The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-09-27
SOCIALIST
SUICIDES IN CELL
Assailant of Holdenvlle Republican
Dies InfideI But Happy-Ex-
plains in Letter.

Holdenyille, Okla, Sept 23.--An-
nouncing that he was glad he killed
a political enemy, and that he died an
Iinfidel, Berry Schrimpscher, the social
list who Saturday evening fatally stab
bed Dave Swihart, following social
list meeting on the streets OF Holden
willie, hung himself In his cell about 2
o'clock Sunday morning in the Semi
mole county Jail at Wewoka where he
had been taken Saturday night by
Sheriff c. r. Edmonds, to avoid mob
violence
1t is believed that the man, desper-
ately afraid that he would be victim
of a mob or that in the end he would
hang for his crime, decided he would
beat them to it" 1t also is the opin-
| ion of officers that the man must have
been insane because of portions of a
letter written by Schrimpscher just be-
fore he rolled out of an upper bunk in
the jail and broke his neck.
The method of suicide was peculiar.
Schrimpscher tore up the blanket OF
his bed, tied one pierce around his
neck fastening it to the top Of the call,
then tied his hands and feet together,
pushed his feet through his hands so
they would not touch the floor when
he hung down. He merely rolled out
of the bunk and death resulted.
Lynehing was talked freely in Hold
enville before the prisoner was remov-
ed and the rumors caused Sheriff Ed
monds to take no chances. He remov-
ed Schrimpscher to Wewoka by auto
mobile after which indignation sub
sided and there was no further dan
ger of violence, although it is believed
the prisoner still feared it.
Glad He Killed swihart.
The letter left by Schrimpscher and
addressed to his parents was as fol-
lows:
Dear father, mother, brothers and
sisters:
My life is no good to me and |
never cared anything for it, and / am
glad | killed that man Don't even
think of me when I'm dead for / died
easy. Tell everybody / died an infdel
and happy. Hope you will all live and
do Well Tell everybody to never try
to run over a Schrimpscher
Il heard him say oh, my God, the
first time ! stabbed him but fixed him
and | don't want to stand for the muir
der. Tell Edith Ca sister, that love
her but my life is gone now Papa
and mamma don't grieve over my
death for had just as well die as any
body. went into McSham's and got
the best knife he had just to kill that
man. He said they had the best crowd
but | showed him. From your own
son, BERRY.
Il have been at work since / have
been here and am feeling fine but l
am ready to die Them marshals sure
did run that automobile fast because
they thought we would be overtaken.
School Strikers Make Threat
Baltimore. Nd, Sept. 23.-Carrying
banners setting forth their grievances
in glaring words, half a hundred of the
school boys ranging from to Is
years, marched to the city hall yester-
! day and protested to Mayor Preston
against their school being taken from
white pupils and given over to negro
children
The mayor listened smilingly to the
fifteen year old spokesman who put
the case in plain school boy language,
and solemnly warned his honor. IF
you turn us out it VIII mean the death
of the democratic party in Baltimore"
Too bad" laughed the mayor, who
told the boys he could do nothing as
he never interfered in school affairs
The school board recently transfer
red the pupils of public school No. 81
to other schools, because il is iii an
almost exclusively negro district The
boards refusal to restore the school
to the white residents led to strike
of the transferred children.