The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-18
WOULD CHEAT HANGMAN
Car Barn Bandit Neidermier Attempts
Suicide.

Chicago, April 1S-Peter Neidermier.
one of the car barn bandits attempted
to commit suicide in his cell early to-
day, and not until he was unconscious
from the effects of loss of blood was
his condition noticed He was taken
at once to the Jail hospital and after
much work he was revived. His con-
dition is serious but the physicians
said his attempt would not prove IA
tai.
The heads of matches were eaten as
one method by which the bandit at
tempted to cheat the galloWs. The 9TH
in his left arm This was done by
means OF lead pencil with which he
tore a jagged wound in his wrist.
A letter written by Niedermier prior
to the attempt at suicide was found
concealed III his cot. In the letter the
writer incidentally expresses repent
ance for his career and regrets leaving
the few who have loved him, but chief
" the letter is a morbid glorifcation
of the writer's courage and his loyalty
to his kind in contrast with Neider-
meier's associate, Gustav Marx. The
letter says:
should take my own life.
'fF'irst-Because of the public boast
that I cannot commit suicide while
am so closely guarded
Secondhand that 7 cannot cheat
.'Third-That they cannot say they
executed me and made me pay for my
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. PETER NEIDERMEIR-
Neidermyer planned his attempted
suicide carefully First he masucated
and swallowed the heads of seventy
I While
the PHOSPHORUS was burning his
stomach he sawed at the radial artery
of his left wrist with a sharp pointed
/ lead pencil. Striking a bone IN the
wrist he gave up trying to sever the
artery and turned his weapon to the
large vein on the outer side of his LETT
forearm and with jabs and a see saw
motion he lacerated the flesh and
muscles of the arm and tore open the
veins, leaving a large jagged wound
/ exposed, through which the blood
gushed in streams, dyeing his bed
clothing and running down out the
cell floor i'm pools. His second attempt
came after the wound had been dress
ed and closed by the county physi-
clan. Neidermyer was lying apparent
| ly unconscious in 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 bandages off his left
arm and with his sharp finger nails
/ tore away the threads in the wound
and inserting his forefinger in the
ragged hole he worked again at the
veins and sought to reach an artery
/ He unconsciOusly uttered a grOan and
made a cOnvuIsive motion which at
/ tracted the attention of the physicians
and the guard and on throwing back
/ the coverlids, the attendants saw with
/ horror that Niedermyer had torn
/ away the bandages and reopened the
wound. Niedermyer opened his eyes
and with a leering wan smile ex-
I planned:
Let me die. Doc go away and let
/ me die. You We're almost too late the
/ first time. Now why do you try 10
save my life2'
! Neidermyer lost a large quantity of
/ blood and was almost puiseless for a
time. The most danger. however, is
\ that the poisonous PHOSPHORUS has
I burned him so severely that his life can
not be saved for its final snuffing out
on the gallOws. Neidermyer says he
1 got his idea of swallowing PHOSPHORUS
when a prisoner in the Jail committed
I suicide in that manner while NeEder-
/ myer was waiting trial For the last
/ two weeks Neidermyer has been saving
/ the matches ne was able to 6leh and
beg. He even gave UP smoking to
some extent so he could hoard them.
! In getting at the veins and arteries 1T
/ his arm he first sawed three long CASH
/ es. Then he pushed the sharp end OF
the pencil into one so 1t would pass
! under the veins. Then he twisted the
I pencil around and around until the
/ veins were twisted and burst. In doing
this the pencil was broken into several
( pieces. Neidernyer's first attempt al
/ suicide was nearly successful