The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-02-13
A MURDERER
Kills Himself With Pocket Knife
in Bed.
He Leaves Letter Declaring the Innu
eenoo OF Ills Wife-The Latter Throws
Herself Upon Her Knees and Prays
for His Souvs Salvation.

NEW ORLEANS. Feb. 5.-Frederict G
Fitzsimmons, alias Ambrose g. Budd,
and several other Names who was ar
rested here Tuesday, charged with
murder and thcft in Pittsburgh, Pa,
cut his throat with penknife at IL
o'clock Thursday morning at the par
ish prison and died at 1 o'clock Friday
morning.
Fitzsimmons left long letter adj
dressed to c. Ii. Fitzsimmons Wn. Fitz-
simmons, Chief OF Police Caster, the
Times Democrat, Picayune and citizens
of New Orleans, inswhich he says:
"The sunny south and the Crescent City carry
uone but the most pleasant recollections in my
memory. 1 have pursued crime, with its fatal
consequences; my liberty is again jeopardized,
and as liberty or death is paramount in my
mind, prefer the latter to imprisonment dis
grace, slow death and dragging further in the
miro the good name Of honorable and respected
relatives. My beloved wife is the daughter OF
one Of New Orleans once popular and respected
citizens My wife, Lucy Rebecca Fitzsimmons,
was improperly convicted at Allegheny county
courthouse OF murder in the second degree,
through the testimony of perjurlng detective,
Nnd prejudiced jury and Judge, and is still in
imprisonment, Knowing that am about to
nuTl myself lHlO tlCTnIN, SOltulllN SWtuT
wife is innocent 1 effected my escape from
Allegheny county jail because forsa% convic.
tion before the trial began. The bright, sunny
atmosphere surrounding my soul is replaced by
gloom and sadness of heart, that only death can
alleviate"
Fitzsimmons, after writing the letter
Thursday morning, jumped into bed,
threw blanket over his head and APP
parcNtly went to sleep. Half an hour
later one of the attendants in the Jail
heard him groaning, and on going to
tine bed found that Fitzslmmons had
slashed his throat three times while
under the blanket.
PITTSBURGH Pa, Feb. 5-Thursday
afternoon Mrs FitzsimmoRs was i'm
formed of her husband attempt at sui
eide. Warden Wright the prison mat
ron and an officer of the institution Wis.
tied hor cell, and together performed
the pitiful task. She had not yet re-
covered from the shock of her hus-
bands capture. She sat up in bed, in
her night dress, with a pale, nervous
face and manner, to receive her visit
ors. AS gently as possible she was told
to prepare for the worst, and then the
grave tidings were broken to her as she
braced herself, and with en- effort said
II can be brave if l must"
For tho moment she seemed dazed,
and then slid out of bed and sank upon
her knees upon the floor of her cell
In that attitude she prayed aloud fer
vently and earnestly for the salvation
of her husbands soul. Her face clear
ed as she prayed.
She then recited the story of her hus-
bands crime, his imprisonment, his es-
cape and capture. She told how unfit
he was to meet his Maker,
how careless he had been of
his souls salvation, how she had i'm
plored him to so live that when death
came he would be saved. With loving
tenderness she prayed for her baby girl,
and asked that she be guided Alright
through life. She concluded her sup.
plication with whispered amen
She was assisted back into her bed,
where she buried her blanched and
wan face in the pillow and cried like a
child, as IL her heart would break, and
between her spells of sobbing would
again break out in petitions that her
husband life might be saved, and then
moan with suffering. The prison physi-
clan was called in, and he gave her
something to quiet her nerves and pro-
duce sleep.
Fitzimmons and wife are charged
with the murder of Detective GillSinson
and the wounding of Detective Murphy,
who were trying to arrest Fitzsimmons
for burglary.