem]

3. A town of '4,500 people about 70 miles north of San Angelo and 250 ...

miles west of Dallas'? What's to explain? Well, here's a question -- why aren't there more suicides than 4 in 3 months? Why did they previously experience only one a year?

[LoneStarLiberal]

4. If...

I was going to say...if you've ever been to Colorado City, it's miraculous that the numbers are this low. It's about halfway in between Nowhere and Nothing.