The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-12-29
TIRED OF LIFE.
William Gwecn Ends His Exist
ence by the Rope Route.
He LISTENS ATTtNTWELY TO PRAYERS
OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN WHO
VISIT THE JAIL


Sad ana Untimsly Death of Young
Man Whose Life Should Have Had o
Different Ending--- dow the Decd Was
Done.
Crushed under weight of In
awakened to q rcaliz alton of the situation
he was in and hopeless of the future which
held out no prolhlses TO him, William
Gween died IN the county jail last night,
by his own hand, He was admitted into
the jail DcCt l6, having been sent
over from the mayors court for 30 days.
Gween stol- ws,ch from bis roommate
Theodore K1ou;z in this ciiy. He was at
rested in Alliance for drunkenness and
papers were found upon hts person which
identified bim re the TCen wanted in Can.
ton for stealing the watch aud be was held
by Alliance authorities until the errival
of Officer Joe WIpianat who brought him
TO this city 20 answer to the charge OF petit
larceny. Hg puhded guilty aud Mayor
Blake sent him - all for 30 days,
While in jAil he mas not exhibited any
signs that he WAS tired OF his earthly
existence and he wss the last man in the
Jail who would have been picked out as
likely to corutult suicide. his determine
ton must have been reached shortly before
the deed was committed,
During Wednesday afternoon, q number
OF Christian Temperance Union ladies'
were in the jail holding services. During
the time they are in the jail the prisoners
remain in their cells anu the services are
held in the Railways. Yesterday after
noon'S services were particularly i'm
pressive. While they were being held
Gween wac iu q cell with John Richard.
The two listened Attentively TO the SER
vices.
MAKING INQUIRIES.
While Richard and Gween were in the
cell, the latter asked the former how
Joseph LAcock of WaynesburQ lad conn
mitted suicide August IL, 1892. Richard
explained that the act was committed in
the cell next to the one occupied by
Gween. He also explained to him how
Lacock used the chain on his bunk with
which to choke himself.
"Why ddu't he tie IL up on that water
pipe ?n said Gwaen.
Rchacd aud Gwesu talked in whispers
foe some time nnd finally, sh Drtly before
4 o'clock the women left the prison. A
game OF cards was then proposed and
Gween entered into the spirit Of the occas
sion for short time. Cards, however,
did not appear 70 have any charm and ne
soon quit ;he game. Getting his little oil
lamp ne secured 4 match from one OF the
prisoners and retired to his cell. He call.
ell TO John Qlsy, q prisoner, to shut the
outer door Of bis cell, as he wanted TO De
alone for awhile. bio borrowed a lead
Quay closed zoe door after him.
What happened in the cell can only be
coacsudod upon by tho state of things
found one hour later. Whether the mans
heart was touched by the prayers of the
Christian women will not be kuowu. His
awakened conscience prob bly, made him
miserable and instead of looking on the
bright side of life and determining to lead
better life, he gave up all hope of being
a good citizen and preferred TO die in his
cell.
THE BODY DISCOVERED.
At o'clock John Wright OF Massillou,
one of the hall men, went to Gween's cell
TO lock him in. Opening the outer door
he called through the bars: "Are you in? ?n
There was no response but Wright
thought that GHCen was playing possum
and locking the cell, proceeded to lock the
remainder OF the prisoners in.
About ten minutes later John Richard
went around to get tbs tin cups. Peer"
ing into GEeeu's cell he saw him aupar~
emily standing OK Jne eGd of his bunk,
with his head aud shoulders against the
corner walls. Richard received no ans
swer ami by a closer inspection discovS
cred the rope around Gween'S neck,
which supported him in an upright posi-
ton.
Richard Immediately gave the alarm
and Turnkey RiJIsT entered the Jail aud
cut Gween'B body down. Life was extinct,
though the body was still warm,
Gween had secured piece of rope from
the elevator which il used TO get food into
the jail. A new rope was put in q short
time ago and in some manner Gween got
hold of piece Of the old rope, He had
acted upon tho suggestion he gave Rich
ard aud had tied one end Of the rope 20 a
] iolnti in the water pipe which runs into the
cell. The other end he placed around his
neck, got onto his bunk aud then stepped
off. He died of strangulation.
GwEEN's ADVICE.
Oa chair in the cell was found letter |
written by GWeen before be committed |
The deed. IL WAS written on piece of |
paper torn from pass book. The pencil |
md paper were found on the chair be-. |
side the little oil lamp. Following is the |
from the dead:
CANTON, ONO.
DEAR FRIENDS: l will write you Il few |
ines in friendship in my few days in this |
gourld of wasted time, l am tired of liv- |
ng in this wourld of sin l have been a |
yery uulucky Boy in the last three or four |
ears. / have been Boy at one time that |
vas we'll thought OF But that time ia past |
md gone las the poet says fallen to low |
o bear another fall. was out OF n home |
vhen was twelve years Old. My Mother |
Mother as ever walked on Gods 1
Artb, but she is gone gone 10 heaven |
o where she is hAppy and where hope | |
7iil meet her in Eternal Rest. Now il |
IN taken hope dead try aud do the right |
hing and never drink. This 10 my advice
This is TO Johnathan M. Gween, NAL
'eru, Carroll Co., Ohio.
Good by all.
CoRoNER's INQUEST.
No signature was attached to the letter
nd there was no date marked, but |
was written by Gween after retiring to
is cell yesterday afternoon, he having
the pencil for that purpose.
When Coroner Openhimer had answered
summons to the Jail, he viewed the re-
Mains and took charge of the body. Shers
rother at Malvern, informing him OF the
nicide. When the coroner took charge
the body he examined the cell and
)und testament and some tracts, which
ad been given to G 1een by the Christian
'omen during the afternoon. Gween had
iade a re- quest for bible and one of the
.dies gave him the testament saying she
'ould bring him bible next time she
ime.
Testimony of prisoners In the jail was
ken and the verdict rendered by the |
oroner will be suicide by hanging.
owEEN's LIFE AT MALVERN.
A NEWS DEMOCRAT reporter while at
IAlvern last night took occasion TO In
sstigate into GHeeD's life and doings at
lat place. He was % years old, ana the
,n Of James Gween, now residing at that
IllaRe. He has several brothers and ole
arried sister thare. About two years
20 he received S400 from his deceased
,other's estate, and since then he has
every cent OF this small for
Inc. He resided with his brother Henry