From the September 1880 New York Times:

“Isaac H. Haight, an old man, living at Somers, Westchester County, has many times threatened to commit suicide, sometimes by hanging, sometimes by freezing to death, and at others by drowning, and cutting his throat. On Monday he went to the shoe store and got a pair of shoes for his daughter-in-law. They did not suit her, and she found fault with him. He became melancholy over it, and reiterated his threats to commit suicide. He had been heard to say this so often, that he was told to go and do it. He then invited the people present in the house to go out and see him cut his throat. They laughed at him, and refused to go. He however, went, and the people looked at him from the windows. He had turned to his little grandson and said, ‘Come out and see your grandpa cut his throat,’ and the little boy had gone. Mr. Haight drew his knife and flourished it about his head, and made several feints at cutting himself. Finally, by accident, he did cut his throat. When he saw what he had done, he tried to hold it together, told his friends he did not intend to do it, and asked them to send for a doctor. He expressed himself as very sorry for what he had done, but after four hours he died.”