In the County Jail, a Prisoner Fashions His Own Rope From a Sash

Jim Nakamario, the Japanese in the county jail accused of murdering another Japanese named Zengo Mayeda at Auburn on September 3, attempted to commit suicide in a cell by a novel mode of slow strangulation yesterday morning, and but for the accidental discovery of his condition by one of the prisoners he would have succeeded. As it was, he was nearly asphyxiated, and was unconscious for an hour after the attempt.

Jim Nakamario was to have been taken to Auburn yesterday morning to await a preliminary examination on the charge of murder, and as the evidence against him is said to be pretty conclusive, it is presumed that he determined to save the hangman a job and the county some expense. Nine o'clock yesterday morning had been fixed as the hour for removing him to Auburn. Jim knew that, and everything indicates that he had been for several days trying to nerve himself to commit the deed, and only made up his mind finally as the hour of departure was rapidly drawing nigh. Had he made the same attempt during the night he would have been neither heard nor seen, and only his stiffened body would have been found in the morning.

Jailer Monroe opened the cells yesterday morning at the usual time, 6 o'clock, and found everything all right. At 7:30 he was getting ready to feed the prisoners, when he heard a great commotion and several voices shouting and calling his name. He ran in and was directed to the Japanese's cell, being told that he was committing suicide. There he found Joe Cavanaugh and another prisoner unwinding a strip from the man's neck and legs and stretching out the limp and inanimate body on the bench.

The method was novel in character and is not known ever to have been tried before. Jim had two Japanese flowered sashes, one white and one blue. These he knotted together, forming a strong rope about eight feet long, and by means of these he attempted to end his existence. He first seated himself on his bunk with his knees drawn up close to his body, then fastened one end of the rope around his right leg just below the knee, passed the long end twice around his neck and then back to and under his knee, which end he held in his right hand, caught in by the bend of the knee. Thus harnessed, and having first covered himself with his blanket, head and all, he commenced his slow strangulation by attempting to straighten out his knee. Every pound of such pressure tightened the double twist around his neck and brought about gradual asphyxiation.

He had just about succeeded and was evidently in the last throes of suffocation when his quiverings under the blanket and the fact of his being covered up attracted Cavanaugh's attention. The discovery and the release followed rapidly. Dr. R. M. Ernies, the county physician, was sent for and after working over him for an hour declared him out of danger. All day Jim showed the evidence of his attempt on his life; his face and neck were swollen, his eyes bloodshot and his breathing was severely affected. He remained silent all day and refused to answer any question, and he evidently contemplated another attempt, for about 4:30 p. m. Jailer Monroe found that he had twisted a sash into a rope about as thick as his finger and eight feet long. This was taken away, but it is probable that he will yet succeed in evading justice, as there is nothing preventing his stripping his blankets and doing the same act during the night.

The hearing at Auburn had, of course, to be postponed and another date fixed by the justice.