The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-10-31
SPENCER is NO MORE.
Man Convicted as "John Doe"
Hangs Himself in the Pen
itentiary Letter From His
Wife.

Doe" under which he was in
dicted in the Court here, and sen.
fenced to fifteen years in the pen
itentiary, committed suicide in
his cell last Friday by hanging
himself to ratter with rope
made of his bed clothes.
He left note to Warden Wey
Ter saying that he could not live
without the love of his wife and
for that reason he killed himself.
Through the kindness of some
of his fellow convictS. Arthur
Spencer, who committed suicide
in the MARYLAND Penitentiary,
on last Friday. will not be inferred
in Potter's Field. A collection
was taken up amongst them for
the purpose of defraying the ex-
! DCuStS vi tlt lullCldl. hcN, w
o. Stodenmire, general agent of
the MARY land Prisoners Aid So
ciety, conducted the services.
The following letter was re-
ceived by the Warden from Spen-
GERS wife.
DEAR SIR:-Your telegram re-
c-ived short time ago aud | am
almost Frustrated over the shock.
/ In Heavens name what caused
Arthur to do such a terrible deed!
But | hope the poor, dear boy will
be at peace at last. God knows
that it | have ever written any
thing to him to wound him | bit
terly regret it. | would love to
see him once more. and If | had
the means | would certainly have
the body shipped home, but he
left me penniless, and | have been
looking for position ever since L
came home. cannot realize this
awful thing. Poor Arthur! Poor
boy! How | wish | had remained
in Baltimore now.
Warden as last favor. will you
please send me my poor boys
scrapbook and our photograph
and anything else he may have
left? | never did get his grip, or,
in fact, anything he had when ar.
rested. Please send the articles
by express, G. o. ID. | am very
anxious to have his scrapbOOk.
Tell me all the particulars con
corning his death. How | would
love to see him once more! But
it is simply impossible. Tell Inc
what you have done with his body,
and for Heavens sake do not LET
them bury him like dog. | can
not write any more. | am not III
condition to do so. Please write
soon and oblige,
MRS BERTHA SPENCER.
Warden Weyler sent her by ex
press, prepaid, her husbands
scrapbook and other little posses
sions.
OF late much has appeared in
the Baltimore papers relative to
one "JOhn Doe" alias Spencer,
whose true name is said to be
Ferry. For good and sufficient
reasons this man never spoke OF
his Cleveland career. 1t may i'll
tereSt some of the people to learn
/ the facts. A year ago last spring
this man was employed i'll the
Bronx 100, New York city. Learn.
inc that the Cleveland Zoo needed
an expert animal man. he made
application for the position. lie
was engaged by letter at once.
This was an unfortunate thing fol-
the Cleveland officials, as we Will
see later on.
Immediately Oh his arrival he
set to work to turn things upside
down. The men employed about
the park were in hourly dread OF
what would happen next. Sc
! high handed did he become that
prominent citizens were elected
from the zoo for no reason, OF
1 trivial ones. Complaints did lit
tie good, for, when taken to task
by the officials, he gained then
good will by stories OF his travels
since proven to be untrue. He
said he was a gentleman's son, but
the fact that he threatened t6
clean out his boarding house dis
proved that assertion.
During his stay in Cleveland hi
married a young girl, which does
not agree with his Baltimore story
1t is said that his treatment o
her was bad. A prominent rail
road official gave the CLEVELAND
Zoo $500 with which to purchase
an ostrich and a camel. Ferry
bought the camel, but the rest o
the money has yet to be accounted
for. He had a habit of leaving
his rooms in the ZOO and staying
out all night. 1t is now alleged
that he was a 'tfence" for stoleI
property. Whether this be true