Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-03-22
FitzSimmons Denies
Killing Wife But Also
Admits He COnfeSse
=

The defendant emphaticaliy a
MED the part of the confession whic.
stated that the wife grabbed hi1
while he was in bed, and he made
wild swing with the erasing knifI
He said this statement was MAJ
under pressure
The defendant made statemel
to the prosecutor that he called d
his father-in-law after returning 4
his home, and telling him Tho
somebody had committed suici
to her" The proecutor could nd
get the man to say that somco1
murdered her.
Fitzsimmons told the court tll
he had noticed the statement at "a
bottom of the confession sheet, whid
stated. this confession is made
me without threat or pressure
The defendant was again examine
by his own attorney, who brouEI
out a statement that Thomas Shex.
dan, one of the defendants laWyeH
was the first one he spoke to abol
the confession being untrue
DIR. John L. Suydanl, county PHI
slcian, was recalled as a witness n
the defense, in an effort to pro-
the murder was not committed wif
the erasing knife. and that a
warmth of the woman's body at
o'clock would indicate she was kiiIG|
after Fitzsimmons had gone to worI
The county physician pointed d
that the woman could have bee
killed by the knife. and that 81
could have been killed before flX
defendant went to work, and sfl
be warm up to o'clock, on aecouI
of having all her clothes on her, aG
the house being warm.
F'itzsimmons was questioned
his lawyers about his doings SIND
the night before the murder up
the present time In reply to auc
tions from his lawyers he told n
court that he had lived in LOO
bridge about two years. and met ~
wife in 1908, and knew her e.
four years. He told the court t1
he had met her in Haskell Wh1
they worked, and stated that X
later worked at the Standard Unde<
ground Cable Company in PerrI
Amboy for two years and had word
ed al Raritan Arsenal for 81
months
In reply TO questions from ~
lawyers the man described al
house and told that he kept pou1tr1|
stock and had a little gasaen Th{
defendants counsel attempted n
bring out some trouble with a negr}
named Williams who lived in th{
other part of the house where th{
murder was committed. but thu
court did not alloy the question:
Throughout the direct examinatie5
the lawyers were putting question:
in the defendants mouth causinl
Prosecutor Joseph Z. Stricken TO end
ter objections. Justice Bergen all
lowed the objections of the prose1
cutor in most cases, and constantl3
warned the lawyers for the del
fense.
Fitzsimmons told the court tha|
he returned home from work abo;i
5:15 o'clock on the night before fh|
murder. He stated that his wi<l
read letter from his parents il
New York regarding a visit the fol
lowing Sunday. They talked tn
matter over, he said, and decided Il
make the trip. He told of killind
two chickens and described how i
was done. after which he stated the}
were placed in the cellar. The Wit
ness also told of washing his hand
and the knife.
Fitzsimmons stated that after thl
chickens had been killed his wifi
had a discussion with him, which h
explained was not a quarrel. in rc
gard TO clothing for the childreu
He told of going to Woodbridge al
ter this discussion and purchasing
hat and stockings for his wife. an{
stockings for the children, and ala
purchased food and meat, returnin1
home about O'Clock and going a
bed about $40 O'Clock. He stated
that he got up at $40 o'clock th1
next morning, after being called d
his wife, and ate three frankfurter1
and drank a cup of coffee.
Leaving the house. the defendant
told the court. he called his wife'1
attention to the trip the next daY
He stated that the wife had whiEd
sweater on over her bathrobe whe1
he left the house that morning. bu|
the state has brought out that tn<
woman had on a red or hroW1
sweater when she was found.
The defendant told OF walking q
Gross's corner in Fords to catch th<
trolley to work at Raritan Arsenal
He told of going to lunch with IN
brother-in-law, a man named Nc.
Donald and a governments inspector
At 1880 o'clock. he told the court
he received a telephone messaxI
notifying him of his wife's deaf1
and started home FirzSimmon|
stated that he started walking hoz,l
when he found that he had missed
(COntinued on paee Al