St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-27
RAzED WITH A RAZOR
Train Robber Lyons Chops
Himself Down in Jail.
THE JUGULAR VEIN SEVERED
His Crime a Robbery on the
Northern Pacific.
HE DECLARES HIS INNOCENCE
From the SUNDAY GLoBE.1

FERGUS FALLS. Minn., Nov. 25.-
George Lyons. who was found guilty of
robbery Friday with the prospect of a
flfteen-year term in the penitentiary,
cut his throat in the county Jail at 8
O'Clock this afternoon. After being
taken to Jail after convictien Lyons was
silent, almost sullen. About 2 o'clock
Saturday afternoon Mcclure, a man
held for larceny, borrowed a
razor from Jailer Ertsgaard to shave
himself with. After he got through
Lyons. who had stayed in his cell most
OF the time, came out and borrowed the
razor in order to take off his beard, he
said. He went back into the cell, and
the other prisoners settled themselves
in the corridor to read. For some time
everything was still in Lyons cell, but
presently somebody heard curious
gurgling noise and went to look. A
horrible sight met his eyes. Lyons lay
at full length on the floor, a great
cash extending across his throat,
from which the blood was squirt
Ing with violence thst mad sprinkled
everything near with blood. The floor
OF the cell was covered with blood, and
the upper part of the mans clothing
saturated with it. One of the prisoners
used his clothes to staunch the blood,
and Lyons plueked at them feebly,
whispering, LET me die, John III am an
innocent man." Jailer Ertsgaard was
alarmed and sent at once for a surgeon,
who came in few minutes. Lyons was
still living, gasping for breath. his
chest heaving convulsively, and at
every gasp the wound across the neck
capped wide open. He was carried out
with the help of bystandars and placed
On cot outside the corridor, where
doctors operated on him. The razor had
penetrated the windpipe and jugular
vein, and it was evident that the man
would die. The doctors stopped the
flow of blood and tied the severed vein.
Lyons died while under the doctors
hands. The following letter was found
in his cell afterwards:
10 Henry Carroll, Portland, Or
Fergus Falls, Mimi, Nov. 25, $685.
Master Harry Ho-Dear Friend: | take
thls opportunity to let you know how
my trial came eff. | have been ably de-
tended by my attorney, Mr.. Brown. l
was found guilty in the eyes of the law
OF crime L am innocent of. It has been
an honest contest on one side against
those villalnous, colspiring detectives
and the railroad company on the other.
l have felt secure In my innocence till
the last minute, but have come to real
lZe it was misplaced. l have been sacri-
feed by those villains for the sake of the
notoriety and spoil gained by it. My
dear friend, l must warn you to make
yourself scarce in the vicinity of a
train robbery if you are not prepared
to prove an alibi and be very
sure you can do it, for if those villains
get hold of you you are pretty sure to
take the penalty of the crime. Rather
gloat over, will complete their victory
with my own hands by giving them my
clay TO gloat over, and so reduce my
conscience to theirs at par. NY dear
friend. when this leaves my cell here at
the county Jail will be as above stated.
Goodbye forever. GEORGE LYONS.
He also had written letter to his at
torney, James A. Brown. of this city
thanking him for the zeal, energy and
tact he had shown IN defending the
case, and comparing with some critical
ability Mr.. Browns closing argument
with that of the attorney for the
state to the disadvantage of the lat
ter. Lyons was indicted for robbery
on the Northern Pacific, stopping a car
last June between the stations of Wa
dena and Perham, this county. He first
knocked negro porter insensible with
the butt end of his revolver, and then
went through the car, robbing one after
another at his pistols point. He escaped
then, but afterwards was captured by
Pinkerton detectives. The case was
hard fought by both sides. but the
evidence was so clear and conclusive
it was evident from the start the verdict
would be guilty. The jury came in late
last night with that verdict. He would
have been given sentence of ten or
fifteen years in the penitentiary. So
far as known he had no friends in this
part of the country. 1t is believed he
came originally from near Toronto, Can
ada.