I thought this news story was appropriate to post on Halloween.
Wm. S. Van Horn attempted, yesterday afternoon, to commit suicide by opening a vein with a fragment of glass. After his conviction and sentence, whilst still remaining in the jail at Central City, he was given, at his solicitation, Daguerreotypes of some of his friends—his Father, Mother and Sister we believe—which he retained until his removal to Denver. After finding the knife concealed upon his person, and hearing his reiterated threats to commit suicide, Marshall Hunt very judiciously took everything from him, that could in any event be used as a means to destroy life. Since then he has not been allowed to have even a pin. Yesterday afternoon he requested to again see the miniatures of his relatives, and they were given him. Some hours later, the jailor entered his cell and found him drenched with blood. An Examination revealed a horrible gash in his left arm, from which the blood was flowing. Further search was rewarded by finding the instrument with which the wound had been made—a triangular fragment of very thick glass, broken from the front of one of the miniatures. A physician was called and the wound bound up. Still greater care has since been taken to prevent his suicide.
William Van Horn had killed Josiah Copeland in Central City, Colorado. He was to be hanged on December 18, 1863, but had been taken to Denver for his safety. The suicide attempt occurred while he was in the Denver jail. Photographer Henry Faul documented the hanging and offered the images for sale, but they seem to be lost to history.