, 1888-08-21
A DESPERATE LUNATlC.
Worth Jackson Cuts His Throat
With Bits of Glass.
After Many Attempts He Succeeds
in Killing Himself.
The Complete Story of the Suicide
at the County Jail.

attention of Sheriff Sharpless was directed
to a vigorous and quite unusual uproar in
the county jail There was a confusion Of
tongues with a vengeance and the yelling
would have done credit to the strong a
practiced lungs of a gang'o of hoodlums.
Upon opening the jail door the Of
was greeted with cries of the crazy ma..
has cut his throatl'' 1.-THE lunatic has
killed himselfr' and other EXPLANATIONS
Of similar import.
Be it known that the crazy man re-
tered to was a demented Individual named
Worth Jackson, who was turned over to
the Laramie county authorities Saturday
morning by Ranchmau VIM. Phillips at
whose place he first exhibited evidences Of
an unbalanced mind Friday evening.
Sheriff Sharpless at once visited the
cell occupied by jackson and found the
man bleeding profusely from numerous
gashes in the neck, but still able to stand
alone and talk. But two avenues of self
destruction had been open to the de-
mented man. He had either to batter his
brains out against the cell walls or cut
himself with bits of glass obtained by
breaking the lamp chimney. He had
chosen the latter, and with a demoniacal
persistence born of insanity had hacked at
his throat until his head was half severed
from the trunk and the compartment in
which he was confined resembled a slaugh-
tering pen. The walls and floor were
covered with blood. Jackson's clothes
and the bedding were soaked with the
fluid and the sight was one to make strong
men weaken.
The poor lunatic implored the officers
and his fellow prisoners to save him from
imaginary enemies and to provide him
with means of completing his bloody task.
He was led outside the cell, and the
flow of blood interfering with his vocal
organs, called for writing materials. APP
pended are copies of two notes written by
him within a few minutes after he had
been reached by the sheriff:
Me no Free Mason, Me no Catholic.
You are all mistaken. Me poor man.
Me no kill anybody. You are all liars
and | never kill no man in my life.
WORTH JACKSON.
Me don't know. No you mans shed
innocent blood. Me don't know me. Me
don't know me. Me no Free Mason.
Me no Catholic. Me fanatic.
The latter was unsigned and was prob
ably in response to some question.
A conveyance was secured and the man
taken to the hospital, where he passed
away quietly yesterday morning, Just
twenty-f four hours after crazy cunning had
caused him to devise the novel method of
suicide selected.
Chas. Trumble, under death sentence
for murder, was the first to discover the
sad predicament OF Jackson, as he occu-
pied the adjoining cell. Trumble notified
Bill Moore. who sleeps in the corridor,
and the latter sounded the alarm.
At the hospital jackson continued ner-
vous and irritable until almost completely
exhausted.
The dead mans parents reside at Hot
Springs, Oak, and his father is now en-
route to this city. The family formerly
resided in Cheyenne, where deceased, who
was a young man at the time of his tragic
death, was in the employ of the Western
Union Telegraph company as messenger
boy.
Yesterday morning Coroner Chafin en-
p%anelled a jury consisting of w. f. Hos
ford, foreman; Jno, A. Epperson, VIM.
Welchans, Geo. Benton, jas. 2. Julian
and l.. b. Spoor. The remains were
viewed and an adjournment taken to the
city hall.
Deputy Sheriff o. b. Sharpless was the
first witness called. Deceased had been
given into the custody of Laramie county
officials by VIM. Phillips. Witness be-
lieved that Jackson was crazy, as he
talked of having been poisoned and de-
clared that armed enimies were pursuing
him. AT times, however, he had lucid,
intervals, and stated that he had once
been in the employ Of the Cheyenne &
Northern Railway company, but recently
tended iocks for Mr.. Bristol, the sheep
man. His parents, he said, resided at
Hot Springs, Oak. Mr.. Sharpless stated
that Jackson had been relieved of a re-
volver and knife and placed in a cell.
VIM. Phillips first met jackson last
Friday evening. He ate a lunch, took
supper and lodged at the ranch that day
and night, Deceased slept but little,
ranting and raving all night. He declared
that he wa wrongfully accused of the
murder Of a fellow sheep herder in Colo
RADIO. Mr.. Phillips was fully convinced
that deceased was crazy from the tact that
he gave up his money to the witness
without Directing, Jackson was disarmed
and brought to town by ~deponant. De.
ceased had told Mr.. Phillips that he had
triedto commit suicide by shooting him
. - - " Ill