New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-12-18
CHOSE SUICIDE IN
PLACE OF PRISON
MAN GUILTY OF ASSAULT SAYS
HE PREFERS DEATH TO
STATES BAsTILLE

FOoolbL - HE WAo DE.NANx1ED
HAD ASSAULTED MAN
WITH KNIFE
Monday morning shortly after Z
o'clock John T. Pickett who had been
indicted as John Doris for assault IN
the second degree, committed suicide
in the county jail by cutting his throat
with a safety razor blade, and died
within a half hour after committing
the act. Deputy Sheriff Jahnke had
just taken the prisoners their breakfast
and had retired for few minutes when
one OF the prisoners called for him
to come at once and on walking around
the corner he found Pickett with
blood squirting from a gaping wound in
the left side Of his neck. When Jahnke
came to him he said, II will go to no
prison. He was already weak from
the loss of blood and sank to his knees
and fell over on the bunk. The deputy
sheriff Immediately called the county
physician and the coroner who responded
within a few INITIATES and they came
just before Pickett breathed his last.
Claimed Relatives in Virginia
Pickett claimed that he had two
brothers and one sister, all of whom
live in Virginia and the sheriff inn
mediately wired to Geo. III. Pickett and
at 6 o'clock Monday evening received
the following telegram: Have no
brother by name Of Jim or John. z
Yesterday morning a message was sent
to the sister who is also reported to
live in Cleveland, Va. asking what dis
position be made OF the remains. II
nothing is heard from her, zthe body
will will be inferred is The offers Field
IN the city cemetery.
May Have Been Insane
Whether Pickett committed suicide
because he was mentally deranged Of
whether he was afraid Of his past record
which the state prison officials might
have dug up, will probably never be
known. He stated to the Court that
he had been a nervous wreck at one
time and had been in an asylum fol-
six months, and to. his cell-mate he
stated that his mother had died ii an
insane asylum. He also said that. he
had at one time owned s;3S-acres patch,
Of land i'm Florida and. that hessh had sui
fered nervous. breakd because. 81
overwork He told his attorney. that
he had never been in jail; never been
arrested and had never been IN court.
From these facts person would almost
believe that his was case of insanity
From the statement made to the
deputy sheriff after he had committed
the act and also from statements made
to his cell-nate that he did not mind
the SIX months he must spend in prison
but that he was afraid to go to States
prison because his, record would be
looked up, would indicate that he had
a past which he was anxious to concea
and that he therefore committed suicide
Offense Committed At Springfield
The assault for which Pickett, alias
Doris, was indicted and to which in.
dictment he pleaded guilty Frida,
afternoon was committed at Springfield
October IA, in the drill hall of the home
guards. Pickett came there and was
under the influence Of liquor. He was
put out of the hall by Sgt. Wesley
Dirks. Later he came back and was
told by Erwin Rubitschung, whom he
met at the foot of the stairs that he
would not be permitted to 90 up,
whereupon, an alteration started, which
ended up by Pickett drawing a knife
and cutting Rubitschung's three fingers
on the left hand and inflicting wound
on him near the left lower rib. Pickett
was ABOUT % years Old.
II. l.. .Saverien of Hallock and form
erly Of. this city, writes to- friends here
that his. Oldest daughter, Ella, passed
away recently, a victim Of in fuenzaa
She had been doing some nursing among
people who were sick and caught the
disease Of which she died: She was
married and leaves surviving her a
husband and a two year old boy. In
the same letter Mr.. Saverien writes that
their son Arnold is in the medical corps
of the Navy and is now stationed al
Mare Island near San Francisco, and
that their daughter Alma is nurse ii
the army hospital. Mrs. Saverien has
I'll. I. o. y . -