Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-03-21
fBy Evening New. stan Correspondent


NEW BRUNSWICK, March ell
william j. Fitzsimmons, thirty-two
years old Iof Woodbridge, was placed
on trial before Supreme Court JUS
tice James ]. Bergen here this morn
ing charged with the wilful and fell
onious killing of his wife, Mae, at
their home in Woodbridge, Saturday
morning. January 20.
Edmund Hayes of New Bruins
wick and Thomas l. Sheridan, of
New York, represent the defendant,
and Prosecutor Joseph Z. Stricken
and Assistant Prosecutor John
Toolan are representing the state.
The court room was packed,
mostly with men. when the picking
of the jury was started. Prosecutor
Joseph Z. Stricken questioned the
jurors for the state, and John
Toolan opened up with the charge
to the jury.
The jury picked is as follows: A.
c. Beekman, Dayton; Samuel Kahn.
Highland Park; William Buckalew.
North Brunswick; ]. A. Johnson.
South Amboy: George Van Note,
New Brunswick: Edward Palmer,
New Brunswick; Harry Marsh. New
Brunswick: Harold Morris. New
Brunswick; Andrew Hellgesen. Sc
warren: Jacob Reiners, South Am
boy; James +. Healey. New Bruins
wick. and William ]. Nagle, South
Amboy. ~
The following men were excused
by the state. Leo Garris. Wood
Brunswick; Joseph B. Naylor, Bound
Brook; Matthew Hogarty. New
Brunswick: Fred Seguine, Perth
Amboy: William Marsh. Perth AM
boy; Samuel Skewis, New Bruns-
wick; Charles Mccarthy, New Bruns-
wick; Michael Mccarthy. South Am
boy: John Greenwald, New Bruns-
wick: Louis r. Walker, New Bruns-
wick. and George Tolan. New Bruins
wick.
The following were excused by
the defense. John Gourley, New
Brunswick: William B. Kurtz. Mid
South Amboy; Arthur Voorhees,,
Highland Park; ]. L. Bundesen.
South Amboy: James Doyle. New
Brunswick: Otto Bohi. South River;
John Bullwinkel, Perth Amboy:
Henry Pierce, New Brunswick: J..
Calvin Divine. Perth Amboy; Ben
jamin F. Prizes. New Brunswick: Ii.
A. Edwards, Jamesburg; Frank
Weller New Brunswick, and Peter
X. Peterson. Perth Amboy.
Leslie Cramer was excused by
consent of both sides as he is sick
William Weiss, of New Brunswick
was ordered struck from the list by
Justice Bergen, who stated that the
man was unfit to serve as a juryman
on his statement and admission that
he would not return a verdict of
first degree murder as he did not
believe in capital punishment and
would not send man TO death.
Prosecutor Stricken in question:
ing the jurors, questioned them as
to whether or not they had con-
scientions scruples against capital
punishment that would prevent them
from rendering a verdict in the first
degree. The attorneys for the de-
fense challenged on the ground that
jurors had former opinions that
would prevent them from rendering
a verdict according to the evidence
on account of the publicity given the
case.
The jurors denied being against
capital punishment and also denied
having opinions formed.
Assistant Prosecutor John E. Too
Ian opened up by saying that the
defendant is thirty-two years old
while his wife. who was Mae FRANKIE
before she was married. was TWEEN
ty years old He told of their hav-
ing two children in their two years
of married life. The assistant pros
ecutor outlined the rooms in the
house where the murder was COM
mitted. and told of the furnishings
there. The state will bring out that
there were domestic troubles and
that the husband frequently beat his
wife. and also threatened to take
her life the prosecutor continued.
The assistant prosecutor mention
ed a specific case where Fitzsim-
mons told the parents of the girl
shortly before Christmas that in
stead of Christmas tree they would
have a crepe on the door, He men,
toned the killing of the chickens,
and the blood on the mans
shoes. which he claimed was
blood from the chickens. but
was later found to be human
blood. The state will show that the
same knife was used for the killing
OF the woman and the chickens. and
that the man carried the knife in
his pocket all night. and committed
the act when she went TO his room
to call him for work the next morn