Evening star., 1933-02-25
Wife Insists Husband Stran-
gIed Himself With Own
Necktie.
ADMITS SHE CONCEALED
CAUSE OF FATALITY
Didn't Want Relatives to Know
About Suicide, She Tells
Detectives.

MRS. Jean Fftzgeralds version of the
circumstances surrounding the strange
death OF her husband, John F. Fitz-
gerald, apparently strangled with his
own necktie in the gas-filled kitchen
VI tneir apartment, was expected to be
presented to coroner's jury today.
Aitnough 1t was not known whether
MRS. fitzgerald would testify during the
inquest, which opened in the District
Morgue at noon, members of the honi-
eide squad said her statement to them
would be outlined to the Jury
MRS. fitzgerald, wlSo is 81, made the
statement yesterday during a three
nour gr1lling at police HEADQUARTERS.
she insisted she found her husband
lying on the kitcher floor THURSDAY
h!enI with MS tie drawn tightly around
us neck and the gas range turned on.
Wanted to Conceal Fact.
She cut the necktie and secreted n
she said, according to the detectives be,
cause she didn't want my husbands
people to know about it." 1t was not
until Acting Coroner Christopher ].
Murphy discovered what appeared to be
rope mark encircling her husbands
NECK that she produced the cravat and
TOLD OF having removed 1t, the investi-
gators declared.
Inc widow asserted, it was said, that
ner husband, who was "a, often threat
eneo 10 commit suicide. Once. she
Sald, ne smeared his arms with ketchup
ano pretended he had slashed his
wrsts: several other times, she added,
he painted his lips with mercurochrome
In an enort to make it appear he had
attempted to end his life.
StranpuIa fiop RIar,.S
An autopsy performed on Fitzgerald,s
oooy Yesterday indicated, DR.. Murphy
reported, that death was due to stran-
gMatlon. To make sure Fitzgerald's
system had not absorbed enough gas to
cause death, however. the acting COR
oner sent specimen of his blood to
tne District chemist for analysis.
Ine contents Of the dead mans
stomach also were turned over to the
chemist. Fitzgerald had been drinking.
u was said, and there was slight pos
sibility alcoholism contributed to his
death. A--"
Mrs. Fitzgerald. mother of a 3-year-
old daughter. left her husband some
time ago. according to DR.. Murphy.
The husband found her in Pittsburgh.
however, and induced her to return to
him. 1t was said. Since then, the cou-
pie had been living at IL Third street
northeast, where Fitzgerald was found
dead.
Found Him on Floor.
At the time. Mrs. Fitzgerald said. she
was In another room. She heard some
thing strike the floor, she said. but
thought nothing of it. She went into
the kitchen about five minutes later.
however, and found her husband living
on the floor, with blood flowing from
cash on his head.
Although the wound Is said to have
bled profusely, no blood Was found on
the floor. A bloody mop stood in
corner Of the kitchen and Mrs. Fitz-
gerald said she thought" the s-year-
old daughter of a neighbor had used
it to clean up the blood. The child
denied this. however
letter in which Fitzgerald. a sta
tionary engineer, wrote his life insur.
ance was paid until March is, strength
ened his wife's assertion he killed him
self, In the opinion of detectives. On
the margin Of a pulp-paper magazine
story entitled Deaths Right of Way
he also had written Il tried, I suffered.
I loved"
Mrs. Fitzgerald was arrested i'm
mediately after her husbands death and
Dr.. Murphy ordered her held pending
the outcome OF the inquest