Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-04
STRANGLED IN A CELL.
A Mysterious Prisoner Commits
Suicide in the County Jail.
ENDED HIS LIFE WITH A NECKTIE.
Contents of Cabalistic Document Found
on His Person.
he SAID THAT HE WAS FROM BROOKLYN

James Riley committed suicide in the
county Jail Yesterday afternoon by strangling
himself with a silk four-in-hand necktie.
| The police and the Coroner are mystified as
to who the man is and why he committed
suicide. Papers found on him prove his
connection with the Clan-na-Gael. He said
he was from Brooklyn.
Riley was committed to Jail yesterday by
| Alderman Hyndman from the Nineteenth
ward station house for ten days. He ar
rived at the Jail about II o'clock. Deputy
Warden Sofel searched him and found a
little piece of paper he did not take time to
read just then. The man was we'll dressed
and did not look as if he had been on a
spree. A little alter dinner the man was
singing in his cell. At 1:20 p NJ. the range
man saw HIM lying on the floor of his cell,
and called one OF the keepers They rushed up
and found him dead Dr. Chessrown, who
was there, said Riley had strangled himself
with his necktie. He had tied a double
sailors knot and drawn it tight The tie
bore the stamp of "Rufus Waterhouse, New
York.
An Agent of the CIap-Na-Gael
The only thing known of the man was
that when asked for his name and residence
at the Jail, he had said: "James Riley,
Brooklyn, New York. The paper taken
from him was then examined, and on it was
written:
Give details of Callahan's work in Clan-na-
Gael DO you belong to the Cronin OF or anti anti
mented on in the same camps? Do you
know anything OF abuse OF Breslin and
Molin? Do you know the 1rihs policeman at
Tenth street?
1t was written on piece of plain blotting
paper about 6x4H inches IN size. On it
were some unintelligible marks in red and
blue, but when held to the light it brought
out plainly the picture of T-shaped gal
lows with the body of man hanging to the
right arm. The paper was carefully folded
and wrapped up in the official list of the
drawings of the Louisiana State Lottery for
May, 1890. The way the list was creased
and the greasy marks on it indicated it had
been carried for some time.
No One Could Identify Him.
When the body was taken to the morgue
it created considerable comment. His hands
were as soft as q woman's and looked as if
he had never done any work. Inspector
McKelvey, Detective Coulson and nearly all
the front Office force came to see the re-
Aaoiuo, out uOt pidCc tilc udll
He is about 40 years old and feet 10
inches in height He weighed 1sO pounds
He was broad shouldered and fairly good
looking. His hair was combed up straight
from broad, full forehead. He had close
cut side whiskers, which like his hair were
reddish brown and streaked with gray. His
nose was large aud fiat and he had thick
lips. On the left side of his forehead and
cheek was deep scar that might have been
made by bullet. He had an anchor in In
dia ink on his left arm. He was dressed in
plain dark clothes of good quality and
they were in good condition.
The Coroner last night wired to the Chief
of Police at Brooklyn asking for informa-
tion about Reilly He also mailed a COM
plete description of the dead man and will
hold the remains until he gets an answer.
Game Here on a Cattle Train.
Reilly was arrested by Officer Hanna as a
suspicious character. He arrived at the
Stock Yards on cattle train from Chicago.
He said he had five cars of cattle coming
through and wanted to know how he could
get pass to New York. At Beach's sa-
loon he got several drinks on the strength
of his story and was then thrown out.
He then picked up two stones and
ran down the Pennsylvania Railroad track
He told Officer Hanna two men had
tried to rob him, but his story would not
bear investigated and he was locked up. At
the hearing he was told he could go free,
but instead he went back to the cell.
Thinking he had been drinking the magis-
trate gave him ten days just to sober up.
Another letter was afterward found on
him from his mother, Ellen Reilly. 1t was
dated Aberdeen, n. j., March 10, 1892, and
was all about private family affairs