Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-05-19
SUICIDE AT THE JAIL.
A Prisoner. of whose Antecedents Little
Is Known, Ends His Life with

n Prisoner. OF whose Antecedents Little
Is Known, Ends His Life with
Razor.
George A. Leavitt, prisoner in the Jail,
aged Al, committed from Bellows Falls
Dec. ID for larceny, cut his throat with
razor Monday evening. Three prisoners
had been locked in their cells as usual, and
about Q o'clock the two younger men, feel
ing that Leavitt was In trouble, aroused
attention by pounding on the wall. Jailer
Underwood had retired for the night but
his oldest son was in the Office, and on en-
tering the Jail he found the mems suspic
ions verified. Leavitt was bleeding from
a wound which was wide and deep, and a
bloody razor was picked up where it was
evidently dropped by his hand. A doctor
was soon at hand, but the dying man only
gasped once or twice.
He was a man of splendid physique, and
good looking, with blue eyes, light hair
and mustache, which were slightly tinged
with gray. The jailer says his brain was
the poorest part of him. He had readily
conformed to the Jail rules, was neat in
person and kept his cell clean. 1t was on
account of his tidy habits that Mr.. Under
wood allowed him to have a razor, 1t be-
ing his custom to shave two or three times
week Generally he was rather uncom-
municative, and quiet in action, remaining
mostly in his cell. In the winter he occa-
sionally worked outside on the wood pile.
For about three weeks Mr.. Underwood
has considered him to be of deranged mind,
and he had made an effort to have him re-
moved to Brattleboro asylum, but the
sheriff could find no law empowering such
action. On Monday he was more wild in
talk and action, and Drs. Weston and Os-
good, who were called to confer on his case,
pronounced him insane. He would have
been taken away the next day. He told
the doctor that he should not live through
the night, and he had said that he was
crazy and should be taken to an asylum.
A few days ago he refused to leave the
Jail.
Little is known of the man, and the jailer
suggests that notice of his death and cir
cumstances should be copied into other pa
pers, with the possibility of gaining further
information. 1t is thought he had a wife
in Boston and another family in Bellows
Falls. He claimed to have been police
man in Boston, and to have brother and
sister, but his accounts of his family varied
at times, and his word on minor details
about himself proved to be at a discount.
He gave as a reason for taking tools from
the mills where he worked that he was in
terested in inventing something and wanted
them to use, and said brother in Massa-
chusetts had patent on some article.
Sheriff Shumway arrived Tuesday morn
ing and took charge of the burial arrange
ments. No friends responding tomessages
sent to Bellows Falls and other places, he
was buried late Tuesday afternoon in the
village cemetery. A brief funeral service
was held in the Jail, when a prayer was
offered by Mr. Davidson, formerly presi-
dent of the National Christian Aid society,
which was organized in this place for the
benefit of convicts who desire to lead a bet
ter life. Some kind hand placed a spray
of wild flowers on the coffin. A little com
pany of men followed to the grave in the
rain, but no one was present who had ever
known the man outside this Jail.
Old residents say that the only Other
suicide in this Jail occurred 30 years ago
when a man who was allowed to go about
the village cut his throat with chopping
| knife