Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-07-09
PHYSICIAN FEARS TO
FACE HIS TRIAL FOR
LONG CRIME CAREER
Police Believe He Killed at
Least One Woman for Her
Insurance.
HINTS ABOUT CRIMES
Held for Firing Owl China Store,
Which Might Have Wiped Out go
Lives But for Accident.
UNITED PRESS LEASED wrnu.I

lSNAAhb Ehhoo LhAohD WIFE,
San Diego, Cal, July 9.--Having made
partial confession Of life Of crime in
several cities and having limited that
he murdered Mrs. Lydia Burns, a wild
ow, to get money which she had col.
lected as fire insurance after her home
was burned here, DR.. Frank M. Madi-
son committed suicide in his cell at the
city Jail early today. He strangled
himself with his necktie as he sat in
bed. He was found sitting bolt up
right, clutching a magazine. His
thumb was pressed on a paragraph Of
fire story. The article told how
number of young women had persisted
in leaping from an office building to
escape.
DR.. Madison was held for arson as
the result Of the fire in the Owl china
store, of which he was proprietor in
the Leland hotel building here, on tie
night of July 4. Only mere accident
prevented the fire from wiping out six
ty lives. The fire was started with
fuses connected with oil and distillate.
Dr. Madison was arrested near Los An.
geles.
Tells Of His Guilt.
AT first he denied any connection
with the fire, but late yesterday he
called Chief of Police Wilson to his
cell and made what Wilson regarded as
a practical confession of guilt. 4s
"I have lived an awful life," said
Madison, according to Wilson. "I have
done things of which I have been ac-
cused and which have denied. have
done many other things of which have
never been accused. K"
Taking Wilson by the hand, Madison
said: 'Have they exhumed Mrs. Burns
bodyf"
Receiving negative answer, Madi-
son sighed and said:
"Well, they have got it on me for
that, They will not convict me, and I
am not long for this life, anyway"
Fired Leland Hotel.
To Chief Wilson Madison admitted
that his denials of connection with the
Leland hotel fire were false. He de.
clined, however, to 60 into particulars,
and made arrangements to have an at
torney and stenographer visit his cell
today. Chief Wilson said today that
Madison 3 evident purpose was to make
a complete confession today.
Mrs. Burns was the widow Of DR..
Burns, who ran a drugstore here for
many years. She died in May as a re-
suit Of what seemed to be a natural in
ternal trouble, DIR, Madison signing the
death certificate She had just collect
ed $500 insurance on her home, which
had burned a few weeks before.
Madison cashed the insurance check,
her endorsement being on it. He said
the money belonged to him, as he had
advanced money to Mrs. Burns for lum-
ber to build the house.
His Record Elsewhere.
As soon as suspicion for the Leland
hotel fire rested on Madison, the police
began to look up his record. Chief VIII
son said that it had been found that
Dr. Madison was interested in a fire in
flat building which he owned in Chi
cago in 1891. The fire was extinguished
and Madison declares that he was 15O
miles from Chicago at the time.
From Chicago the police traced him
to Peoria, There a $4,000 house be-
longing to Madison was burned. He
collected $4,000 insurance.
After the Peoria fire Madison went
to Tokepa. He stayed there six months.
He then came here, ten years ago, build
ing home at Ramona. This was burn.
ed and Madison collected the insurance.
Tells Of Relatives.
At first Madison denied having any
living relatives, Before he died, no
told the police that he had niece,