Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-10-08
TRIED TO KILL
FARMER WITH
HOOK AND BAG
Edward RIGGS Of Cranhury Neck
BFutaIIy Assaulted by an En-
pIOye While Busy in Field.
.ASSAILANT is CAUGHT
After Beating the Man His Head
Was Tied in a Bag and His
Hands and Feet Also
Made Fast.

Cranbury, Oct. S:-A dastardly
attempt was made late yesterday to
murder Edward Riggs, a prominent
farmer, living at Cranbury Neck, by
Philip Fitzgerald, one of his farm
hands. The assailant was captured
a shore time later by a clever ruse.
Fitzgerald left the farmer tied
with his head in a bag and suffering
from many cuts and bruises. Riggs
would probably have remained tied
fast in field for many hours had
he not shown shown great presence
of mind in rolling his body to near
by threshing machine, where he
managed to work himself loose from
the ropes that held his arms and
legs.
Fitzgerald secured work on the
farm about two months ago, claim
ing that he came from New York.
He was hard worker, but of
mean disposition, and is said to have
done several things of annoyance for
spite work
On Tuesday night number of
Riggs pigs strayed from the pen af-
ter Fitzgerald had failed to fasten
them in for the night. While eating
dinner yesterday noon Riggs spoke
to the farm hand about his negli-
gence and few angry words follow
ed. Fitzgerald made no threats, but
decided to attack his employer at the
first opportunity.
When the meal was finished all
hands returned out of doors to work.
Fitzgerald pretended that he had
some work in the barn and while in
the building secured several pieces
Of rope and an ugly looking ice hook.
He concealed these about his cloth
ing.
Assaulted With Ice Hook.
About o'clock he was working. in
a field when Riggs had occasion to
go near him. Fitzgerald sprang at
him and struck him five times on the
head with the ice hook AS the in
jured man turned to run Fitzgerald
struck him on the back of the head
with some blunt instrument, telling
him to the ground.
AS the farmer was lying PROSTATE
Fitzgerald took the pieces of rope
from his coat and tied his hands and
feet Then he placed a big phosphate
bag over the injured mans head and
left him to die in the field.
Riggs, besides suffering consider
able pain from the deep decorations
in his head, was almost smothered.
He could not release his hands to
remove the bag from his head The
bag was a coarse one and the odor
inside from the phosphate was sick
ening.
Riggs knew that 1t meant death to
him if he remained in that position
very long. 1t did not take him long
to work his head out of the bag by
many short movements of the body
Then he managed to roll himself
over the rough ground to where a
threshing machine was standing. In
rolling over the ground the ropes
were slackened a little and this gave
Riggs a chance to move his hands
and legs.
Patiently he removed the ropes
that held his hands across a sharp
part of the iron machine After th-
had repeated this many times the
ropes were easily bTo1en. With his
hands free, he soon cut the ropes
that bound his legs
BY this time Riggs was almost ex-
hausted and with blood flowing from
his wounds he staggered into his
house, where his wife nearly tainted
from fright Dr. G. H. Franklin, of
Hightstown, was Immediately sum-
moned to dress the injured mans
wounds.
An alarm was given and word was
sent to the Trenton police to look
out for Fitzgerald. The latter was
seen going towards the Trenton and
New Brunswick trolley road.
How He Was Captured.
| One of the first men notified was
! Samuel Ford. who keeps livery
/ stable at Cranbury. Ford was raised
by the Riggs family and knows near
ly every one in that section. Ford
jumped into his carriage and started
out to look for Fitzgerald, whom he
knew by sight
About two hours after the crime
had been committed Ford was driv-
ing along the road between Cranbury
and Dayton when he saw the assail-
ant walking ahead of him. Fitzger-
aid did not appear to be much con-
cerned over what he had done.
IF you are going down the road
I'll give you a ride" said Ford to the
pedestrian
(Continued on mage II