The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-08-10
FEL0 DE Sc.
Attempt Of Fanny eonaors to Commit
Suicide in Jail.
Sheriff Sharpless Arrives in Time to
Save Her Life.
She Couldn't Bear the Idea of I'm
prisonment.

A ~irst-clAss sensation was created at
the county jail yesterday morning, and
one which very nearly gave Coroner
Lee a subject. At about nine O'Clock,
Sheriff Sharpless vas sitting in his
Office engagedon some legal papers, when
Mrs. Sharpless came running from the
sheriff's residence to the Office, saying
that there was something wrong in the
jail, for the prisoners were shouting at
the top of their voices. The sheriff
rushed in at the front door. carefully
locking it behind him, because he
feared an attempt was being made to
escape, and that some of the prisoners
were giving warning. As soon as he
entered, a colored prisoner said to the
sheriff: sob, it's no use; she's quit
struggling"
The sheriff soon discovered that the
cause of the commotion was the hang
ing Of Fanny Corners. She had pro-
cured a strip of blanket, and after
tying one end about her neck, fastened
the other end to a cross bar neal the
top Of the cage, and out of reach of the
other prisoners, for she was on the
outside while they were on the inside.
The woman had stood on a chair to
reach high up, and, when the sheriff
arrived, she was dangling by the neck,
her feet being over twelve inches from
the floor. Her face was perfectly black,
while her tongue protruded. Her eyes
were fixed and CLASSY, and she had
every appearance of being dead. But
the sheriff lifted her form, unfastened
the moose and carried her out of the
Jail at onc into the hallway of the
court house. Then he obtained assis-
lance from Messrs. Jeffrey, Bergman
and Chanin. They rubbed her hands
and arms with s%timulants, and admin
istered some internally. For q long
time the case seemed hopeless. Fanny
lay motionless and b~reathlesss and it
was feared that her life could not be
saved. Finally she gave evidence of
reviving, and the work was resumed
with more vigor. This was rewarded
by the slow return of the patient to
consciousness, and in about three
fourths of an hour she had recovered so
that she was able to sit up, and the
physician who was hastily summoned,
pronounced her out of danger.
Fanny Corners is a well known char
acter around town, and is always in
trouble. She was sentenced to a term
Of imprisonment In the county jail some
time since by Judge Bean, and the SEN
tence was suspended to allow her to
get out of town. She went, but soon
returned to create more trouble, and
then she was imprisoned according to
the commitment. On the very first
day she spent in jail,-about a month
since-she made three attempts to
hang herself, using slips Of blankets for
ropes. After this she was strictly
guarded by the other prisoners, and
made no further attempts until yester-
day morning. 1t was hoped that she
had grown out Of the desire for self
murder, and, in order to make her con-
finement as easy as possible, the sheriff
allowed her the utmost freedom of the
jail. She rewarded the kindness by
giving information leading to the dis
covery Of a plot to escape on the part Of
some of the prisoners, who had made a
wooden key for n Of the Jail locks.
This key vas captured.
After Fanny recovered yesterday, it
was determined to release her upon
promise Of quitting the city for good.
She then packed up her clothing and
left.
Just before Fanny was released, she
told the writer that unless she was let
out, she would yet commit suicide.
81 have made four attempts, said she,
land / will try four more" When
asked why she wanted to suicide, she
said that she would rather die than
remain in Jail. ST haven't killed any
body. Why do they want to keep me
heref" POOR Fanny seemed 10 lose
sight of the fact that people are fire.
quently jailed for lesser offenses than
murder. She expressed such a horror
of jail imprisonment that che was asked
II she had been maltreated. SNo, sir;''
she answered. "Mr. Shatpless is a
perfect gentleman, and does all he can
for me. But I can't bear staying in
JAIL" Hence 1t seems that the at
tempts at suicide have been caused by
the over sensitive feelings Of Fanny;
something entirely unlocked for in a
woman who has frequently figured as
defendant in police courts. She has q
child In tho city, which lives with
Fanny's mother, and both are supported
nv the county.