The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-10
OMAN SLAYER
THREATENS TO
END OWN LIFE
George Barrett Declares He
May Crush Glass Eye,
Swallow 1t.
DOUBLE GUARD ASKED
Present Ones Report They
Are Worn Out Watching
Frenzied Prisoner.

George w. Barrett, sentenced to
be hanged in the Marion County
Jail yard before sunrise, March "a
for the murder of a Oman, is
threatening to take his own life
Federal officials revealed today.
In a fit Of frenzy in his cell yes
terday Barrett rose from his bunk
dressed end threatened to kill
himself and Stay the two Federal
guards who watch over him in r.
hour shifts, day and night, attend
ants said
Pacing up and down in his cell
he is reported to have turned tC
one of his guards and said:
Odd Threat Reported
"You fellows forgot that I can
grind up this glass eye of mine, AND
swallow the glass;" Barrett lost his
left eye in gun fight0
Chief Deputy Marshal Julius j
Wichser said he would accompany
DR.. Robert Dwyer, Federal physi-
clan, to the Jail this afternoon ano
remove the glass eye and the lens
in Barrett's spectacles which aids
his vision in his other eye.
After a conference today between
Mr.. WichSer, District Attorney Va
Nolan and Judge Robert c. Baltzell
1t was decided to secure permission
from Atty. Gen. Homer S. Cum
mlngs to double Barrett's guard
The present guards, E. S. Rivers
and Oscar Poole, have told authori-
Ties they are worn out from trying
TO control the prisoner.
Judge Baltzell believes that the
additional cost of $40 a day for
the extra precautions may save not
only the life of Barrett but those
of the guards.
Killed Agent Klein
Barrett was convicted for the
Staying of Agent Nelson. B. Klein
he Is trying every artifce to cheat
the moose, his guards say. The
Klein killing occurred at West Col
lege Corners, Ind, last August. Bar
rett faced trial previously for the
Staying of his mother and sister
in Kentucky.
He has been insisting that he can
not walk, due to wounds he re-
celved in the gun fight with Klein.
However, DR.. Dwyer said he be-
heves that Barrett has been exer-
cising his wounded legs, anticipat-
ing break for freedom.
AT the time Klein was killed. Bar
rett was shot through both knees
and attended his trial in a wheel
chair. Until yesterday he had laid
IN his cell bunk and had insisted
that his arms were useless. The
guards fed him.
Moaned, Cried at Night
For month he moaned and cried
until DR.. Dryer gave him opiates
each night. His appeal now is pend
ing in the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals at Chicago. Mo-
lions in the case were argued last
thursday ana an opinion is expect
ed late this week.
After he was sentenced to death,
Barrett embraced religion. The
Rev. John McShane, of st. Bridget S
Catholic Church, gave him the rites
of the Roman Catholic faith about
a month ago. Now Barrett has de-
nounced the religion, officials said.
The law under which Barrett was
sentenced for the murder of Klein
is an old one, Baltzell pointed. out.
and has been on the Federal statute
books more than so years. Judge
Raltzell said that it was designed
to protect the lives of Federal oper-
atives who have enforced laws when
local and state authorities have
failed. The sentence is mandatory,
Judge Baltzell said.
The condemned mans alibi
throughout the trial was that he
believed he was being pursued by
Kentucky feudists.