The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-04-22
TRIED TO CHEAT GALLOWS
Car-Barn Bandits Desperate Attemps
at Suicide.
UNIQUE METHODS AT DESTRUCTION.
He Jabs Leadpeuei Isto Ills Wrist and Twists
and Turns Until He Tears an Artery-Be-
sides This, He Eats the Heads Of Number
Of Matches He Had Accumulated for
That Purpose.

Audt poSCs
Chicago, (SpeciaD Peter Nieder-
meyer, the leader of the car bandits,
condemned to die on the gallows
Friday, made two desperate attempts
at suicide Monday. His condition as
a result is so precarious that it IS
feared he will not survive. Should
he still be alive next Friday he will
be carried to the gallows and execut-
ed. Niedermeyer planned his attempt
cd suicide carefully. First he masti-
Gated and swallowed the heads of IS
or 100 sulphur matches. While the
PHOSPHORUS was burning his stom-
ach he sawed the radial artery of his
left wrist with a sharp-pointed lead
pencil. Striking bone in the wrist,
he gave up trying to sever the artery,
and turned the weapon to the large
veins on the outer side of his left fore
arm, and with iabs and seesaw mo-
ton he lacerated the flesh and mus
cles of the arm and tore open the
veins, leaving large. jagged wound
exposed, through which the blood
gushed in streams, dyeing his bed
clothing and running down over the
cell floor in pools.
His second attempt came after the
wound had been dressed and closed
by the county physician. Niedcrmey-
er was lying apparently unconscious
il. the hospital under a guards care.
His right arm and hand were hidden
by the bed-clothing, and with hardly
a discernable motion he slipped the
bandage off his left arm and with his
sharp fingernails tore away the
threads in the wound. and inserting
his forefnger into the ragged hole.
he worked again at the veins and
sought to reach the artery.
He unconsciously uttered a groan
and made convulsive movement.
which attracted the attention of the
physicians, nurses and the guard, and
on throwing back the coverlids the at
PENDANTS saw. with horror that Me
and re-opened the wound. Nieder-
meyrer opened his eyes, and with
leering, wan smile exclaimed:
LET me die, Doc Go away and let
me die. You were almost too late
the first time. Now why do you try
to save my lfe?"
Niedermeyer lost large quantity
of blood and was almost pulseless for
rTIa hoxueuar
is that the poisonous phosphorus has
burned him so severely that his life
cannot be saved for its final snuffing
out on the gallows.
Niedermeyer says he got his idea
prisoner in the jail committed sui
err was awaiting trial. For the last
two weeks Niedermeyer has been saw
ing the matches he was able to fitch
and beg. He even gave up smoking
to some extent so he could hoard
them. In getting at the veins and ar
tcries in his arm he first sawed three
sharp end of the pencil into one so it
would pass under the veins. Then he
twisted the pencil around and around
uIltIl tHC NCIuS WCfC tNiStNu did Jul %.
In doing this the pencil was broken
into several pieces.
Niejermeyer's first attempt at sui
eide was nearly successful.
Guard John Rocder, passing Me
his cot with blanket drawn over his
ton, and when his attempt to arouse
he ad
Jailer Whitman and the cell was open
Cd. Niedermeyer was unconscious
and his clothing and the blanket were
found soaked with blood, which was
flowing from a ragged hole in his
wrist. Other guards were summoned
in and he was taken to the Jail hos
pital The artery in his wrist was
fastened. Then it was learned that
In his cell was found a quantity of
matches from which he had eaten the
heads, and Taller Whitman said most
of those probably had been struggled
to him by other prisoners.
A letter written by Me 1ermeyer
prior to the attempt at suicide was
found concealed in his cot. In the
letter the writer incidentally expresses
repentance for his career, and he
regrets leaving the few who have low
ed him, but chiefly the letter is
morbid glorihcation of the writer's
courage and his loyalty to his kind
in contrast with Niedermeyer's asso-
ciate, Gustav Marx The letter says:
There are four reasons why |
should take my own life.
First, because of the public boast
that | cannot commit suicide while !
am so closely guarded.
Second that | cannot cheat the
scaffold.
Third, that they cannot say they
executed me and made ME pay for
crime
Fourth, to have another mystery
for the ignorant police to solve"
The letter concludes as follows:
1T seems very pleasant to have
this everlasting enjoyment of rest
] am an atheist and do not believe in
any religion.