Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-21
A BOLD DASH AT DEATH.

S0l0n Jenk1nss the Murderer or SGeph-
 en B. Anthony of WaI1ingferd, COm-
 mites Suicide by Hanging Himself i'm His Cell at the County Jail-PapeFs Left by Him.
 The county jail in this city was the scene of horrible and desperate suicide about 3 o'clock yesterday morning. Two hours after that time Warden Michael Farrel fonnd the lifeless body of Solen Calhoun Jenkins, who murdered his father-in-law, Stephen B. Am thony, in Wallingford on the evening of November 18th.
 The suicide was most deliberate. Jenkins had attempted to kill himself several times since his imprisonment. His cell was No. 5,
 on the ground tier. Like all the cells in the jail, it had ventilator consisting of q chimney like passage with small opening near the top about six inches long by four wide Jenkins pulled out the iron veltilator and observed that there was piece of timber in it.
 To this he fastened rope made of towel, his suspenders and piece of rope taken from his bed, made a moose in the other end,
 bound handkerchief tightly over his mouth, knocked the stool upon which he stood away and hung till life had flown. Coroner Mix said upon Investigation that 1t was probably half an hour before life was extinct. The affair created great excitement about the jail when discovered.
 The details of the murderer's crime are well known. Jenkins was Hartford man,
 but had lived in New Haven some time be- fore the murder. His children were ia Wal lingford, but his wife had lived in Hartford several years and is now residing there at 73 Pearl street. Jenkins wife, a Hartford po-
 hceman, well known Hartford shirt maker and New Britain doctor figure largely in
 both tragedies.
 Among the many papers found by the cor- oner were Cigarette" pictures of ballet dan- cers, all bearing the address of "No. 3 State street, Hartford;;" 8 picture of a famous bal
 let dancer labelled: siMy wife, No. 3 State street, Fannie Jenkins, Hartford, Conn" :" One letter, which was not sealed, was ad- dressed to "Fannie G.Jenkins, 73 Pearl street, Hartford, and if not there to Wallingford, Conn.," There were postal cards addressed I to each of his daughters in Wallingford, g letter to the murderer's mother, "Mrs. Mary Bell, Gildersleve, Ct.," another card to his ! sister, "Mrs. Mary E. Johnson, Boston, Mass. ;" and several notes to the jail officials. ' One note read
 "Dear George-I have stayed at the jail longer ! than intended to. thank you for the kindness you have shown me. Ihave no use for this cell and
 ! want % you to give it to Hartford man next, hop, Hartford policeman.) JENKINS. One addressed ''To the folks in jail'' read: have been with you longer than meant to. ! to-, Here's hoping therel be judgment on my fife
 parties inserted here which Coroner Mix refused to give.) SoLoN CALHOUN JENKINS. Another:
 | am sorry killed Stephen Anthony, but if had ever got to Hartford would have put two bullets parties referred to above) JENKINS. Another:
 ' q want to be buried in WaIlingford. There is
 three ways get rid of myself in the jail, and
 aood by. Love to ts my mother and children. It is wonderful how they get there. but they do.'' To a jail official was:
 do this to save the State expenses; so give me good coffin.
 ! Papers marked 'The History of s. c. ! Jenkins, Murderer of Stephen Anthony" as much as could be deciphered were: was born in Richmond, Va, in 1851, and was named after Calhoun, the great statesman. The came to Connecticut with my mother and the chil \ dren. My father in the business of putting
 ventor of the process. He died of yellow fever
 Mother was left with three children two girls and
 to work on a farm in Giastonbury; wv worked there ere five years. then went to Hartford to work for Adetermined to learn a trade had an uncle in
 Wallingford, s. P. Keller, turner and started to the COWS, ran errands and bIacked the shoes. The first Sunday was there went to church with the
 plenty of seats in the gallery thought if wasn't good enough to sit with him was not good enough
 next year and told him had learned all wanted \ of that trade. finally ran away, but my uncle sent after me and came back and learnt the trade
 | got married in the Baptist church, and after. \ man she wanted to- We moved to Branford and went into business there My wife wanted to go back. - - \ I'm
 Boston, and my s gFandf.thsr on my ncther,s side ter my marriage bought a house in wallingford of E. Morse. saw my wife didn't like me and
 vase %as cheated @ to the amount Of ss5o0. and conse quently couldn't pay my creditors moved
 that removed to New Britain, where my wife took my furniture. While there she had me arrested for
 blame The judge gave me co days in jail and fined her $l7 While was in jail my wife went to her Wallingford.
 The piece is full of invectives against his wife and her paramours. "An address to the county" was:
 want to be buried decently. confess that l deceive me he had a weapon to shoot me My \ wife was the cause of it all couldn't see my
 racket the trunk racket the fur niture racket and \ the divorce racket All on account of the Hartford
 So tonight end myself as have been all ready I for some time. have taken about pint of poi
 son and have tried to hang myself three times, but the rope broke, and the last time hung for soma time and finally found myself on the cell floor. \ did not know anything for some time. It's very | easy death to die. s. o. JENKINS | Another note read:
 This is to let the public know die for love of
 my children, and that my wife, Fannie, is the \ cause of her fathers death.
 | SoLoN O. JENKINS, \ Cell No. 5.
 Many other papers were found filled with | rage, curses, remorse and sorrow for his sad fate and strong advice against strong drink
 and bad company.