The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-08-12
THE LAST CHAPTER
John Van Asch. Accused of Murder
OF James Keeem, Hangs Himself
in Cell at County Jail. Using
Bed RIanket.

in Cell at Comfy Jail, Using
Bed Blanket.
John Van Asch, so years of
age. committed suicide by hang
ing himself with a bedblanket to
the bars of his cell, at the county
jail Tuesday afternoon.
The series of circumstances of
the preceding twenty. four
hours show plainly that he had
premediated the deed, as he
carried it out.
Monday night when Scheriff
Jennings went on his last trip of
inspection, he called to Van Asch
and another prisoner, vino ha d
been allowed the corridors Of the
jail, but Van Asch did not
answer Being rather dark Mr..
Jennings went up town and
found Officer Derrick, ana they
went down to the Jail together.
Mr.. Jennings preceded Mr..
Derrick into the cell room. and
looking into the sleeping sell saw
the bed clothes piled up together
to make it appear as though some
one was under them. Feeling of
the clothes he found no one un.
der then. AS he came out
he was brought face to
face with Van Asch, who had an
iron bar raised over his head to
strike him. At this Officer
Derrick and Sheriff Jennings
both covered him with their re-
volvers, and ordered him to drop
the bar, which he did.
In the meantime when the
dishes that had been used by the
prisoners were being washed at
Mr.. Jennings home, a note was
found in the cup that had been
used by a prisoner, who is in the
jail charged with assault, warn
ing the sheriff to look out for
Van Asch. That Mr.. Jennings
did not receive some rough treat.
ment at the hands of the priso-
ner is fortunate clrcums stance.
The bar used by Van Asch was
broken from the nter-locking
device of the cell door. and
weighed about seven pounds.
WANTED TO TRANSFER PROPERTY
Tuesday afternoon at about
1:3O Sheriff Jennings went to
the Jail, and while there Van
Asch wanted him to telephone
to his wife and a daughter and
also to have Judge Lockhart
come to the jail, as he desired to
deed his property to his wife.
THE LAST ACT
From that time until about
seven o'clock in the evening no
further attention was paid to
the prisoner. At this time
Officer Derrick took the prisoners
supper to b 9 m. After his
actions of Monday evening the
sheriff had placed Van Asch in a
cell in close confinement, not
allowing him the privilege of
the corridors. When Officer
Derrick opened the door be.
tween the Office and cell room
and noticed that it was very
quiet, he told party who was
with him to ''come on in, as it
LOOKED as though something
was up" The two made close
inspection through the bars.
The mattress was lying on the
floor of the cell room and the
edge of the springs were pro-
truding through the door. A
walk around to the north side of
the cell told the story-Van Asch
was dead. The blanket and his
hair sticking through between
the bars, showing plainly how
the prisoner had cheated the
law.
USED BED BLANKET
After removing the mattress
and springs from the little cell,
he had taken the bed blanket,
and after twisting it up had
secured one end around the
bars, and tying the other end
around his neck, with slip.
moose. had thrown his Weight on
the rope ana the end was soon
reached. He had probably COM
mitted the deed about five
o'clock
Sheriff Jennings, Coroner
Jacotel an d States Attorney
Fuller were notified. A coroners
jury was empareled, consisting
of Messrs. Claud Derrick, A. J.
Bleser and e. e. Barnes, who
viewed the remains and return