OPIUM USER TRIES SUICIDE.
Rivers Made Three Attempts on His
Life at the Workhouse.
Otto Rivers, an intimate of the city workhouse who is addicted to the opium habit, and who shot John Spangler, head guard at the workhouse a few days ago in an attempt to get the guard's revolver to commit suicide with, tried three times to take hos own life yesterday morning. First he set fire to his bunk. He did not have nerve enough to let the flames envelope his clothing and the fire was extinguished before any damage was done. Later he pounded up a two-ounce glass bottle and swallowed the broken glass. A police ambulance was called and he was started to the general hospital. On the way he seized a revolver which was protruding from the officer's hip pocket and attempted to shoot himself. He was overpowered and the weapon wrested from him before he was able to discharge it.. At the general hospital last night it was said Rivers would recover. He had been given opium, the first time in several weeks, and was said to be resting easily. Rivers' dementia is entirely due to his having been deprived of the drug while confined in the workhouse. He is only 27 years old, but has been using the drug several years. He says his life becomes torture without it and is worse than death.
Rivers was sentenced to the workhouse on a technical charge of vagrancy June 17. He had been seen prowling around a number of office buildings at the time the "office building firebug" was operating.
Spangler, who was shot in the tussle with Rivers several days ago, is still in the general hospital.
