The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-23

ert L. Knox, New Orleans attOrne
and surveyor of the port of New On
leans, shot and killed Benjamin NJ
Foster, of Hattiesburg, Miss, frieni
and business associate, and Alexande
Fraenkel, believed to be of Natchitoeh
es, La, in the YaZoo and Mississippi
Valley railroad station at 1:40 o'clocl
yesterday afternoon.
The shooting was done in the wait
ing room a few minutes before the ar
trivial of the southbound Y. & NJ. V
train. The station was crowded will
people. many of whom were Louisiana
State University students leaving fol
the holidays.
! Mr.. Knox fired three shots. all aimed
apparently at Mr. Foster. One struck
Foster in the chest He died almost
/ instantly. Another struck Fraenkel in
1.-The abdomen. Fraenkel fingered for
twenty minutes.
After the killing, Knox walked out
of the room and, throwing the weapon
which he had used into an automobile
which was parked at the curbing,
shouted: Take me to jail. Take me
to jail
He was seized by Officer Smith and
William Bates, and, after a short scuf-
fe, was handcuffed and held until the
arrival of additional policemen.
In his cell in the parish JAIL Knox
refused to talk to anyone except Dis
trict Attorney Holcombe.
"Runed My Life" Knox Says.
He ruined my life" was the only
explanation the prisoner offered to
the district attorney for the murder of
Foster He appeared to be unaware
THAT he had killed Fraentel.
Almost before Fraenkel had died,
Coroner Cushman arrived at the de-
pot. The doors of the waiting room
were closed and coroner's jury i'm
paneled from among the by-standers.
The jury decided that both Fraenkel
and roster had met death from bullet
wounds inflicted by a pistol fired by
Knox.
Mr.. Knox, judging by his actions, is
insane and fancied he had a griey-
ance against Foster. who, members of
the Knox family say. was his best
friend. Knox was arrested in Wash
ington this summer because of his
strange tactics while trying to obtain
an interview with the President. He
later was taken to a sanitarium in
Washington, from which he was only
recently released.
Knox came to Baton Rouge Tuesday
to visit his mother, Mrs. L. B. Knox.
Mr. Foster, who was a timber expert,
had come to Baton Rouge to look up
land matters for the Wright Blodgett
Lumber Company of Leesville. He
was preparing to leave for New Or
leans when the shooting occurred. Il
Meeting Is Accidental.
So far as the police have been able
to learn, neither man knew that the
other was in town. They met by
chance in the station. Foster was
waiting near the ticket window to buy
a ticket and had a SO bill in his hand
when other people in the room looked
I'D startled to see Mr. Knox standing in
the doorway with a revolver in his
hand
Knox Immediately opened fire upon
Foster. At the first shot, Foster stag
gered and fell to the floor. Two other
shots followed in rapid succession.
Either the second or the third struck
Fraenkel. who was next in the walt
ing line at the ticket window, and be
fell to the floor.
According to witnesses, not word
was spoken by either Knox or his vic
tins. Knox, according to Miss Enid
Ewing. one of the witnesses, stood for
a second calmly looking at the two
men PROSTATE on the floor and then
wheeled around and left the>door with
the pistol in his hand.
Mr.. Knox until a few years ago lived
in Lake Charles and was a member of
the law firm of Mccoy, Moss and Knox,
with whom Mr. Foster was associated
as a timber expert The men were
warm personal friends and the friend
ship continued after the two left Lake
Charles. according to persons who
were acquainted with them. Mr.. Knox
went to New Orleans to open law
office and Mr.. Foster moved to Hat
|tiesburg several years ago.
Actions StaftIe Mother.
According to statements made by
Mrs. l. B. Knox, Robert Knox's
mother, her sons actions at her home
yesterday prior to the killing startled
her and she realized that it was not