The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-10
HIS MIND GIVES WAY.
Miserable State of Rutten, the
Kitsap Murderer.
HIS APPEAL NOT YET TAKEN.
He Fears His Fellow Prisoners VIII
Poison Him-Deposed a. the
Kangaroo Judge.

From present indications Servius Rutten
will never hang for killing William Flet-
cher al Chico. kitsap county. little over
two years ago. Continued Imprisonment
in the King county Jail seems to have told
on the prisoners mind, and the once rug
ged fellow is becoming a duh. emaciated
being, WHO is fearful OF losing his life by
poisoning. and mistrusss the other prison.
ers: and. more than that, the strict letter
OF the law governing executions has not
been observed in his case.
The first symptoms that he was losing
his mind became apparent to Jailer Burk-
man about two weeks ago, when he COM
planned that his cell mate, Williams, had
tried to poison him with chloroform the
night before for the purpose of getting
secrets out OF him. From that time TO the
present he has been closely watched by
JaIier Burkman, and his once cheerful
disposition is turning to melancholy.
I'D TO the time the present symptoms
occurred Rutten was one of the most vio-
lent exercisers in the Jail. walking all day
with one or another OF his fellow prisoners.
INSTEAD OF walking now he sits on his bed
most of the day and seems To have lost all
ambition
Yesterday he showed more distinct evil
dences of insanity than at any time. When
Jailer Burknan entered the cage IN the
morning Rutten rushed up to the bars.
calling In a low-toned, cautious manner,
Mr.. Burkmau. come here. quick" Burk.
man asked him what was the matter. and
Rutten said:
Have you got gung'
Rurkman said ne had, and asked him
why
because they (the prisoners) are going
to kill YOU, and have kept them from 1t
for several days.
He was told that the sheriff was outside
with a force of men and would protect
him. This seemed to satisfy Rutten and
he went to his cell.
The taller made another visit Just after
lunch, and again the man called him and
said the men had taken Suilivans cell
apart and were going to throw Ii on him
when he went in, and warned Burkman
to be careful. Jailer Burkman said yes
terday that Rutten has not been the same
since the other prisoners dethroned him
as Judge of the kangaroo court and gave
the title to Murphy. He brooded and wor-
ried great deal over ii.
Prosecuting Attorney j. r. Yakey, OF Kit
sap county, was at the Butler last night
and will make Rutten a visit this morn
ing before going home He said last night
that he thought the manner in which tbs
mans case had been handled was shame
full I'd TO January 8, when he took the
Office. no notice of appeal had been filed.
and worse than this, the death warrant
had not been issued The law requires
this to be done within ninety days after
sentence Mr.. Yakey will not make up
his mind what 10 do in the case until
after he has had a talk with Rutten and
hears what the physicians have to say
about his condition.
Rutten is one of the men that escaped
with Tom Bianck in the famous delivery
of last March, and was captured by Mike
Kelly and Dick Burkman while walking
along the railroad track in company with
the king-pin desperate. who escaped In
the brush.