The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-09-11
PASSED MEDICAL INSPECTION
Man Had Been Picked up as Insane but
Officers on Advice of Physician had
Planned to Release Him When He
Plunged Pen Knife Into His Heart.
(Fronl Wednesdays Daily

Michael Ternichok, forty-fve years
of age and an Austrian by birth, com
mitted suicide in the cell room of the
city lookup at the city hall just after
nine O'Clock this morning when he
plunged pen knife into his heart.
He died almost instantly Ternichok
had been in the lookup only few
hours and he was about to be released
with no charges against him when he
took his own life. The suicide caused
a panic among the other prisoners at
the Jail.
The unfortunate man had come to
Kenosha from Chicago on last Sunday
and had been living at a boarding
house at 108 Ashland avenue. just
after two o'clock this morning~the po-
lice received word that half clothed
man was wandering about on Eliza
beth street near the offices of the
American Brass Company andl Police
Officers Bradley and Breidt went out
and found Ternichok. He was attired
only in suit of underwear and seem
ea to be wandering as if in trance.
When he was taken into custody he
declared that some one had tried to-
shoot him and that he had fed from
htC hno r6Ir 70 ff1Pf hnr
efforts to take his life. His story was
Of hazy sort, but the officers took
him to Northwest Main street where
he alleged the beading house was sit
uated, but he could not point out any
place and later he declared to the Of
fcers that he might have been dream
ing. He was then taken to the lookup
and as he showed signs Of being daz-
ed this morning DR.. G. E. Thompson
was called to attend him. DR.. Thomp-
son made an investigation and gave
lit as his opinion that the man had
simply been hysterical on account Of
a night mare and later one Of his
friends arrived bringing the man S
pants and shoes. When /. the friend
reached the lookup Ternichok seemed
to be entirely rational and he asked
his friend to go back and get shirt
and coat. He was dressing when
the police left him in the cell. A
minute later the shouts Of other pri
soners called the police back to the
cell. Ternichok seemed to be leap
ing up and down in his cell and be
fore the police could reach him he fell
to the floor and tiny stream Of blood
was seen flowing out from under
the body.
in his hand he clenched pen knife
not more than two inches in length.
The point OF the knife was buried in
the heart of the man. He was uncon-
scious when found. DR. J. J. McShane,
city health officer, was called and he
saw At 6 glance that the man was
mortaliy wounded and directed the po-
lice to call physicians. Before any
other doctors arrived the man was
dead The body was removed to the
Mischler morgue and an inquest will
be held over it on Thursday afternoon.
Little of the life story of the sui
eide is known in Kenosha. He came
to this country from Austria some time
ago, leaving wife and five children
behind him. He had small piece Of
property in Austria which had been
mortgaged and since he reached Keno
sha he had received letter from his
wife declaring that the property was
about to be sold to satisfy the mort
gage. This fact seemed to cause him
great deal Of worry and it is thought
that this worry brought temporary
insanity, laboring under which he
plunged The knife into his heart this
morning.
Coroner Millager has taken charge
of the trunks of the man and will
make an effort to locate his relatives.