Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-07-09
M0RCAN'S ASSA|LANT
TAKES HIS OWN LIFE
FRANK HOLT, PERPETRATOR OF
TWO OUTRAGES, COMMITS
SUICIDE.

Frank Holt, the Cornell univer-
sity professor who shot J. p. Morgan
in his home near Glen Cove last Sat-
urday, and who also confessed to
having set off a bomb in the national
capitol building at Washington, D.
c., last Friday, committed suicide in
the Jail at Mineola. L. l., Tuesday
night. This, the continued recovery
of Mr.. Morgan from his wounds, and
the rerort circulated Wednesday that
Holt had placed bomb on one of the
big Atlantic ocean liners which left
New York last Saturday. intending
to blow it up, were the important de-
yelopments of the week in the Incl
dents which startled the United
States last Saturday.
While several of the Jail authori-
ties declared that Holt killed himself
by climbing through the opening at
the top of his cell door and then
plunging to the narrow court below,
Hollis keeper said he was positive
that the prisoner was killed in his
own cell, where he said he found the
body.
There were many conflicting re-
ports as to the manner in which Holt
met his death, but it was definitely
established through DR.. Cleghorn.
the Jail physician, that Holt died of
q fractured skull.
First Attempt Failed.
Holt had attempted to kill himself
the night before by trying to open
the artery in his left wrist with a
lead pencil. Holt, lying on his side
in cell in the Nassau county jail at
Mineola. was seen by an attendant
to writhe with pain.4 The attendant
entered the cell. found blood flowing
from the wound, summoned the war;
den and bound up the wrist, check
ing the flow OF blood. Notwithstand-
ing the promptness with which Holt's
attempt was discovered. he lost
considerable quantity Of blood. He
had pierced some of the veins in his
wrist by the brass end Of lead pen
ell.
Nothing more dramatic in the last
few crowded days Of Holt's life than
the warning of destruction was un-
covered after his death. His confess
sion that he placed the bomb in the
capitol at Washington last Friday,
his attempted assassination OF j. F.
Morgan, the growing belief that ne
was Erich Muenter, alleged murderer
Of his wife, eliminating In his POSI-
tive identification - in death - as
Muenter, and his sensational suicide
BY leaping 20 feet from the top OF his
cell to the floor formed series OF
events to which the threatened de-
struction Of the Philadelphia or the
Saxonia fitted as a startling climax.
Somewhere on the ocean, Holt
wrote to his wife, the liner Saxonia
or the Philadelphia--he was not sure
which, but some liner which left New
York last Saturday-would be de-
stroyed Wednesday. A dynamite
bomb containing 80 pounds OF ex-
plosive, which Holt was known to
have received and which had not
been accounted for, was believed py
the police to be the means Holt had
chosen to destroy the ship.
Vessels Warned by Wireless.
Both the Philadelphia and Saxonia
commanders were notified by wireless
to search for such bomb and their
messages in reply saying there were
no bombs aboard, relieved officials
fears. However, the vague nature OF
Hollis message made 1t possible, ofii'
cials thought, that some steamer
other than those he named had been
marked for destruction and every
precaution was taken to warn other
vessels.
That Holt was insane. having
reached that condition through
worry over the European war. Is the
opinion of the authorities who deai'
with him. Prior to Holt's death, Dr
Cleghorn, the jail physician, was
quoted as saying that Holt was un
sound when he attacked Mr.. Morgan
and he is unsound now. The only
place for the man is the Matteawar
asylum"
The condition of Mr.. Morgan, wht
is recovering from the two wounds
in his left hip inflicted from Holt''
revolver, continues to improve.
Holt was to have been arraignet
Wednesday and had promised to tel
his story at that time, but his dealt
forced the authorities to carry OF