The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-28
COrOner's Jury Finds Moron
Killed Girl, Aged 6.
Fitzgerald Bound Over to
Grand Jury Without Bond.
HIS SECOND ASSAULT ON HER?
Degenerate Says He Choked
GirI-Clears Big Mystery.
Wife Declares He's Defective
She's Lived Dozen Hells.

Chicago. July 2s.-Thomas Fitzger-
aid. confessed slayer of six year old
Janet Wilkinson. was formally
charged with murder today.
Slightly stopped. specialized and
ascetic appearing Fitzgerald coldly
told the court he had nothing to say.
The arraignment was brief The man
was held without BAH to the grand
jury.
Victims Father in Rage.
Contrasted with Fitzgerald's cool
ness was the rage of Janet's fathc'.
Turnout the arraignment he strug-
gIed with two detectives, arguing with
them in undertones. He appeared
ready to spring upon the man who for
five days held him in a torment of
suspense while an entire city hunted
little lost girl.
The inquest over the little black
ened and bruised body of the girl was
to begin before noon.
It was brief. Fitzgerald's signed
confession of the murder of Janet
Wilkinson was read. He acknowledged
it In reply to the one question he de-
MED using an instrument which broke
some of the girls teeth.
Remained Calm Turnout.
FftzgeraId's nonchalance did not
desert him even when Coroner Hoff-
man denounced him and described
the crime as the most atrociOus in his
experience The jury recommended
holding Fitzgerald to the grand jury.
How Chicago was stirred by the
crime was indicated by the crowds
collecting wherever Fitzgerald was
scheduled to appear Outside the cor
oners office a mob collected, yelling
Bring him out Don't try him, give
him to us!' Lets hang him"
Crowds gathered also in the county
building and at the police station
where he was held.
A heavy guard surrounded the con-
fessed slayer, escorting him from cell
to court and jury room by back ways.
The city council began immediate
consideration of an ordinance to make
/ morons harmless.
Brea king down after eight hours of
continuous grilling in which applied
psychological methods were used,
Fitzgerald told the whole story, even
| taking detectives to the basement in
the apartments where he lived and in
| the same building where lived the
/ dead girl. and pointed out in coal
1 pile where he had hidden the body.
do you want to lift her out?''
asked detective
| Sure" he said. But his arms re-
| fused to move. s-.-
| = Fitzgerald in signed confession
I asserted he offered the girl some
candy as she tripped thru the hall
/
to lead her into his room. " non she
screamed, he said. he choked her to
death.
Mental Defective Says Wife.
1 Fitzgerald, who, his wife declared is
| a mental defective, was a Watchman
at a residence hotel. He had been ar
rested before on complaints of mothers
| that he had annoyed their children.
Swelled and decomposed during its
five day stay in the coal pile, the
child's body was found tucked between
a piece of chimney pipe and the wall
of the cellar.
Right there you'll find it." Fitz-
gerald said, pointing to the spot
where he had hidden the dead girl
Her head is here and her feet there
The Wilkinson family-John Nj.
the father, grocer, Mrs. Wilkinson
the mother, and a sister and brother
was Frustrated. For five days they
had lost sleep during the search unit
they all were near exhaustion.
Wilkinson pleaded to get a chance
at Fitzgerald Maybe he can tell th'
, last words Janet said" said the father
, Police feared he might kill the slayer
and refused his request.
Wife Lived dozen HeIIs."
Mrs. Fitzgerald, awakening at tn,
J detention home where she had beer
detained, said she was glad her hus
|
: she feared from the start Fitzgerald
: was guilty. She declared she haC
| lived "a dozen hells'' since she founC
out her husband was a degenerate.
The authorities acted quickly AL
;; tho Fitzgerald has been termed
moron" by the police. the crimina
machinery was to proceed as usual
Coroner Hoffman quickly selected
jury and opened the inquest. State!
Attorney Hoyne assigned James c
O'Brien, known as Red Neckti,
Jimmy" his chief assistant in murder
trials, who has won more death pen
alties in such cases than any of hi
co-prosecutors on the case.
Previous Attempt flushed Up.
Fitzgerald was night Waterman a
the Virginia, a highly reputable resi-
Dental hotel He lived in the neigh
borhood- In the same building liveC
the Wilkinson family. Janet was ont
of four children, their father a grocer
Il must be what they say I am
degenerate" Fitzgerald cried out later
While the inquest was being held
and the officers of the law were plan
ming for early disposal of the case, Dr.
J. Whitney Hall of the county luna cy
commission asserted that Fitzgerald
appeared to be ''psycho-sexual case, >
and that he was not necessarily insane
Acting Chief of Police Alcock de
, clared the case should cause the call
ing of a special session of the legisla
ture to take up the moron problem
LAS long as there are morons run
! ming loose, such frightful crimes are
! bound to occur" the acting chief as
serted, after recalling several pas
| crimes of a nature similar to the child