Charity Ann Fox, Obituary/Death NoticePorter County obituaries and death notices . . . .
Charity Ann Fox
THE FOX TRAGEDY.
Particulars of a Brutal Murder Committed by a Former Well-Known Resident of this County, at Omaha, Neb.
From the Omaha, (Neb.) Bee we gather the particulars of one of the bloodiest tragedies in the history of that western metropolis:
In a small cottage at Twenty-seventh and Egan streets, as a result of Mrs. Charity Fox is dead from a bullet through her vitals, while Nick Fox, her murderous and blood-stained husband, lies at police headquarters nursing a throat cut almost from ear to ear.
The first intimation of the tragic affair was at twenty-five minutes of five Tuesday morning when Mrs. Fox rushed into her father's home three doors away in her night clothes, and falling into her mother's arms cried:
"Oh, mother, he shot me!"
The stream of blood on her night clothes from a bullet wound told the story. The entire household was immediately aroused and James and William Sherman, brothers of the wounded woman, hastily threw on their clothes and rush out of doors just in time to see the wife-murderer, with the blood streaming from a terrible gash on his throat, running toward the Sarpy county line. The brothers gave chase and captured the gory human butcher before he got a quarter of a mile.
"Let me die in peace," he exclaimed.
"We'll let you die at the end of a rope," said the stalwart brothers, as they fiercely seized the assassin of their sister and marched him back to the home where the tragedy occurred. The police were summoned and inside of fifty-five minutes after the murder and attempted suicide, Fox was in the city jail.
From the dying woman it was learned that she and her husband had had some words before they had got dressed; that he seized a revolver, and, putting it against her body, fired. She ran toward the kitchen, but Fox gave chase and struck her over the head with the weapon, knocking her down in the corner. He then held the muzzle of the revolver to her head and pulled the trigger. The cartridge, however failed to explode and the determined uxocide again attempted to beat his wife's brains out with the weapon.
She saw that he was bent on murdering her and not knowing that she was already mortally wounded, made a dash for the door, opened it and escaped to her father's home, about a third of a block away.
As soon as possible three physicians were summoned and an examination was made of the wound. It was discovered that the bullet had entered the abdomen, ploughed its way through the stomach and liver and was lodged near the spine. The doctors frankly admitted that after a few hours of intense suffering the wounded woman would die.
The agony of the patient became so great that later opiates were administered to make the sufferer unconscious of her pain.
Medical attendance was also given to Fox, who is a brutal, low-browed fellow of 38 years. The stolidity and indifference manifested by him was remarked by the policemen.
The physicians, on investigation, found that neither the windpipe noe any of the larger blood vessels had been severed. They therefore set to work to sew up the wound. The would-be murderer scarcely flinched as the needle was thrust through his flesh again and again in the somewhat slow and excruciating process of sewing up the wound. No drugs whatever were given him.
After his throat had been sewed up he was carried into the corridor of the jail where he was laid on the rough table. He growled about his blood-stained garments being so wet with gore that they made him feel chilly.
When approached by a reporter he was rather uncommunicative. He finally said: "I suppose I am to blame. After we got up my wife and I had a tussle. I had the revolver in my hand and was going to put it in the cupboard. We had a struggle and the fun went off. The butt of it was in my hand. I didn't mean to kill her. I thought I might as well end my troubles so I got the razor and cut my throat. We have had trouble for over a year. O God! I hope she wont die. I don't care to live. How terrible it would be to be a murderer."
The prisoner refused to say anything more and ended with the declaration: "This whole matter will come out in the course of time."
Mr. F. A. Sherman, father of the dying woman, was very communicative. He said:
"Fourteen years ago Fox married my daughter, Charity Ann, in Indiana.they have four children, the oldest being a boy of 9. Fox proved anything but a good husband. He drank, gambled, abused his wife and neglected his children, but for the sake of the little ones I would not encourage my daughter to leave him.
"At one time when they were living in Hobart, Indiana, Fox attempted to beat his wife's brains out with a coupling pin. After that he robbed an old soldier, who had just received his pension, of $28. He choked the veteran and thrust his hands in the old man's pockets and took the money.
"The town of Hobart then became to hot for Fox and he skipped to Nebraska, locating at Silver Creek. Later he sent for Charity, but she was afraid to go unless her mother and I went along. We therefore decided to accompany her and did so, locating at that place."
