The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-02-10
cur HIS rHRoArIN JAIL.
Murderer FitzsImmons Commits
Suicide In New Orleans.

the Old Parish prison at O'Clock this morn
ing from the effect OF wounds in his throat
inflicted by himself
The end was not expected, as a short time
before he seemed stronger.
NEW 0ELE.Ss, February l.
Frederick C. Fiizzinlmons. alias Ambrose
G. Budd and several other names who was
arrested hare Tuesday charged with murder
and theft in Pittsburg Pa, cut bis throat
with knife At II O'Clock this morning in 1
cell at the Parish Prison.
The discovery of the attempt OF Fiizsim-
mons 70 kill himself was made by Detective
Murphy, Of Pittsburg, and Pittsburg news.
paper man who had called on Fitzsimmons
by appointment. When they entered Fitz-
simmons lay on his cot with blanket drawn
up over his face. Murphy caught him play
fully by the foot. AT this Fitzsimmons lex
twitched. Then Murphy went to the head
Of the cot and pulled down the blanket.
Ny God, he's dead" exclaimed Murpy
in dismay, hes cut his throat The jig is
up"
HELD HIS eHILD's PHOTOGRAPH.
The newspaper man rushed to the other
side of the cot and drew the blanket down
further. The sight was appalling. In his
left hand the murderer held tightly small
surgeons knife with a crooked blade an inch
and balf long. 1t was as sharp and keen
as a razor.
In the other hand Fitzsimmons fondly
clssped the photograph of his 5-year-old
daughter, which Murphy had given him but
yesterday evening. The smiling face Of the
little one was lost to sight under dark cloi
Of the iiFe-blood of her own father, shed by
his own hand.
The dying man had apparently more than
once pressed it to his lips, for the whole card
was smeared and bespattered with blood.
While Murphy took away the knife and the
photograph the newspaper man sent the
alarm to the prison authorities and dis
patched a messenger for physician.
ASKED MURPHY To LET HIM DIE.
Fitzsimmons kaew Murphy the moment
be discovered his condition lie was per-
fectly conscious and in his talk as rational as
ever.
''Oh Murphy, let me die" pleaded the
man who but the day before had 50 jsuntily
chstted in the prison Office.
Don't send for doctor. It's no use. He
can DO no good. Ny time has come. have
met my Waterloo and / am ready to die
Step closer, Murphy, so you can understand
every word | say. l can scarcely speak. /
am dying now, and say before my Maker, |
whom shall soon see face to face, that lam |
happier now than any time since ! have |
learned OF my wife's cruel conviction for a
crime which she did not commit. feel that |
with me dead il will be the easier for her to |
secure the pardon she deserves
"Why did l Kill myself" Fitzsimmons |
went on in gasp. Because knew it was !
but question of time before I shall die So /
I chose the time myself The knife used |
had in my possession for months. They 1
searched me, but did not find it. had it |
for the purpose to which put it this morn
ing. That was but half an hour ago.
THOUGHT HE VAS DYING.
Hold my hands, please, Murphy. aud you.
Mr.. Reporter; they are getting cold" said |
Fitzsimmons after little pause "It won, |
be long now until l shall have gone. Hand |
me my little girls picture again. God bless |
her, and Fitzsimmons again kissed the face |
be loved better than all the world, and as he |
did so marked it again with blood stains that |
all time cannot efface, for his weak hands !
paused on the way to his lips and the Iitile |
card fell sideways in the gaping wound upon |
the left of his throat.
murphy. forgive you and all the world" !
Fiizsimmons continued with his next breath. !
Il bear no malice toward any creature But |
Murphy. want you TO promise me some
thing on your word of honor and before your
God-you have fifty years TO live and pos
sibly not fifty minutes. Now, want you to
promise me, dying man, who can never
harm you or ask another favor of you, tina.
you will use your best efforts to secure
pardon for my wife. That is all I want. I
say it with my dying breath. Now, wont
you promise ?"
DETECTIVE MURPHY 5 PROMISE.
That was more than Murphy could stand
There were tears Of manly sympathy in his
/ eyes and there was tremor in his voice as
he took up the blOOd-covered right hand OF
the man who had deliberately killed the best
friend Murphy had in the world and had
almost ended his career, too. Fred" he
said, 4" I'll do it. 50 help me Col. You
shouldn't have done this thing on me, but
it's too late now to mend il and you and
arcsquare with each other. What | can do
for your wife will do. can't say any man
no in such time as this
Fitzsimmons did not say all this OF bis
own volition. nor in a continuous stream Of
talk, ike he was wont to in health. Some
of it came in gasps Voluntarily and some in
response 10 questions. By this time the
surgeon who had been sent for came, and
Fitzsimmons talked no more during the
day.
FrTzsIMMoNs LEAVES LETTER.
Fiizsimmons left long letter, addressed !
to c. II Fitzsimmons, William Fitzsim-
mans Chief Of poiica csster Times Demo