Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17
SUICIDING PRISONERS.
Persons Who Are Overcome by the
Shame of Arrest.
METHODS THEY EMPLOY.
Hanging 10 the More Frequent-Throat Cut
ting, strangulation and Other Ways of End
ing Life Tried-Men Mean Business, but
Women Don't Intend to Die.

A Ing Life Tried-Men Mean Business, but
Women Don't Intend to Die.
Il arrested for the first time in their lives, as
q STAR reporter learns from the police, have a
feeling that they wish they were dead. Indeed,
hundreds Of them have been heard to make use
of the remark. 1t is not when the policeman
first makes the arrest that the feeling prevails,
but it is when the victim is ushered into a room
in the rear and led to a small and often dark
place that is called cell. When he steps over
the iron sill the full force of the disgrace comes
upon him and he wishes that he was in another
world. Many of the older police officers say
that they have known cases in which the pris-
oner under such circumstances has either COM
mitted suicide or made the attempt.
Many prisoners threaten, before they are con-
fined, to end their life, but the officers never
have any sympathy, for they know it is simply
talk. Those who make such threats invariably
change their minds when they discover that
the officer who arrested them or the officer in
charge Of the station cares little what they do.
Such persons. the police say, never show any
| real nerve.
FEWER coLoRED THAN WHITE sUrcrDEs-
| Statistics show that there are fewer colored
| people who take their own lives than whites,
even in localities where the former greatly out
number the latter. There is difference Of
opinion as to the cause of this, some holding
that the colored people as a rule are in greater
| fear Of the punishment hereafter than the
white, while others are OF the opinion that 1t is
because 1t takes much less to make the cOlored
man happy and that he is generally satisfied
with his lot. The average white is seldom salts
fed with his condition and generally thinks ID
should be better off than he is. Colored people.
however. do some times swell the list Of suicide
when under arrest.
THE MODES EMPLOYED.
The modes employed to end their existence
| by prisoners are as varied as the circumstances
will permit though hanging is the most fire.
| quent. In some instances the victim is in .
cell alone, while in others he has a dozen or
more companions sharing his quarters. In
the police station the prisoners, as a rule, are
each given a single cell, unless it happens that
business Is brisk and then a room mate Is put
In.
The would-be suicide who is in such o cell
alone lays his plans. If he is in earnest, there
is not much probability of detection, and even
II he is discovered it Is usually when he is half
dead or before he can get himself into a posi-
ton to take the initiatory step. The cells are
not often SO warm that the prisoner finds it
necessary to remove any of his garments, al
though many of them use their coats as substi-
tutes for pillows. Others, however, sometimes
remove other garments, and especially is such
the case when suicide is contemplated, for it
not only throws the officers of their guard, but
the shirt sleeve or some part of another gar
ment, is often necessary to carry out the deadly
plan.
HANGING THE MORE FREQUENT METHOD.
When the suicide is alone the mode employed
is generally hanging. and shirt sleeves used for
that purpose make as effective moose as piece
of hempen roIe. A singular thing about some
of the victims of this mode of exit from the
world is that they sometimes 90 about il in such
a bungling manner tina. even after the start is
made they could relieve Themselves of the main
if thew so desired The fact that thew do not
interfere in their own behalf. some physicians
sav IL GOOD oronuant that norsona Tho d;a
unon The gallows Iose corsciousness IA COON "a
the drop falls because thew arene that when
a persop il snffering sncb excrnciatino main
and that too in the face of ,ea,b he vouId az.
tricate himself if it was in his power to do so.
Hanging has not been the only mode adopted.
ior persons nave peen known 10 emu tneir iiVes
bave cn, sbo;r ,hroa,s or saysrsd sn a-,erx i,
their wrist and bIed to death.
AN .crr.r. rSc,nrxr
II mas NOT peeh many mohths SINCE prisoner
IN the Police Court cells attempted suicide by
cutting his throat with an old penknife, and
when taken from the cell and the knife taken
away from him he continued the attemnt by
Striving TO Dull open the Rasles that he had
made in his throat and was only prevented
from accommodating the desired end NV bein0
bound hand and foot and il was also necessary
to hold him for even after beine tied he heat
his head against the wall. He Recovered from
the effects of his ipiuries and died in the peni-
tertiary soon afterWard
MANY nersons have attemnted spicide lint
few have .ncceeded NV the ns,l Of a bandIs,cbiaf
or a niece Of coat lining In cells wbsra ,nora
than the victim bimself was confred he ,n,n.
aoed 10 oct in the rear end Of tbs coll cd s;t
there aSbile not sneaLin~ 10 bis connan;ons
in misery and after r.ma;nina s;Ispt Iona
enough 10 avoid snsnicion he committed ne
crime First throwing the fata, Handkerchief
or rag loosely around the neck and then max
ing knot the unfortunate pulled the united
end rnt;i ,ba -.,,IsS !; h;S ,,at " taIi;
from the bench attracted the attention of his
cell mates.
,-s,,
~
Inc men VINO at'emPt SUICIDE generally mean
business, and even If detected and prevented
for the time being it is usually only a question
nj time befors ,bay u,t. .no,hsr ot,ou,r. w;,h
the female nrisoners II ia d;,farant To- althorL
some have snccs.3ad IN oo,,rn;,,;,, s,;n;95
while beb;nJ rbe bars mors ~ a., 49,
merslv nr.tendsd 10 al. ,ho;r H.. ~ -'s
Sona womaM baSa banaad tha,rso,,,.s .. Al.
;ro,, go -. -, IL $3.50 raa;.. s; ~ e
80 Lii - -. e., 49, ns . Ii'.os
go -, go ..''I, o.e ~. 40 I .uo IN ~
ar - s.. y ..P - 80 ie'"e =!