Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 159, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1915 — FRANK HOLT COMMITS SUICIDE IN CELL [ARTICLE]

FRANK HOLT COMMITS SUICIDE IN CELL

Man Who Attempted to Take Life of J. P. Morgan, Takes Owa Life la Unknown Manner. *

Frank Holt, the num who made an unsuccessful attempt to take the life of J. P. Morgan last Saturday, and who confessed to having put the bomb in the capital, committed suicide in an unknown manner Tuesday night. After a loud report Holt’s cell was visited and he was found lying in a ppol of blood. There were many conflicting reports as to the manner in which Holt met his death, but it was difinitely established by the jail physician that Holt died of a fractured

skull. Several jail authorities declared that Holt had killed himself by climbing through the opening at the top of his cell and plunging to the court below. Holt’s keeper said he was positive that the prisoner was killed in his own cell where the body was found. No weapons were found in Halt’s cell. The coroner said that death was undoubtedly caused by the naan jumping. The loud report heard just before Holt was found is believed to have been caused by boards falling from the top of the cell. Earlier in the day Holt had made an attempt at suicide which caused him the loss of much blood. He took the rubber from a pencil and .then with his teeth bit the metal into a sharp point. With this he made a jagged cut in his wrist but failed to reach the artery. Holt had been so weak from loss of blood that his death was not a great surprise. A note was found in his cell to his wife which warned her to “bring up the dear children in fear of God and man.” Holt has not yet been identified as Erich Muenter, the Harvard professor who killed his wife in 1906, but many say the resemblance is very marked. Holt’s last confession was that he had only begun the damage which he had planned to do. Many other buildings were labeled to be the victims of his bombs. Other marked buildings were the New York public library and the capital buildings at Albany, N. Y., and Harrisburg, Pa.