Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1888 — COMMITTED SUICIDE. [ARTICLE]

COMMITTED SUICIDE.

.. . 9 • - \■ THE LAST ACiT c F EDWARD <H AMBERLAIN- ■ a Special to the Lafayette Courier. Logansport, Ind. Deg 3. Chamberlain, the murderer of Ida Wittenberg, has paid the penalty of his crime with his own hand. This morning at about 6 o’clock, his body was found hanging to the door of his cell by a piece of bed ticking torn from his cot. The that they heard a struggle about 3:30 a. m,, but paid no attention to it, for as they say he had attempted suicide before and always gave it up. HOW IT WAS DONE. It seems that the bloody murderer, having fully determined to end life and cheat the gallows, arose in a quiet manner, during the night, and with no other means at hand, tore his bed rick up into a strip about six inches wide and a yard long. With this strip thrown over the upper cell of his door and well fastened about his neck, he made a. quick move by raising his feet and dropping toward the floor. It is supposed that several attempts were made before the work was finished, yet the desperate murderer clung to his work with a presistency and tenacity that is astonishing. By raising his feet perpendicularly . backward, and holding them there with his hands he continued thus choking himself until he became so exhausted that

a final swing of this kind produced i strangulation, and the victim ex- i pired. He w r as found in this po- i sition with muscles relaxed by I John Cunningham, a trusty prison-; er. The undertakers, Kroeger &i Strain, were then called and immediately conveyed the remains to their establishment. VIEWING THE REMAINS. When the news became known between two thousand and three thousand people hastened to Kroe-1 ger & Strain’s and viewed the re- i mains. The comment was abundant, but all said that the dead' man looked natural. At 8:10’ o’clock the parents of the deceased arrived, accompanied Monticello attorneys who were en-1 gaged in the base. The news was immediately announced. The attorneys looked puzzled and surprised, but the parents of the dead murderer manifested no emotions, but appeared relieved. The mother was asked not to go to the court room nor to the morgue, but she was obstinate and with her hue-; band lost no time in hurrying to j the undertakers and entered the room. The crowd was shut off from view, and the parents viewed the body in silence .with: no spectators present except Marshal Owston. The mother made no demonstration, but intently gazed i steadily at her wayward son in sil- i ence. Now and then she sobbed bitterly and gave away to tears which were irrepressible. Otherwise she wfts quiet and had but, litfle to say. She expressed herself as relieved, and said she was glad that her tremble was at an end at last. The remains will be taken to Reynolds this evening, where the interment will Jikely take place to-morrow.