The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-05
AGAIN A PRISONER.
Recapturs Of Fitxsimmons Pitts
burg's Escaped Murderer.
AN ACCOMPLISHED seoyEDREL

The Remarkable Career ir Crime Of
the Notorious Libertiue Coat
dence Man Burglar and Murderer
and the Part Played BY PRETTY
Type Writer
PITTsRURG. Feb. IA telegram uss
been received by the district attorney
announcing that Frederick Fltzsiu
mons the murderer OF Detective oil
kinson and whose mysterious escape
from The county jail caused such a sen
sation has been captured in New Or
leans Holmes Anderson, who was in
Jail on a charge of murder when Fitz-
simmons was there, was a contidant Of
the fugitive. and it was through him
the clew that led to the capture was
obtained A brief review of his career
of crime will prove interesting at this
time.
An Accomplished Scoundrel.
Fitzsimmons is a refined seoundrel
and a thorough going desperate. His
family is said to be one of the oldest,
wealthiest and most respected in the
Dominion of Canada his home having
been at Brockville, in Ontario. and as he
grew up he was received IN the best So
ciety in that place. He was educated at
Montreal college, where he became
proficient. especially as linguist. Over
thirteen years ago he left home To take
lucrative position in the southern part
of this country. His Canadian relatives
saw nothing of him for years until his
return some months ag3 with plenty of
o1n &Ae ha
eral air of a successful business man.
Meanwhile he bad wandered through
many lands, on both sides of the ocean,
and become well known i'll all the large
cities of the United States.
Eight or nine years ago he ran away
with the daughter of Louisiana planter,
and for some time lived with her in
handsome style i'll various European
cities. On returning to this country he
went into business as a confidence man,
and was at different times at the head of
a gang of robbers. He finally became
the head of an extensive gang of profes-
sional crooks, about thirty strong, whose
operations embraced the district in west
ern Pennsylvania. all the way from the
West Virginia border to the lakes.
His Fair Accomplish.
For three years Fitzsimmons and his
gang operated in the western part of the
state with impunity, and during that
period one of the most important MEM
bers of the gang was Miss Laura Snow
den, pretty type writer, now about %
years of age, who, like the chief of the
band, was leading double life, posing
before the public as clerk in the Office
of The Medical Review, of Pittsburg,
rbar ol, faff Dr
esty, honesty and experiences in her os-
tensible calling.
On the evening of Jan. 81, 1891, Fitz-
simmons worked the jeweiry store of
John Schmidt at Homestead in very
skillful way. Laura Snowden's part in
the job was to go to Homestead and de-
tain Mr.. Schmidt for one hour, in order
that he would have to go home to sup
per after dark, She kept her appoint
ment and succeeded. When the unsus-
pecting Schmidt started for supper
Laura gave the signal to Fitzsimmons,
who had effected an entrance inio the
cellar under the store. He then made
his way up through the broken flooring,
and gathered up LAT watches and chains,
and a lot of trinkets, worth altogether
about $1,000. For her share in the job
Miss SnoWden was to receive 81 600.
The detectives got clew to the girls
implication i'll the crime. She was ar
rested, confessed, and guided the officers
to Fitzsimmons hiding place.
FitZslmmons resistance when con-
fronted by the detectives who went to
arrest him, the murder of Detective
Gilfinson, his subsequent arrest and
conviction for the Homestead robbery,
and his escape while waiting trial for
murder are matters of recent history
His subsequent movements have up to
this time been profound mystery,
though every effort was made to effect
his apprehension and recapture.
! Murdered by a Burglar.