The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-19
IKE
 LOEB, Jeweler.
ITO SPINDLE GIBBET CAR BARN BANDIT ATTEMPTS
 SUICIDE. Peter Neidrmier, Condemned to Die on the scafEold Next Friday
 Makes Despererate Effort at Self Destructio@.

2 l Chicago, April f5.---Peter Neidermier. the leader of the car barn bandits, con- demned to die on the gallows Friday. made two desperate attempts at sui- eide to-day. His condition as result is so precarious that 1t Is feared he will not survive. Should he still be alive next Friday. he will be carried to the ,gailows and executed. Neider- mier planned his attempted suicide carefully.
 First he fnasticated and swallowed the heads of seventy-five or one hum dred sulphur matches While the phosphorus was burning his stomach he sawed at the radial artery of his left wrist with sharp pointed lead pencil. s.,
 Striking a bone in the wrist, he gave up trying to sever the artery and turn ed his weapon into the large veins in the outer part of his forearm and with jabs and see-saw motion, he lacerated the flesh and muscles of the arm and tore open the veins, leaving a large tagged wound exposed. through which the blood gashed. dyeing his bed cloth. ing and running ovor the cell floor in pools.
 His second attempt came after the wound had been dressed and closed by the county physician. NeiderAiier was lying apparently. unconscious in the hospital ward. under guards care. His right arm and hand were hidden by the bed clothing and with hardly 8 discernible motion, he slipped the ban dages of his left arm and with his sharp finger nails tore away the threads in the wounds, and, inserting his fore-finger In the ragged hole. he worked again at the veins and sought k.- yX uttered groan and made . convui- sivs movement which attracted the at- tention of the physicians, nurses and the guard, and on throwing back the coverlids, the attendants saw with horror that Niedermier had torn away the bandages and re-opened the wound. Neidermier opened his eyes and with a leering, wan smile, exclaimed: 'Let me die, doctor. Go away and let me die. You were almost too late the first time. Now why do you try to save my 1ife7"
 Nsidermier lost large quantity of blood and was almost pulseless for a time. The most danger, however, ia that the poisonous phosphorus has burned him so severely that his life cannot be saved>-for it's final snufing out on the gallows.
 Eeidermier says he got his idea of swallowing phosphorus. when a priB- oner in the jail. to commit suicide in that manner while he was awaiting trial.
 For the last two weeks Neidermier has been saving the matches he was able to filch and beg. He even gave up smoking to some extent so he could hoard them. Tn getting at the veins | and arteries In his arm. he first sawed three long gashes. Then he pushed | the sharp end of the pencil into one so 1t would pass under the veins Then he twisted the pencil around and 1 around until the veins weve twisted and burst. Tn doing this the pencil was broken into several pieces. Neidermier's first attempt at suicide was nearly successful. A letter written by Neidermier prior to the attempt at suicide. was found concealed in his coat. In the letter, the writer incidentally expresses repent ance of his career and he regrets leav- ing the few who have loved him, but chiefly the letter is a morbid giorihca- tion of the writer's courage and his loyalty to his kind. in contrast with Neidermier's associate. Gustav Marks. The letter says:
 There are four reasons why I should take my life.
 "First--Because of the public boast that I cannot commit suicide while I am so closely guarded.
 ''Second-And that cannot cheat the scafold.
 'Third-That they cannot say they executed me. and made me pay for a crime.
 "Fourth-To have another mystery murder for the ignorant police to solve"
 The letter concludes: Tt seems very pleasant to have this everlasting en-