The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-06-11
JIM PIERCE
SUICIDES.

Media, June 11.--Jim Pierce who was &c
have been placed on trial to-day for the
murder of George b. Eyre hung himself
in the Media jail yesterday. He was found
abput fifteen minutes after II O'Clock by
reputy Warden Campbell, with one end
of rope about his neck and the other
fastened to the iron bars which cover the
lit 10 window in his cell. The deputy
and the two succeeded in cut ing down
the limp form before life was extinct.
Without reyainlng consciousness Pierce
died at $50. He loft letters to his wife
and family, father and mother, sisters and
brother, "Pinny" prutesting.hls innocence
as he has donel cver since his arrest. and
exonerating his brother "Pinny"
Pierce was all right when Deputy War
don Campbell passed In his noon DAY
meal, which consisted Of beef sandwich
"rhore Is your dinner" said The deputy
warden, but lin Plorce made no reply.
Fifteen minutes later when the deputy
made his tour Of the coils. he found the
body hanging across The bed and ths feet
was rather thin, had cut great 2asles in
he neck burying itself and al most ssvor-
ing the wind pipe. On the breast Of The
doad man was pinned a latge medallion
breast pin. in which was the picture of
mis- WIFE
Up until last Wednesday, the accuse
man was looked upon as one OF the most
cheerful men within the jnips big gray
walls. He was taken i'll some time that
night, and the warden not being sa isfi9d
rs to the cause Of his illness, and owing 10
the fact ha5 tho next day he became re-
morseful, kepta close wach Oh his coll.
Nothing was seen, however,, in frequent
visits to arouse tho suspicion of those in
charge, and the report today YVES sur
prise to everybody, none moro so Than his
own family and friends Whom his brother
Amos. better known AS "Pinny." was
liberated from jail y few weeks ago, Jim
said he was glad, owing to his brothers 8
slckIy condition. Hc said then shat both
would be free when the case, was tried.
HWnrden Fields examined the suicide's
coll shorJiy after dinner uEu found the
following letters written on the back Of
old tablets.
My dear wife and father and mother
and brothers and Sisters and my poor
children: God bless you all. | love you.
| hope that all Of you get good care a1
long as you live. Here am put for some
body else's bad doing. God help me l
am Innocent of this crlme and tn thipk
that have 0 die for somebody else.
can't stand 1t for II | got loiear. people
would think it, My God please forgive
me-"
Another to his wife ran thus; my dear
Magge:- you were good to me. God
bless you. hope you the best lucz and
please take care Of my poor children.
Goodbye. all. "
AEothcrsr4n thus:
,"Mr. Fields. Please give this to my
wife. Please write it off this card and
give it to my dear loving wife. Goodbye
all. My God, Ileaso do not worry over
mo 81 am going TO Heaven with the an
hard onyou Please don't worry over me-
God bless you ali. Good bysall. | never
killed. George am innocent. Don't
know no hing aboutit Icould not stand
the pain; it broke my heart. Gocd-b bye
Maggie. Col bless you all God bless my
children. They lold me thoy were going
to hang mo and It b; oke my heart God
pc 81 t, ca o wife and children fnt'ler,
mother sisters and bl others. Goa forgive
me-"
Anather letter, tho most important of
all, reads us follows:
"May God forgive me, am innocant and
my heart Is broke 10 think that l havo
to die Tor somebody. Goudby all. God
bless you Pinney. You don't now nothing
about it you are innocsnr, Because we
were cunning that night. tina, is why we
got blamedsfor it. l picked that boat mp
on DcCembtr IL, and you never seon l..
put that boat in the lco house myself
and did not rob that boat house and l
thinl, that if they try tho party they had
tho fu,s with over his boat, they will get
the right one. | heard him say he would
get square with him some day
The case was to have been called to-
morrow. Everything was in readiness,
and when the news was conveyed to
Pierce's counsel late this afternoon that
he had committed suicide and it would
not ba necessary to Try him. they could
hardly lelievo IT,. After n conference this
evening between District Attorney Smith
and the counsel for the accused brol hars,
the Common wealth's officer gave out ths
that the trial Of "Pinney"
had been postponed until the September
torn.
Tho news of the suicide WINS not convey.
cd to the family OF jim Pierce un,ll after
his denth. This was done for the roason
that no one is admitted to the Jail on Sun.
day. Miss Annie Pierce, a sister, called
ut the jail shortly after hor brother had
not told of his rash act or allowed to see
him. She brought him some flowers. fruit
and other de!ica cies and these remained
on the warden's tableiwhere she left them
jim Pierce passed away.
The deed was commit cd with n piece Of
twine that entered Pierce's call around q
bundle containing some material for max
ing fishing nets. Hs was permitted to
have this material in his cell by the Board
of Prison Inspectors and seeirod to take
deep in crest in the work of making nets
He has always contonded that he would
soon be free, and has pointed with pride to
I he nets saying that no would shortly use
them.
The police havu no reason to change
their theory Of the story that jim Pierce
knew more about the III urder than any
living man.
Coroner Frye empnnecd tho following
five as Jurors, who viewed the body before
1t was taken home to Chester: A. W.
Mathues, Joseph Sager, Albert Edwards,
james W. Barker and $. II. Appleton.
IN one Of Jim's letters he refers to u
party with whom they had fuss over
the boat"
1t cannot be found out whom is meant
by ''they' although the case has boon
gone over thoroughly from end to end,
and this part Of his statement Is enshroud-
ed in mystery. 1t cannot be learned that
there has ever been anyone who had a dis
pute with Eyre over bnat, nor with
Bon Ladomus, whose skiff was found
in Jim Pierce q possession.