The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1895-09-23
TRIED TO BLIND HIMSELF
Strange and Desperate Act of the
Notorious Express Robber Perry.
Thrust Saddler's Needles Through q
Stick and Jabs His Eyes, and Is
Supposed TO Be Insane.

Auburn, n. Y, Sept. 22.-Ever since
Oliver Curtis Perry, the robber, returned
from the hospital at Mattea wan, to a
closely guarded cell in Auburn prison,
he has been in a morose mood, varied by
frequent outbursts of violence. He has
been given an hours airing each day in the
prison yard but always under the more or
less watchful eye of a keeper.
On two occasions lie returned from this
| outing with his pockets full of sand. When
these acts were discovered and Perry
made to disgorge, he became surly and ugly
He had no hesitancy in saying he procured
the sand to make sand bag with which to
kill screw as the keepers are called by
| the convicts.
The most desperate act he has ever at
tempted was committed Tuesday OF this
week, but through the reticence OF the
prison officials, it has been kept a secret
until now. Whether it was "a deliberate
attempt to blind himself for life or whether
it was only a'ruse. cannot be ascertained,
but at any rate Perry's eyes are badly
lacerated rs the result of selfiDflicted
lose the sight
How the notorious express robber OBJ
tanned the instrument by which the deed
was committed is another mystery.
He procured a short stick through which
he thrust two saddler's needles as far
apart as the distance between his eyes, and
then holding this peculiar instrument of
torture in his hands he repeatedly prodded
IL. ba
A keeper heard the commo,ion in Perry's
cell, and he promptly put stop to the
horrible self-punishment- He took the
weapon away from the crazed man and re-
ported the case to his superior officer.
Prison Physician Sawyer attempted to
make an examination of the bleeding lac
Grated eyes, but Perry was obstinate and
would not .submit. He begged to go to the
hospital, but the prison authorities would
not listen to that proposition. They knew
of Perry's desire to enjoy the comparative
freedom of the hospital, where his chances
of escape would be materially increased.
So, instead of be.es taken there, Perry
was removed To one of the isolated cells in
the new building. Here he was put under
the Influence of cbloroform and careful
examination of the injuries made.
II WIS uleCONtEtu lhdl lit hdu Ioe
yet destroyed the sight of either eye, but
the unruly patient resists treatment SO
persistenuy that Inflammation may de-
velop, and the result will probably be
total blindness of one or both eyes.
Since the affair happened the physician
has not been able to administer soothing
lotions without first overpowering Perry
and placing him under the influence of
anasthetics. When questioned by the prison
officials as to the reason for his act, Perry
replied that he believed if he put out both
of his eyes and became blind the Governor
would have pity upon him and exercise
clemency by committing his sentence.
He says that if blind he " i'll be unable
to commit any more crimes and he desired
to show the people that he was in earnest
in his promise TO abandon a criminal ca
reer if only allowed his freedom. 1t is
said that before Perry W as transferred from
Auburn to Matteawan he, on one occasion,
stuck a needle in a cork and made an
attempt to 1ab out his eyes, but W as pre-
vented by keeper.
The prison officials are more than ever
of the opinion that Perry is insane, and it
is probable that he viii again be sent to the
Matteawan Asylum.