New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-15
PURCELL, INSANE FROM
| FEAR, KILLS DAUGHTER
Ex-GambIer's Mind Gives Way
+: After Al|-Night Quarrel
with His Wife.
SHOOTS AT HER. BUT MISSES
Man Whose Graft Revelations
f: Startled City Intended Sui
eide, He Said, but His
Nerve Failed.

His mind unbalanced by domestic trou-
bic and the realization that he was hope
iessly H.. James Purcell. the former
gambler who testified Il week ago before
The aldernanic police investigating com
Inittee concerning his graft dealings with
tho police. shot To death his twelve-year-
old daughter Agnes yesterday morning.
following an unsuccessful attempt 10 kill
his wife in their apartment, at No. 2lS
West 2lst street
~ shot my little angel daughter 10 save
her soul" be repeated again and again
yesterday I'm his confessions. she was
being corrupted. She had been turned
against me. killed her TO save her
soul
Although he denied that he had been
threatened for revealing mis- dealings
with the police. he said that the fear
hung over him continually of what might
happen to him as a result of his testi-
mony. His fear of poison in his food was
apparently result OF morbid hallucina-
lions that tormented his mind. rather than
anything we'll defined. He expressed the
belief also that he would be beaten 10
death, by the gas house gang if he fell
into their hands. Yet he could give no
specific cause for his fear.
The final collapse of his mind came
suddenly in the murderous act of yester-
Gay. but it was not without preparation.
The day before, he said. he went over to
Jersey City. following days of broodnS
on his affairs. and bought a pistol fully
intending to use il first on his wife, then
h;e dan
himself.
But / guess ] lacked the nerve 10 kili
myself" he said. Instead. he calmly
walked to the nearest police station and
gave himself up.
Gave Himself Up to Police.
f II guess YOU want me- he remarked
after standing a moment before the lieu
tenant on the desk. II have murdered my
wife and daughter. l am Purcell. You
know me--the fellow who testified before
the adermanic committee"
He thought then that he had killed his
wife also. for he had fired first at her
and she fell TO the floor. She had only
tainted. however. and recovered con-
seriousness after he had left The apart
ment. She rushed at once TO a telephone
a
St Francis Xavier's and asked for a
priest to administer the last rites to her
child. But when priest and doctor ar
rived both were too late
Il met my wife last night at u o'clock
at the subway" he said in his full con-
fession to Theron r. Strong, Assistant
District Attorney. IL had been looking
through my desk for certain papers that
wanted TO give the committee, but had
been unable to find them. | accused my
wife of having acted in concert with the
police in making way with them to pre-
vent further exposures.
QuarreIIed All Night.
we quarrelled violently all the way
home and continued all the rest Of the
night. She denied taking the papers, and
helped me search In my desk for them.
She went into another room, and then /
got out my revolver and shot at her. She
fell to the floor.
Then went into the bedroom and
went TO the bed and shot my little girl
three times. She was there under the
bedclothes. just a lump under the bed
clothes. She had been poisoned against
me- She had passed me on the street,
where everybody could see it, and turned
her head away without speaking TO me.
They took her up TO my sister-in-law' 8
and turned her mind against me.
MY wife tainted me. and said she
hated me. She did not know I was going
10 expose the police until ! appeared on
the witness stand. After that she called
me sauealer and tainted me more"
Mrs. Purcell was also examined yester-
day by Mr.. Strong. and verified in detail
her husbands version of the shooting
She added for herself that ever since they
laa been married he had beaten and
kicked her. The sister-in-law he men
toned was said 10 be Mrs. b. Il. Delaro
Of No 555 West nth street. Inquiries
Tor her there brought the reply that she
was out OF town and had been away for
some time.
Insane, Says His Counsel.
In a statement issued last night Emil