Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1908 — PADDED CELL [ARTICLE]

PADDED CELL

Claimed To Have Eaten Glass Affth Suicidal Intent and Is Removed To Insane JaibQnsrters. At about 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon, Dan Day, the deformed youth who murdered the Phillips girl last Thursday night, made an effort to end his life in the cell he occupied In the county jail. To Sheriff and Mrs. O’Connor, who have Been watching him very carefully, he stated that he was tired of being “cooped up” and that he had broken up the electric light bulb in the cell and eaten the fragments. He said that he had wrapped the globe up In a blanket In order to prevent It from making any noise when he broke It and that he then ate the pieces. John Warr, who was sent here from Newton county to serve out a fine for intoxication, was occupying the cell with Day and verified the statemnet about eating the glass, Sheriff O’Connor at once called upon the county physician, Dr. Kresler, who called Dr. English into consultation and they found no evidence of the glass having been swallowed. There was no scratches in the mouth and Dan was in no agony. It was thought that he could not have eaten much' of the* glass and’ later the sheriff scraped’ up quite a large amount of the glass, probably almost all that there was in the globe, and Dsq’S story is largely dftcrtdlted, and It Is thought he was just scaring his cellmate. However, as a precautionary measure, he was removed to the padded cell and Sheriff O’Connor watched him all of Saturday night. He was not handcuffed, but the sheriff said he would be If he made any other effort to suicide. He did riot touch any food from the time he was put In the jail Thursday night until Sunday morning, but he ate three square mekls that day and started in with a 1 hearty breakfast again Monday morning. Rev. H. L. Kindig called on him Sunday and talked with him and seemed to leave him feeling less morose than he had been since he was[ confined.