Raleigh, Feb. 28—Troy Fitzgerald, untried prisoner who was being held in the State penitentiary for safekeeping, hanged himself this afternoon in a death cell at the State’s prison and when found about 5 o’clock, he was dead.
Fitzgerald, who was captured with the recent gang of alleged Efland bank robbers, was thorough dope fiend whose suicidal mania had shown itself in other attempts. At Undertaker Fab Brown’s tonight it was said that Fitzgerald sought to kill himself when a prisoner in Durham jail. He was bought here six days ago and lodged in the prison for safety. He had not been tried. His testimony was that the other robbers framed him and caused him to be found with enough money to make a case against him. Dope, however, is credited with much of his story.
Fitzgerald slew himself this afternoon by use of the sheets which were furnished him in his cell. He made a crude rope and choked himself to death with it. He had been dead half an hour or more when he was discovered by prison people.
Fitzgerald was badly wanted, more for the testimony that he could give than for the actual part which he took in the robbery. The prisoner would have made almost sure the conviction of those with him, it was said, but officers were doubtful tonight whether the State could make a case without him.
The dead man will be sent to High Point tomorrow for burial. He was married, but his wife, Mabel Perdue Fitzgerald, is said to have left him. He had no children but his adopted son’s picture, found on the clothes of the prisoner, proclaimed his affection for the boy.
The marks of the dope habit are written all over the body of this cripple man, whose age is given as 37.
From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Monday, March 1, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-03-01/ed-1/seq-1/
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