Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-07-22
He Cut Her Throat.
FRANK W. PHELAN, OF ST. LOUIS,
MORALLY WOUNDED KITE
WADsWORTH IN CHICAGO.
Left a Note Saying That he Loved
the Girl and Had Tried to Re-
form Her-She Persisted
in q Life of Sin.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, July B.-Razor IN
sleeve, carbolic acid vial in coat, slung-
shot at side and revolver in pocket,
Frank W. Phelan, Of st. Louis, q ma
tionally- known labor agitator, lured
Miss Kittie Wadsworth this evening
into the saloon of the Palace Hotel,
on North Clark street, cut her throat
from BAL to ear, fred two shots into
her head and then killed himself by
sending a bullet into his brain. The
woman has no chance for recovery.
Phelan had planned his crime to the
last minute detail. Upon his body was
found the following note of cold
blooded explanation:
"The woman is Miss K little Wads-
worth, Big Rapids, Mich, and her
father is John Wadsworth. She pre-
fers a life of sin to M with q man she
taught to love her. I have sacrificed
everything for three years trying to
reform her, but to no purpose. Rather
than see her further degrade herself I
will kill her. It is her wish that her
effects be sent to Mrs. Howard Gull
yer, Coral, Mich. Notify Louis A.
Phelan, care Chris Won der Ahe, st.
Louis. F. W. PHELAN."
By all accounts Phelan was a man of
brilliant intellect. He came of an old
and prominent st. Louis family, his
father being DR.. A. J. Phelan, who
was one of the city's leading practi-
TONERS. In his capacity Is a labor Or
ganizer, Phelan travelled over every
part of the country.
Whether or not Phelan was account
able for the fall of the woman is not
clear. She accompanied him to st.
Louis, and they lived there, ostensibly
as man and wife, until last fall, when
they came to Chicago. Three months
ago they at last decided to separate,
and since then Phelan has been alter
nately in Chicago and in st. Louis.
July 10th he was presumably in st.
Louis, for upon his body was found a
letter bearing the st. Louis stamp of
that date. It vas q general letter of
introduction from 8. B. Cook, of Mex
leo, Mo.
According to the story told tonight
by an intimate friend of the woman,
Phelan had been in Chicago for a
week. Sunday night, at the Mer-
chants Hotel, he attempted suicide
by morphine. He was discovered in
a stupor and was recalled to life. He
cursed the people who saved MIN.
Tuesday the woman secretly sought
lodgings at the Forest City Hotel. In
her small room tonight was discov-
cred the letter that Phelan wrote to
her before his fatal coming to Chica-
go. 1t bore the date of June 30. In it
he fiercely upbraided her, but said
that in spite of all he would strive to
forget her, and even to forgive her.
He said that he was living with the
family of his brother, and intended to
remain in st. Louis.
This afternoon Phelan learned the
whereabouts of the woman. They en-
tered the saloon together and asked
for a private wine room. They drank
q glass of beer each. They talked
steadily, and occasionally in raised
tones, as If in argument. One sentence
in Phelan's penciled note seems to
point to the decision for q double sui
eide. He stated that it was her re-
quest that her effects be sent to .
favorite sister. The note may have
been written in the room and the
woman may have received the wound
willingly. She has thus far refused to
discuss the cause leading up to the
shooting, beyond the admission that
jealousy caused the tragedy.