The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-11-12
TRIES SUICIDE
in JAIL CELL
john Miller Slashes Self in
Attempt at Suicide -
! Leaves Letter.
DENIES PRISON TERMS
Deaf Mute Denies Charges of
Serving Long Terms in
Prisons; Will Recover.

John Miller, 90, deaf mute, held in
the county jail on charges of forgery
pending disposition of his case by
Municipal Judge John Slater, came
within an inch of carrying out his
threat to kill himself before he should
ever leave his Jail cell.
Saturday night Miller was seen to
be hard at work writing notes. This
seemed to raise no suspicious since
Miller was in the habit of occupying
his time in his cell in this manner.
Then a half hour later there came a
scream from the cell on the second
floor of the Jail building. Sheriff
Frank Willems and Undersheriff Joseph
Knipfer rushed up to the cell to find
Miller whipping razor through the
air, acting in a frenzy. A moment
was lost opening the cell doors and
both officials rushed to Miller to get
the instrument away from him. Miller
had already succeeded in cutting him.
self through his clothes inficting a
cash across his chest about seven
inches long. When he found his at
tempts to end his life were being
frustrated Miller made a. plunge at
Undersheriff Knipfer and was pre-
vented from doing any harm here by
the quick action Of the sheriff in
knocking the razor from his hands.
Deputies Rush to Help.
By this time deputies from the
sheriff's Office below came to the scene
and helped to subdue che man who
was by this time raving maniac. He
was ordered taken to St. GATHERINGS
hospital at once and there his injuries
were treated. He was placed in a
straightjacket and Deputy Sheriff C. F.
Erickson was placed on duty near his
cot to watch him.
At the hospital his injuries were
found not to be serious and today it
VIZ said that Miller would recover,
although Miller received this an
nouncement himself with no great
amount of enthusiasm. On Sunday
Deputy Sheriff Chester Bostetter stood
watch over Miller and today Deputy
Sheriff Leo Schend is on duty at the
hospital. The deputies have been sta
toned at the hospital, the sheriff said
today, to prevent any further attempts
on Miller's part to take his life.
Miller told Deputy Sheriff Nick
Erickson that he secured the razor
from man in neighboring cell who
had razor concealed under his belt.
Left Long Note to Sheriff.
Miller seemed to be harboring
great fear of being sent to the state
been seen writing a half hour before
his suicide attempt proved to be a
note to the sheriff and letter to his.
children at Kansas City, Mo. His fear
was expressed in this note, together
with denial of charges that he had
served time in various prisons for
other offenses.
The letter to the sheriff was written
on four small pieces CT note paper in
. a cramped hand. On the back of two
of these sheets was letter written
supposedly to one of his three chill
dren living at Kansas City" This let
ter was crossed out as if Miller had
changed his mind and had decided not
to send the letter.
Afraid of the Judge and Police.
The letter addressed to the sheriff
as nearly as it can be transcribed ac-
curately, reads as follows:
Sheriff: My name is not Ora Nor
ton, I am in truth John Miller. !
can prove it. came from Kansas City,
Mo-; / lived in Kansas C. fifteen years.
have three children stay in st. Cath
crimes school for poor children. I just
left them. But police and Judge Slater
will send me state prison at Waupun.
/ haven't been at Fort Leavenworth,
Oklahoma and Iowa. / don't like some
police say me same as Ora Norton. /
am mad now. I don't fool. l am John
Miller. make myself kill myself first
chance. Please tell my daughter at
st. GATHERINGS school at Kansas G. /
am sorry can't see my children.
Please let my three children go and
tell Mr.. Bradish. He will know my
name is John Miller. Good bye"
The letter addressed to the three
children is deciphered as follows. 1t
was dated October 80, but it was
evident that it had been written on
Saturday.
Dear Friend Rose: / am writing
letter to tell you / am bad sick. /
need to go home to Kansas City, Mo.
Doctor tell me ! must go home.
Please send ticket for train. Suitcase
and trunk sent last week. am wor-
ried, want to see my children. l
am not we'll now, think maybe you
will help me soon. If you don't help
me soon I will kill myself Hello to
you. Your old friend, Yours truly
From John Miller, st. GATHERINGS hos
pital, Kenosha, Wis"