The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-06-10
(From Saturdays paiIy.l

AEtOm 'odbuINay Dd4ly.J
P. Michael Sismis, forty-one years
Of age, who on Friday was sentenced
to a term Of ten years in the state
prison at Waupun following his con-
fession that ne attempted to make
criminal assault on Miss Margaret
Refs, paid the full penalty of his crime
just before eight O'Clock this morning
when he hanged himself in cell at
the county Jail in Fond du Lac. He
was on the way to begin his long
term in the state prison when smitten
by remorse, he made moose out Of a
portion Of his shirt which he had torn
from his back and tieing the moose
about the jail cell he pressed against
it until his life had been choked out.
Prisoners in the jail shouted for help
and the men in charge of the Jail
hurried to the cell room. When they
reached it they found .Sismis hanging
by the neck. He was Immediately
cut down by one of the jail Of
fcials and physicians were called, but
the man was dead when he was
cut down and efforts to resuscitate
him were in vain.
Was Waiting for Train.
Sismis had left Kenosha iii the cold
gray dawn of the early morning for
the trip to Waupun to begin his sent
ence. He was in charge Of Deputies
John Szafranski, janitor Of the city
hall, and William Senne, who is en-
ployed at the plant Of Simmons com
pany. The man appeared to be moody
and did not appear to want to talk
much on the way up toward to prison.
When the party reached Fond du Lac
just after seven o'clock this morning,
the deputies followed the instructions
which had been given them and went
over to the county Jail at Fond du Lac
to leave their prisoner to wait for a
train which left for Waupun just after,
nine o'clock. The men in charge Of
the jail were informed Of the nature
Of the crime Of which Sismis had been
charged and before he was placed in
the cell he was carefully searched. He
smiled at the men as they went through
his pockets and declared, "You don't.
suppose that / have anything do you %
Sismis was locked in the cell and given
some breakfast and the two deputies
went to a nearby restaurant to eat
their own breakfast.
Hears Commotiun in Cell.
1t was just few minutes later that
the prisoners in the jail heard a com
motion in the cell occupied by Sismis
and they hurried to give the alarm. to
the turnkey. He went in the cell and
found Sismis hanging to the bars of
the cell. The breakfast which had
been taken to the cell for him re-
NAMED untouched and it was evident
that as soon as the key was turned
IN the cell Sismis made preparations to
die. He left no message Of any kind to
the people behind. Evidently he went
about his Judas crime with great de-
termination and great elaboration.
The sheriff Of Fond du Lac notified
Sheriff Meyer Of the suicide just be-
fore nine o'clock this morning and
asked for directions for disposing of
the body. 1t is expected that some
provisions will be made to have the
body buried at Fond du Lac as so far as
is known Sismis has no relatives in
Kenosha. The sheriff referred the
matter to the county coroner and
asked him to make an effort to locate
the friends Of the man.
Sismis was a member of Kenosha
Slav society, but the officers of the
society told Chief O'Hare this morning
that they would not be interested in
the funeral
No Criticism for officials.
Sheriff Meyer had no criticism to
make Of the two deputies who were
In charge Of sieris when he took his
own life. The reports fsom Fond du
Lac indicated that the two deputies
had followed the usual PROBATION in
placing Sismis in tile jail at Fond du
Lac to await the transfer for Waupun.
It was said that the man appeared
70 be perfectly resigned TO going to