Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1904-04-22
NE|DERME|ER
TRIES SUICIDE
Leader of Chicago Car Barn Bandits
Tries to Cheat Hangman.
DETERMINED TO END OWN LIFE
He Ate the Heads Of Matches ana
Opened Arteries Ia His Arm, Ne-
opening the Wounds ftc
They We're Dressed.

Chicago, April 19.-Peter Nieder-
meier, the leader of the car barn ban
dts. made two desperate attempts al
suicide. His condition, as n result, Is
so p~recarious that it Is feared he will
not survive. Should he still be alive
next Friday he will be carried to the
gallows and executed.
Wns Carefully ~
Nicdermeier planned his attempted
suicide carefully. First he masticated
and swallowed the heads Of rs or JOG
sulphur matches. While the phOspho-
rus was burning his stomach. he sawed
at the radial artery of his left wrist
with n 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 veins
on the outer side Of his left forearm,
and with jabs and II see-saw motion,
he laceratcd the flesh and muscles of
the arm and tore open the veins. leav-
Ing n large, Jagged wound exposed,
through which the blood gushcd in
streams. dyeing his bed clothing and
running down over the cell loon in
I'''IH. Ilio O''oII abrupt 'dIu' dlltT
the wound had been dressed and closed
by the county physician.
second Attempt.
Niedermcier was lying apparently
unconscious in the hospital under a
guards care. His right arm and hand
were hidden by the bed clothing, and
with hardly n disccrnible motion he
slipped the bandagcS off his left arm,
and with his sharp finger nails tore
away the threads in the wound, and,
inserting his fOrcfnger into the ragged
hole, he worked again at the veins
and sought to reach an artery. He
unconsciOusly uttered a grOan and
mad "A cOnvulsivc movement which at
tracled the attention Of the physicians,
nurses and the guard, and on throw
ing back the cOrerlids, the attendants
saw with horror that Niedermeier had
torn away the %bandagcS and reOpened
the wound. Nicdermclcr opened his
eyes, and with a lecring, wan smile
explained: "Iet me died. Doc. Go away
and let me die. You were almost too
late the first time. Now why do you
try to save my lifc?"
Hin Coalition serious.
Nicdcmcicr lost a large quantity OF
blood, and was almost pulSclcss for
a time. The most danger, however, is
that the poisonous phosphorus has
burned him 50 severely that his life
can not be saved for its final gnuiiing
out on the gallows.
Nicdcrmcier says he got his idea OF
swallowing phosphorus when a pris-
Oner in the jail committed suicide in
that name while Nicdcrmeicr was
awaiting trial. For the last two weeks
Ni"dcrmcicr has been saving the
matches he was able TO fitch and beg.
He even ave up smoking to some eX-
tent 80 he could hoard them. In get
ting at the veins II arteries in his
arm he first sawed three long gashcs.
Then he pushed the sharp end of tho
pencil into one so 1t would pass under
the veins. Then he twisted the pencil
around and around until the veins were
twisted and burst. In doing this the
pencil broke into several pieces.
NiedcrmcIcr's first attempt at suicide
was nearly successful.
letter Eound In Ills COT.
A letter written by Niedermeier
prior 20 the attempt at suicide was
fOund concealed In his cot. In the let
ter the writer incidentally cxprcsscf
repentance Of his career, and he re-
rrcts leaving the few who have loved
him, but chiefly the letter Is a morbid
glOrihca'ion Of the writer's courage and
his loyalty TO his kind In contrast with
NiedcrIncicr's associate, Gustav Marx.
The letter says: There are four rea.
sons why ! should take my own life.
First, because Of the public boast tina,
] can not commit suicide while am
no closely guarded. Second. and that
J can not cheat the ECaffOld. Third
that they can not say they executed me
and made me pay for "a crime. Fourth
to have another mystery for the igno-
rOnt police Il Pplyc."
The letter concludes as follOwg.
1T seems very pleasant TO have this
everlasting enjoyment of rest. am
an atheist and do not believe IN aDy
religion.
lSlRnCdI
PETER NIEDERMEIER"