The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1911-03-23
CONVICTED MAN !"
HANGS HIMSELF
Edward Lennon, the Port
age Murderer, Found
Dead.
STRIP OF BLANKET ENDS ALL
He Had Tried Suicide Be
fore Being Arrested,,For
Murder.
portage Register.)


Suspended from an improvised moose
made from a strip Of blanket taken
from the cot in his cell at the county
Jail, Edward Lennon was found dead
by the attaches of the county Jail at
noon on Thusday.
Since his conviction for the murder
OF Highway Commissioner Timothy
Nc MahOn in Circuit court Tuesday
afternoon, Lennon had shown no un-
usual signs which would indicate that
plans were forming to end hisexistence
and Sheriff Voth kept him confined in
the tier Of cells on the second floor,
and as there were no other prisoners in
in this section be had ample Opportun-
ity to plan and execute his desperate
act. About 10:30 Thursday morning
Lennon was last seen alive. At this
time he was visited by Turnkey Stel-
ter and made request for needle
and thread stating that he desired to
sew on buttons and asked for his sus-
penders. Turnkey SteIter conferred
with Sheriff Voth and Lemons re-
quest was granted, little thought be-
ing given at the time of the desperate
mood in which the prisoner was.
Mr.. Stelter went about his work in
and about the building and returned
to the cell a few minutes after 1900
with Lemons dinner, finding him
dead
Strangled Himself.
Lennon evidently was aware that the
suspenders were not strong enough to
answer his purpose and he then tore off
a strip of the wooIen blanket, a piece
about two inches in width and the
entire length. This he fastened to the
steel Stats on the east side of the cell a
few inches below the ceiling. The iron
cot extends across the cell and this
made the suspending of his body al
most impossible, but in his deperate-
ness he evidently seated himself on
the cot and fixed the moose about his
neck and then deliberately slid from
the side OF the cot and strangled him.
self with his feet touching the floor
underneath.
AS soon asTurnkey Stelter made the
discovery he supposed life was extinct
and, summoning VIM. Rea, trusty
at the Jail, to aid him, Immediately
gave the alarm about the jail. Sheriff
Voth and his deputy, w. K. Mackenzie,
were quickly on hand and Dist. Atty.
Bogue was summoned by telephone.
The body Was cut down and all a :
temps at resuscitatiOn were of no avail
and in the meantime DR.. F. d. Bentley
came, and on examination declared
that death had evidently resulted
half hour before discovery.
Verdict of Jury.
Turnkey Stelter in speaking of the
case said: "I served him his breakfast
as usual and noticed nothing about his
actions to cause alarm, only he appear
ed tc be very much calmer since the
close of the trial. When [ found him,
his feet were touching the cell and
death must have resulted shortly be-
fore l found him. There were no other
prisoners on the second tier and those
below heard nothing of his actions"
The corOner's jury returned with
verdict of death by his own hand, from
strangulation.
Attorney Mahoney had motion
pending in circuit court for a new
trial for Lennon, argument which was
to have been made before Judge Ste
vens, March 81
After the murder and before his
arrest, Lennon attempted to take his
life at his home.