The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-24
An Interview with Kemmler.
Especial to THE HERAID-Exam,ner D,sna,

IL
NEW YORK, April GA Herald special from
Auburn, N. Y, says: Representatives of the
press, both local and metropolitan, have fairly
besieged Warden Durstan for an interyiew Win
Kemmler, who will die within the week begin
ming Monday next. but to all he has invariably
turned a deaf ear. 1t was left to a Herald rem
resentative to obtain through a third person
the long sought interview, resulting in an inter
est1ng sketch of the early life of the condemned
his own version the of murder and an account of
his religious transformation
The HeratdS informant is Rev DR. Houghton.
Reminders spiritual advisor He visits the
doomed man on alternate days, and when seen
had but Just come from the iron bonnd coli
HAS hemmler ever told you where and when
ne was born or anything about his relativeS?''
On, yes. He was born in Philadelphia NAV
" le6O making him thirty years old the 9th Of
next month. He never learned a trade but ac-
CURED some knowledge of butchering assist
Ing his father who was butcher, and after he
became huckster and for several years sold
murdered.
There were eleven children in his fathor's
family, hve OF whom were boys. Only one
Henry-lS now living besides himself and he
lives in Philadelphia. A correspondence was
had with him last August, he promised to come
and see kemmler, but he has not done it.
kemmler has three sisters living in PhiIadeI-
ph1a but they have not written him.
Did kemmler ever marry?'f
Yes. He tells me about a wear and a half
ago before he committed his crime he was mar
rled IN Camden, N. j., to a woman who was
called Ida Porter. She was married woman
at The Slme time Two days after this he left
her and ran away with the woman that he
Killed, Mrs. Fred Zigler, locating in Buffalo
Soon after she stole money fro m him He de-
sired then very much to leave her and 90 back
TO the other woman he had married first but
Mrs. Zlgier besough him to stay wi b her as
Sne d1d not kLow what she would d } without
his help. They lived together year and half
quarrellng much of the time. He was often
drunk, but he says he never saw her drunk al
though he knows she drank She had otT ar
men visit her and she stole his money fire.
quently. The night before he killed her he was
drunk and probably more or less crazed, when
lie 9uarreled with her and struck her on the
mead with Ratchet. She lived till next day
dying in the hospital. Then he was arres ed
ana taken 10 the station house and liquor was
given him until he became garrulous and con
fes sed the whole thing virtually convfcting
himself.
"On coming to Auburn he was stolid and mo-
rose but kindness and patient instruction have
awaked in his mind better things He has
earned to read and write, and like boy he writes
ms name on everything. He is a man of small
mental callbre and low moral preception a
child as regards to moral law He is not a bad
man naturally, that is he is not vicious but
| mild tempered and childlike with kind look
ing lace. he IS very cheerful and in perfect
health and says he has been well cared for and
thinks he has had the best cell in the prison
his personal appearance is very neat and
clean. his nalr and WhlSkerS are always neatly
combed. He wears rundown collar a t1dy
craVat, dark pants and vests and is usually seen
In his shirt sleeves. He is a most reverend
listener to all religious instructions. He has
attained an intelligent knowledge of the gospel
and the way OF salvation end seems really to
have an intelligent trust in Christ. He fully
realizes his great crime, ahd fully confesses it
and seems to have come to genuine re
pentence. He fully believes he ought to die
L am willing he said to me to-day TO take the
punishment for what 1 have done He feels
that God has forgiven him. He has no fear of
death and shrinks only from the possible pain
OF execution but believes it will be in tsntaneous
and painless and is preferable to hapgino
He is greatly comforted by his faith in Christ
and repeats often I believe in God and believe
in Jesus Christ.