, 1875-01-03
THE CITY.
THE COUNTY jAiI.

aTTExpTEU ESCAPE or PRISONER
no,s.Eeratlo excitement was created in tho
c.r,tv Jail yesterday morning by prisoner
ling "A unsuccessful attempt ct suicide.
1s.,a two mortbs ago. it will be remembered,
1.rr Floyd and Jim Chatterson. alias Sim Jim,
-;.h The assietaace Of q lad named Widmer laid
.1,,n to rob the Lair-Htoro Of Mr. F. Camp
IN IN Madison street. near State. They
.,.ra frustrated in their designs and the trio ar
...t.d bv the detectives. and taken before JUS
~. Borden who held them to the Criminal
c,nr+ for tlial. The Grand Jury returned En- in
4rtruent against them fer conspirirg together to
.orrnit bu1glary. Last Tuesday Chatter
.nn md Wi1mer pleaded guilty to tho
-h.ren, and we're remanded. Thursdxy Floyd
~. On sziL before Judge Tree, in the Criminal
nrrr+ During tao trial document WAS pro-
socad. and read as evidence favorable to tile
soouitta OF the prisoner. That document ras
sd5Trs.ed to the editor OF Tm CHICAGO rR1RuSE,
mi vas 4 statemen. in the hand Writing Of Clat-
s-sson. alias slim Jim, setting forth that
noTI vas innocent Of the charge upon which
he ~ being tried The States Attorney made
: vituess OF Cbatte1soD. who save testimony to
~ fact that be had been influenced aud intimi-
6,ted INTO writing tho communication by the
+1ends OF FIoyd. and cortradicted tie statement
,.nt.incd thoicin. Chattersoo evidently ex-
,ec,hd 20 gain tavoF at the hands Of the Court
fn saptence day by this course In undertaking
n crostc further sympathy from Judge Tree
tfhm seu,enco day arr.yedi-whlch was yester-
tlr-he came very near terminating h,n unhappy
e1istance.
!ha prisoner obtained fsv grains Of morphine,
vii the intention OF takin. it the uight before
b ehonld be arrs'gned for sentence, In such
o1antlty only az would produce sickness. Friday,
3a;ter Hand received Information from an out
a.e source. that Chnttesson contemplated
tricide anl in Older 10 prevent any attemp: the
ygisoncr night make upon his life, he WAS re-
m3rsd, handcuhed. and placed in separate cell
nan that OF No. 35' which he had been occupy
inz. Yesterday morning be was 1etu,ned to his
oaj quarters, where he Immediately swallowed
tbs morphine, which WAS concealed III
sba cell. Shortly thereafter negro
x!o xta In tho same cell noticed that all was
rot right with his fellow~prisouer, and, upon
tho door, bearing unmistakable evidence that it
sz zxirslle contained powder Of some nature.
He It onco alarmed tile turnkey, John
Co1ioa who, hurryins to tho cell,
tocM Chat1erson in an insensible
,oydtion. Jailer Hand WAS sent for, and be-
.heiife Of Sim Jim was saved. 1t WAS close
mt however, and Ill through the day he was |
rtsling from the result OF his foo!ishneas.
Late in TIE afternoon TRIBUNE reporter
A!od 1t cell No. 19 in the boys ward, whe,e !
n2tte,son had been p,aced. and found him on !
ped in quiet game OF 81 higi1-low-j jack," +" With
i Young urchin who hns tho liberty OF the !
rsid. Shatterson appeared somewnat b1eached.
nd evidently was very fesole. He is =
rouu9 man about ~ years Of age. He insists |
hit LIS attempt at suicide was genuine, and in-
os1ned the reporter that be made the attempt |
Friday BY cutting his wrist With razor, hopins !
% sever the vein and bieed to death, and, to
mlt.antiats this, he e1tendod his arm, on which |
here appeared few fresh scratches. but evidently
nats with = dull knife. He also asserted that
10 made an effort to hang himself wlile N the
ell during Friday night by tearing hia drawers
nto strips, but in this he falled as there vas not
uficient strength in the strings to hold bis |
Feght. This statement is contradicted by |
ha turnkey, who hendcuned the prisoner when
enov1ng hin from one cell to another for aafo-
!! Friday night. Slim Jun gavo as his reasous
a bis action that ha could not live at Joliet,
nd wodld rather die than 70 these Inasauch
. h {ailed IN the attempt, he would not try it
gun, and would trust to the mercy
{ the Court in giving hlm = light sentence.
he jury who tiled Floyd failed 10 agree, and,
8 Sim Jim ia q wltuess in bis caae. which will
dms up again on the llrh inst, it is DOT prob
be that he viii receive his ssnteneo until after
h2t timQ. |