Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-03
HOW HID WAS CAUGHT.
MURDERER FITZSIMMON'S FAVORITE BRAND
OF CIGARETTES
Ana His Love for Them Helped in the Work-Ha
Could Not Help Writing Letters and
They Caused His Downfall.

#
erick CarrotOn Fi'zSimmOns, murderer,
burglar, confidence man and fugitive
from justice, was arrested on Magazine
street, New Orleans, early Monday
morning, and is now in the parish
prison, charged with being the fugitive
murderer Of Detective d. X. Gilkinson.
He was captured by Detective James j.
Finney, Of the National Detective
Bureau, Of Plttsburg, and will be eX-
tradited as quickly IS fOrmalities will
allow
Detective Murphy yesterday received
the following telegram from Finney,
who has been working under the pSeu-
dOnym OF John J. Brown:
New ORLEANS, February /.
p. J.. WTphU, 90 Diamond street, PttSolUg'
Got man. Fully answers description and
picture. Bullet wounds In breast ana Oach.
Mark on cheek: six and three-q uarters hat.
Come on first train has PlttSOurg uewspa-
per clippings; peddGng Iewelry; had three
reviewers on person when arrested.
j. BROWN.
This description TALES exactly with
the man who left vacant cell in the
Jail last September. Detective Muir
phys heart Ieaped with joy when he
read Finney'S description Of the bullet
wounds on his prisoners breast and
back, for be put them there on March
81, 1891, when he and Detective Gllkin-
son, who fell by FtzimmOn'S hand, at
tempted to arrest him. The mark on
the mans face Is another conclusive
proof Of Fitzimm0u'S identity, and the
brand Of cigarettes found on him are
the same FitzSimuOus smoked during
his stay In jail pending his trial ior
murder. A package OF these cigarettes
was taken from him before hs escaped
and Is the possession Of Detective Muir
ply. His love for smoking this brand
of cigarettes assisted in his detection
and may be- partly responsible for his
expiation OF his crime on the gal
lows one Of these days.
The above telegram was received IN
Pittsburg az 5.42 o'clock yesterday
morning, which leads 70 the supposltion
that FitZsimmOns was caught after mid
night Sunday night. At 500 o'clock
Yesterday afternoon Detective Murphy
received the appended telegram from
Detective Finuey, dated New Orleans,
February /:
No admissions, but daylight enables me
10 identify the man. He has been held as
fugitive murderer.
Holmes Anderson, who was charged
with the murder John Guusaulis, in
West Liberty borough last spring, was
confined In Jail at the time FitzSimmonS
was there. Anderson and FitzSimmons
formed a friendship
Two letters In FitZSimmOns' hand
writing were taken from Anderson, De
cember 8, the day of his release. The
story OF the work done with these letters
as a clue was told yesterday by Detec-
tive Murphy as follows:
"HOImes Anderson was discharged
from custody December $, 1901. His
personal effects were examined by
County Detective BeltZhOOver and
Warden NcAleeSe on that day.
AmonE AnderSOn's possessions were
two notes scrubbed on dirty bits OF pa
per I'm the handwriting Of Fitzsimmons.
This was about three months after
Fiyzsimmons had escaped. The notes
were not ated, aud read as follows:
.Dgv fifteenth December; time TO o
n no. Office Of Wonderland Hotel, Maya
line street, New Orleans, L. a. If not
there inquire for q letter at hotel, ad-
dressed Holmes Anderson.
"The other letter is as follows with
out date:
NEW ORLEANS, L. A.; time first Of jan
nary. 1Sg3: place City Hotel, corner OF
Camp and Common. Wait two days. The
evenings Of the first and second Of Janu-
arv. Then inquire for letter az the ofttce
of the hotel addressed Holmes Anderson.
The hours in the evening between Z and 9
o'clock.
After a consultation they determined
that this clue was we'll worth working
no. add on that same day l sent Detec-
tive Adam Lang TO New Orleans. Lang
proceeded direct 70 the Wonderland
Hotel on Magazine street, on December
IA, the day Of his arrival lie found q
letter there addressed 10 Holmes An
derSou i'm FitzSlLmOnS' handwriting,
which he secured and sent to me- The
following is an exact copy Of the letter
which was written on the letter-head o.
a st. Louis hotel;
ST. LOUIS, Dec. g, 1891.
FRIEND HOLMES: Cannot be there the
18th. Remain there and meet me at same
place on the first day, or second day, or
third day of January, at the same time as
understood. Your FRIEND.
s.The day after Finney started home
q letter arrived az the hotel for Auder-
SON from st. Louis. 10 was forwarded
TO me on January Il and arrived ia this
city January 10. l received the letter,
which was from FitZsimmOnS, In his
wn handwriting, as expected. He
wrote from st. Louis, and said In sub
stance this time that the best Of reasons
prevented his reaching New Orleans on
the LIST, "a or Sd OF January. but that
he would be there by the goth or DIST,
or the LIST OF February. His advice to
Anderson was, Try and hang out until
the goth anyway, IL you can at all, as l
can certainly get there by that time
His observations on AuderSOu's re-
lease from the county Jail was couched
as follows; y see you breathed the air
Of freedom on December o.
Detective Finuey wrote me as FOL
lows after he arrived in New Orleans.
AS I was sitting in the reading room
of the Wonderland talking 70 drum
mer named Thompson, man passed
the window who attracted my attention.
excused myself and ran out after him.
He had taken the opposite side OF the
street, and as 60 was dark / could not
get a look at his face. I followed him
for a square and satisfied myself that it
was not FitZSimmOnS. l turned back
disguised, and entered a cigar store op-
Dosits the hotel, run by an Italian nam
ed Segassie. As l stepped inside the
door a man brushed by me. His looks
struck me forci6y.
ssThis was FitZsimmOnS, said Mr.
Nurphy, stopping 10 explain, Resum
ing Finney's letter he read the CONVEX
sa,ion that passed between him and the
cigar dealer. Finney inquired Of Sc