Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-02-05
The Capture Of "Fitz. F"


burglar and murderer, who escaped from
the Pittsburg Jail some time ago was ar
rested in the streets of New Orleans last
Saturday night, and fully identified next
day. He will be held and e1tradit ed,
The story of his capture is interesting
and is as follows.
On Dec. ) last Holmes Anderson, who
had been charged with the murder OF John
Gunsaulis, was discharged from Jail. Be-
fore his departure Detective Beltzhoover
and Warden McAleese examined his effects
and found two scraps of paper, each OF
which contained a note addressed 10
Holmes Anderson. They were shown to
Murphy, who identified the writing as be-
ing that of Fitzsimmons. One note read:
Day 5th day of December. Time, to 8
P. N. Place, office Of the Vanderbank
house. New Orleans, La. If l am not
there inquire at Office for letter for Holmes
Anderson. YOUR FRIEND.
The other note was as follows:
Time, first day OF January, Place, City
Hotel, New Orleans. Wait two days. The
ev venings of Jan. ! and 2, then inquire for
letter at the Office of the hotel for Holmes
Anderson, Time to 8 o'clock.
These notes had been given to Holmes
Anderson by Fitzsimmons previous to the
latter's escape from jail. He wished An
derson to meet him at the places named
as soon as he was released from prison.
1t was generally believed at that time that
Anderson would be released. Judging
from the positive tone of the note it looked
as if Fitzsimmons felt confident that there
would be no interference with the carry
ing ont of his 'jail breaking" plot. he
gave Anderson $125. The authorities knew
that Anderson had received money from
the murderer previous to the latter's es-
cape, but it was not known for what pur-
pose. 1t is now believed that the under
standing between the two was that the
money was to be used in paying Anderson
expenses to New Orleans.
On December II Murphy and Beethoven
consulted with District Attorney BurleiRh
and the county commissioners. These OH
cials decided that it would be good policy
to send detective to New Orleans to work
up this rather indefinite clue.
Detective Adam Lang was detailed fol-
the work. When he reached his destina'
tion he found letter at the Vanderbank
house addressed to Holmes Anderson. II
was dated ST. Louis, December 3, and
read as follows:
FRIEND HOLMES:
Can not be there on the 18th. Remain
in the city and meet me at the same place
on the lst day or I'd or Sd of January al
the same time as understood.
Your FRIEND
On December 10 Long visited United
States Detective Wild, stationed at New
Orleans, who at the request of Clerk Lind
say of the United States district court o.
this city, had consented to aid in the case
and informed him what had taken place
Chief of Police Caster and the Boylan De
tective agency had also consented to aid
The hotel was watched ior three days, but
the man sought after failed to put in ar
appearance.
On December 81 Detective Finney, act
ing under instructions of Mr.. Murphy, do
parted for New Orleans. He reached
there two days later. The Vanderbank
house was closely watched during the first
three days of January, the time appointed
by Fitzsimmons for his meeting with An.
derson, but the fugitive failed to show up
Finney remained in the Crescent city anti
January IL and nothing was heard of the
men wanted. He then came home and or
the day after he had left another letter ad
dressed to Anderson reached his hotel
This was forw arded in accordance with
the instructions left by Finney to Murphy
in Pittsburg.
This letter was also dated st. Louis and
said in substance that the writer had the
best of reasons for not meeting him on the
dates appointed, but he hoped Anderson
would be in the city soon and would meet
him on January 90 or 25 or February at
the latest. He felt certain he would be on
hand and hoped his friend Holmes would
be able to be there also. 81 see" said ht
in the letter, chat you once more breath
the air OF freedom and got out of the Pitts
burg hospital December 6"
M II. III
news Burleigh ard Robb and the county
CON missioners. Finney was sent back To
New Orleans, reaching there January 20
He remained about the Office of the Van
| dcrbank hotel for three or four days, bu'
saw nothing of Fitzsimmons. On the eve
ming of January 25 he saw man pass by
| the office door who answered FitZsimmons
description. The latter walked about 0
square and turned into bar.room on the
| opposite side Of the street from the hotel
| Finney followed and on entering the room
| found that be was mistaken as to the
| identity of the stranger. He had turned
around when he noticed little man wear
| ing heavy black beard and q peculiar
Snapped hat pass from the bar to the cigar
store in front, kept by man named So
gacci, and then pass out oil the door.
| Finney followed close on the little fellows
track, but owing to the darkness lost sight
OF him two blocks away.
He was almost positive it was Fitzsim-
mons from the hasty glance he had caught
of the stranger. He returned TO the cigar
store and engaged Sogacci in conversation.
| He learned that the individual who had
Just departed was stranger TO the cigar
dealer. He had first visited the store on
January 90 and purchased package oi
hand made cigarettes ofa peculiar pattern.
These, instead of being pasted, as are
| the ordinary cigarettes, were turned in at
the ends. They we're known as Hayannas
and were imported and costly. The stran-
ger visited the store nearly every bay for O
week and was an inveterate smoker. He
told Sogacci that he had not been in New
| Orleans since the exposition; that he stop
| ped at the Hotel Demashad and he was d
gentleman of leasure on trip through the
South To drive away ennui. He was quite
liberal with his money, and invited Sogacci
out to see the sights. The stranger spoke
| French, and said he had been in nearly all
| the large cities Of South Europe. The
cigar store il almost directly across the
street from the hotel which Fitzsimmons
in his note had designated as his meeting
place with Anderson, and the stranger ap-
peared to be constantly on the lookout rs
| If he expected some person To arrive al that
hosterIe Sogacci spoke of his customer 4
popularity i'll the choice of newspapers
lie never read any paper but the New
| York Herald which he bought at Ellis'store
| in side street near the cigar store.
| All this information was communicated
to Detective Murphy by letter which he
received from Finney on January 30.
In the description of the peculiarities Of
the suspected person Murphy recognized
those of the fugitive murderer. He had at
his office in Diamond street package OF
| cigarettes identical with those described by
Sogacci. They had been taken from Fitz-
simmons the night of his capture in Home
stead He was an inveterate cigarette
smoker and had been 10 New Orleans
during the the exposition exhibiting an
incubating machine. He preferred the
New York Herald to all other newspapers,
talked French and was always talking
nhnnt his travels. Murphy was certain