The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-07-08
ASSAILANT HOLT
SUICIDES IN JAIL
CONFESSED AssAuLTER AND
DYNAMITER JUMPS TO DEATH.
HIS DEATH WAS INSTANTANEOUS
Efforts to Identify Him as Missing
Harvard Professor Given Up, as
Smashing of Skull Makes Him
, Unacceptable.

Mineola, July Tt seems unlikely
.oday that the mystery surrounding
Frank Holt, assailant of ]. p. Nor
gan and confessed dynamiter of the
capitol building. would ever be clear
ed. Hollis suicide in Jail last night
has stopped all efforts to identify him
as Erich Muenster, the long sought
professor who murdered his
wife. Hollis leap of twenty feet
from his cell to the stone flags be-
meath, MASKING his skull, makes it
very improbable that his old friends,
on their way here to attempt to
identify him as Muenster. will be
able to trace his features at all.
Death instantaneous.
Glen Cove, July Frank Holt, the
Cornell professor, who shot j. p.
Morgan in his home here last Satur-
day, committed suicide last night by
jumping from Jail window to the
floor of the court yard, about
twenty feet below. Holt was under
the guard of jeremiah Ryan, jail
The prisoner apparently
was sleeping soundly and Ryan hear
ing a noise on the other side of the
cell tier, left his place In front OF
Hollis open door and started to in
vestigate. Ryan heard a noise.
which he said resembled an explos-
ion, and hastily returned to Hollis
cell only to find it empty Holt had
slipped through the open cell door
and climbed to the top OF the cell
tiers to an open window, through
which he plunged to the narrow court
yard below.
Dr. Guy Gleghorn, the Jail physi-
clan. and District Attorney Lewis j.
Smith were summoned. DIR. Cleg-,
horn found that the skull had been
crushed and that death had been in
stantaneOus
Holt Left Letter.
District Attorney Smith searched
Hollis cell Immediately after arriving
at the Jail and found letter written
ON yellow paper. This letter, which
Holt must have written before he at,
tempted suicide yesterday morning,
when the pencil with which he tried
to sever an artery was taken from
him, was addressed to "My dears,"
and follows:
II must write once more. The
more | think about it the more I see
the uselessness of living under cir
cumstances such as these. Bring up
the dear babies in the love of God
and man. God bless you my sweet.
Affectionately, Frank.
"P. S.-AIl please pardon me for
all the heartache have brought you.
Pray with me that the slaughter will
stop. My heart breaks. Goodbye"
Bomb On Steamship.
New York, July THAT Frank
bound from here to England is fear
ed by authorities today. Before at
lacking Morgan he sent word to the
authorities that he had placed a
bomb on a vessel which sailed from
| New York on the It'll. Whether or
not the threat was an empty one the
police have no means of knowing.
Four steamships sailed from New
York July Sd for Europe.
Ships Are Notified.
| Washington, July THAT the
navy department sent wireless mes
sages to the steamships Philadelphia
and SaXonia warning them that
Frank Holt had declared a ship
which sailed from New York on the
third would sink July seventh, was
confirmed today. The first wireless
message was sent Tuesday night.
Mrs. Holt Frustrated.
Dallas, Texas, July Mrs. Frank
Holt is under the care of physicians
here They have tried to keep the
Isuicide of her husband from her, but
lit is believed she has received a re
port.
Morean's Condition.
New York, July III. p Morgan'i
condition continues to be most ex
cellent, was announced today from
his New York Office.
The Letter.
Washington, July THE following
letter is the one containing the ad
vice that a steamship would be blow
up about the 7th OF July. and whicl
was sent by Frank Holt to his VIII
: in Dallas. Texas, before his attempl
I ed murder OF J. p. Morgan:
, 'The steamer leaving New
a York for Liverpool on July Sd
!. should sink on the 7th, God will
n ing. think II is the Philadel-
phia or the Saxonia. am not
quite sure"