The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-08-09
DEAD in HIS CELL
Paul Jansen Hangs Him
self in the County
Jail.
ACCUSED OF CONTEMPLATING
Evidence Against Him Strong
and a Long Imprisonment
Before Him.
ACCUSED OF CONTEMPLATING

Paul Jansen, thirty-nne years DID, who
was confined in the Hudson County Jail
with his brother-in-law, Richard Gamer,
for counterfefting, committed suicide yes
terday afternoon by hanging himself in
his cell. Jansen was committed to the
Jail on July 81 by United States Commits
soner Isaac Romane in default of $1,000
bail. He was very Respondent when he
arrived at the Jail and much cast down
over his arrest. He declared that he
would make away with himself, but the
officials of the Jail heard that threat 80
often that it does not appeal to them
very seriously. Nevertheless they deter
mined to keep an eye on him and he and
GAMER who was committed with him,
were placed in adjoining cells on the first
tier of cells. He was an orderly prisoner
and those who were watching him saw
nothing to lead them to believe that he
intended to carry out his threat of suicide.
Yesterday afternoon a woman who said
she was his cousin called to see Jansen.
Visitors to prisoners confined in the jail
are not allowed in the corridors. They go
into sort of cage at the head of each
corridor and converse with the prisoners
through the grating. While thus engaged
they are carefully watched and anything
which the visitors convey to the prison
ers is easily detected and anything con-.
trary to the rules is quickly confscated.
Jansen's visitor yesterday afternoon
brought him some soup in a tin pail and
while he ate the soup slowly they con-
versed together in low tones. There was
nothing about their manner or conversa-
ton to arouse suspicion When Jansen
had finished the soup he told his visitor
that he would take the pail to the wash
room on the corridor and wash it out for
her. He told her to wait a minute and he
would come right back He then took the
pail and went to his cell which was No.
IA, near the other end of the corridor. AS
the minutes passed by and Jansen did
not return the woman began to wonder
what was keeping him.
She peered through the grating and
looked down the corridor, but could see
nothing of her cousin. Finally after
waiting about fifteen minutes she asked
Deputy Keeper Conger to call Jansen.
Conger did so, but received no answer.
He then went into the corridor and not
seeing Jansen among the prisoners there
went to his cefl and looked IN. At first
the cell appeared to be empty but as
Conger's eye became accustomed to the
darkness of the cell he saw the form of
a man in the darkest corner leaning
against the wall in peculiar manner. He
entered the cell and found Jansen hang
ing by thin rope OFT the hook in the
corner. His neck was up close to the
hook and his toes barely cleared the floor
His features were distorted with the
throes of strangulation and he was APP
parently dead. Conger quietly notified
Jailer Sullivan who cut the body down
and dispatched a messenger for a phy-
sician. The body was still warm and Jailer
Sullivan resorted to every means to re-
vive the man. All his efforts were in vain
however, and when DR.. Sherwood, arrived
Jansen was beyond all human aid.
DR.. Converse later gave a permit and
the body was removed to the morgue.
AS soon as Jailer Sullivan saw that Jan
sen was dead. he told his visitor that she
could not see him again that day and she
went away without knowing that he was
dead The rope with which Jansen hung
himself was an ordinary piece of tWine
twisted several times together to give an
| additional strength. The suicide weighed
140 pounds and how the rope sustained
that weight is somewhat of a mystery.
1t is also a mystery where Jansen obtain
ed the twine. No bundle held together
with a string is allowed to he handed to
a prisoner until the string is removed and
great care is exercised that nothing out
out of which a rope can be made is per-
mitted to go to any of the inmates of the
| Jail.
The woman who was visiting Jansen
yesterday called again this morning and
asked to see her cousin Warden Sullivan
told her of the mans death. She took the
news quietly and then went away, saying
that she was going to the morgue to look
after the body. When informed of his
| brother-in-law's death Gamer shrugged
his shoulders and said that he was fool
| ish
United States officers say that there is
| no doubt that Gamer and Jansen are the
leader and lieutenant of one of the cley-
crest gangs of counterfeiters that has
| operated in this vicinity for years Gam
zer was arrested on July 10 in Hoboken.
He visited saloon on River street and
always got one of the barmaids to get a
| $40 bill changed for him. The proprietor
VI tie SetlOOH DeCdIHe suspicious and nOt1-
| fed the police who arrested GAMER
| When Gamer was searched at Police
Headquarters two tax receipts issued in
Rutherford were found. Chief Detective
| William Hazen, of the New York Division
of the Secret Service, and Sergeant Hay
den, Roundsman Kilduff and Patrolmen
Murray and Guinan, of Hoboken, then
went to that town and investigated. They
| found that Gamer lived in a house which
he owned at No. l Cornelie street.
| When the officers reached the house
Murray and Guinan were detailed to pre-
vent any escape by the rear door.
Chief Hazen, Sergeant Hayden and
Roundsman Kilduff made dash for the
front door, which stood open, probably on
account of the heat. In the kitchen they
found man who gave the name of Paul
| Jansen, of No. 422 East Eighth street.
New York. Clara Gamer, the thirteen
year-old daughter of the man arrested in
Heboken, was found in one of the bed
rooms. On searching the house bundles
of bills were found in nearly every bed
room.
| In a trunk in a room ON the second floor
1 were five lots of 81 600 each and one of
| $50. all in $40 bills. and all counterfeits:
| In a writing desk in the parlor were
| forty-seven more $40 and 122 bogus 81 bills.