Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-28
coNFEssEs BRUTAL CRIME.
FITZGERALD Lures 6-year-old Girl With
Promises of Candy.

Fitzgerald Lures 6-year-old Girl With
Promises of Candy.
Chicago, July 2s.-Thomas Fftzger-
aid murdered 8 year old Janet WhKh-
son.
He enticed her into shis fiat with
candy. He made advances. She
screamed. He choked her to death.
Then he buried her body in the coal
pile in the basement OF the building.
He confessed the crime shortly at
ter 8 o'clock yesterday morning 10
Acting Lieutenant Billy" Howe at the
Chicago avenue station, where he had
been held since 1 a. m. Wednesday,
twelve hours after Janet vanished.
Then he helped the police find the
corpse.
His confession came abruptly at the
end of the most remarkable grilling
in the history Of the crime. 1t lasted
thruout the entire night. 1t was q
veritable fourth degree" in which
psychology played a leading part.
A Battle Of Mind Shocks. F..
A detective dressed as priest had
tried to induce Fitzgerald to confess.
The man said he had nothing to tell.
Tiny hands, taken from dolls, were
laid before him on table in the dim
" lighted basement Of the police sta
ton as an appeal to his feelings. This
failed.
The police even took off his glasses
because he seemed to lose his COM
posure without them. But he bowed
his head and refused to talk.
He was not physically abused but the
manhunters feeling the end was near.
pounded his muddled and sleepless
brain with every mental schock they
could devise.
Breaks Under Strain.
Kind words, threats, thousands of
questions and suggestions were fired
at him with machine gun regularity.
The ordeal had endured eight hours
when he called for Acting Lieutenant
Howe.
"Send Mr.. Howe down here" he said
simply. Then he confessed everything.
II was sitting in the window at ten
minutes after IL Tuesday when saw
Janet coming towards the building"
he told the lieutenant. when she
came up the steps to the landing at
my doorway I said to her. Dollie.
would you like come candy%
"she hesitated. Then picked her
up In my arms and carried her stnto
my apartment. fx.
~ Choked Her To Death"
"She started to scream. Before I
knew 1t or realized what was doing,
I grabbed her by the throat and choked
her to death.
Having realized what had done.
I then dressed, as at the time was
In my bathrobe. ! then took Janet's
body in my arms. going down the front
stairs to the basement, whore buried
the body under q pile Of COAL"
After signing formal confession he
led the police officials. under direc-
tion Of Acting Chief Alcock to the
basement of the flat building at 112
and ia East Superior street, where
nc lives. and there nointed out the
spot where Janet's body was con-
cealed.
The body. discolored and decom-
posed, was wedged between the east
wall of the basement and q rusty iron
flue and had been covered by O two
foot layer OF coal. There were no
signs of abuse. It was fully clothed
and still bore the metal Identification
tag Janet had worn from the play
ground.
"Hang Him." Shouts Crowd.
He showed no emotion as the police
chief lifted big Jumps OF coal from the
corpse. Only once he betrayed weak
ness. This was when sss@s:aa! :.:en II
the throng gathered outside the build
Ing shouted: Hang him! Hang him!'
On the third floor above Mr.. and
Mrs. John s. wilkinson, parents Of
tiias d..d siirii, w~issss1: - awful .us \