"After Fox thought that the memory of his crime had died out he returned to Indiana, locating at Valparaiso. Here again he became abusive, and one day he attempted to choke his wife to death. She wired me about it and I sent back word for her to come to me immediately. She did so. Before he could get out of town he was arrested for his former offense or robbing the soldier. He secured bail, however, and skipped and came to join his wife here.
"Since coming here he has not reformed in the least and he has made his wife's life miserable. Among other things he unjustly accused her of being too fond of certain male boarders since we came to Albright. He has continued his gambling and drinking also.
"Three weeks ago he took his entire week's wages that he got at Cudahy's and went to the gambling establishment on N street where he lost all of it. His wife was without any food whatever at home and, cold as the weather was, his children were barefoot.
"He then went home to his starving family and commenced to abuse them. The wife and her four barefooted children fled in terror to my home, where they got the first thing to eat they had since morning.
"Afterwards Fox came over and demanded that his wife return home. I interfered and told hime that they could not go home until he provided proper clothing and food for them. He declared with an oath that he didn’t care for the 'brats,' but wanted his wife. Because she refused to go he returned to his home and burned up every article of clothing that she had. Next day when she went home she found that she had no garment, in the world excepting the thin calico dress she had on.
"The children went barefooted until last Saturday when I finally managed to get some shoes for them. Things have been quiet since then as far as I know, until about four o'clock this morning, when my daughter came rushing into the house with the blood gushing from the wound in her stomach. When she told us the circumstances my two sons, James and William, went out to catch the murderer, and they found him near the tracks, weak from loss of blood. He said that he had cut his own throat. My sons took him to his house a short distance from ours, and left him there. They then started for a doctor and the police.
"Fox went over to a neighbor's named Bowen, and told them that he had cut his own throat. He asked them to send for a doctor. They did so, but before the physician came the policemen appeared upon the scene, and Mr. and Mrs. Bowen learned for the first time that they were caring for a murderer. The police hustled him off to jail.
"The revolver that did the murderous work was a five-chambered bull dog. My sons found it in the possession of Fox. All the chambers were empty, but one exploded cartridge shell was in it. Four cartridges were found in one of Fox's pockets, showing that he had extracted them after he committed the murder.
"This rascal has no grounds whatever to suspect his wife of infidelity. I know her to be a true woman."
The story as gleaned from the police in regard to the bloody deed is virtually the same as that told by old man Sherman. They do not give the Sherman family any fulsome praise, however, and they expressed the opinion that there was very little choice between the Shermans and Fox.
The neighbors know but little about the affair, the only thing having come to their attention being a row December 8, between the Shermans on one side and Fox on the other.
The chief of police is of the opinion that the murder of Mrs. Fox had been dliberately planned by Fox to take place Tuesday morning, so that he could get away before the tragedy became known; that the prompt appearance of the two brothers on the scene showed that his hopes of escape were in vain, and jerking his razor from his pocket he deliberately slashed his throat while on the run. He knew that death awaited him any, as one of the avenging brothers carried a bludgeon and the other a heavy piece of iron. The brothers admit that it was not their intention to spare him until they discovered his throat was cut, and he begged to be allowed to die in peace. But he will not die, however; that is, from the effects of the ugly gash in his throat.
The only witness of the murderous assault was Royce, the 9-year-old son of the assassin. He was not awakened in time to see the pistol shot but saw his father beating his mother on the head with the revolver. When his mother finally got out of the door, he and the other children followed her to their grandmother's. The lad is regarded by the police as the most important witness in trial of the murderer.
When the chief of police was apprised of the death of Mrs. Fox he had the murderer removed from the corridor to a cell. A guard was also placed over the desperate feloow, as it is feared that when he learns that his wife is dead and that he is her murderer that he will make some effort to escape.
The chief of police says that he has learned that Fox threw up his job at Cudahy's last Saturday. This looks like preparation for flight.
Newspaper: The Tribune
Date of Publication: January 1, 1892
Volume Number: 8
Issue Number: 38
Page: 1
Column(s): 2, 3, and 4
Key to Newspaper Publication Locations:
Newspapers Published in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Chesterton Tribune
The Tribune
Westchester Tribune
Newspapers Published in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Porter County Vidette
Practical Observer
Valparaiso Practical Observer
Vidette and Republic
Western Ranger
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Obituary/death notice transcribed by Steven R. Shook