The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-03
CLAIMS TO HAVE
KILLED BONNEKA
A Maryland Convict, Before Suicide, Ad.
mits the Crime Charged TO Wilson.
THE MONEY BURIED NEAR ALTOONA
Frederick Whitney Tells II story
Calculated TO Clear One of the
Men Captured by the Barring. Nc.
Sweeney Detectivcs.-A Case in the
Circumstancial Evidence Line.

known as Frederick Whitney, who
committed suicide at the Maryland
penitentiary yesterday, now appears
by his own confession to have added
murder to his long list of crimes. Fri
day afternoon Whitney sought out
Warden Wcyler and intimated that he
meant to end his miserable existence.
In the course of his conversation with
MIR. Weyler the man said his real name
was Frederick Hildebrandt, and that
his home was in Detroit.
The "hold up of City Councilman
iwindell, for which Whitney was serv-
ing an eighteen years sentence. oc-
CURED ON March -. 1895 In his con-
fession he said that while fleeing from
the Baltimore detectives he killed and
robbed man in Altoona. Pa, In April
of last year while we were at AL
toona." declared Whitney, OF Hide
brandt. to the warden Friday, Il as
saulted man on the street, gagged
him and robbed him of his money, quite
a large sum. For this murder another
man was arrested. tried and convicted.
and was sent to the Pennsylvania pen
itentiary for life
Was your pal, Williams, implicated
in this MURDER asked the warden.
mo. sir; | did it all myself. | alone
am guilty, and can stand the strain no
longer"
WHlTNEY'S SUICIDE.
The warden tried to gain more infor-
nation from his prisoner, but failed.
He set apart an hour for Il further con-
ference with Hildebrandt but the oppor-
tunity for which the prisoner had long
waited presented itself yesterday and
the unfortunate man threw himself
from window and dashed out his
brains on the tagging thirty feet be-
low.
Information from Altoona states that
on April 5, 1895, Henry Bonneka. a re-
puted miser, was murdered; Il man
named Wilson was arrested and con-
victed of the crime mainly on circum-
stantial evidence, and is now awaiting
the death sentence.
The suicide was 35 years old. When
incarcerated in the renitentiary he gave
his occupation as a ball PLAYER
John b. Williams, who was implicated
in the Swindell hold up in this city,
and is serving eighteen years sentence
in the penitentiary confessed to Warden
Weyler today that fiildebrandt's state
ment was true. "Hildebrandt killed old
man Bonneka," he said. and secured
$1,000. ] helped him count the money.
We buried it near Altoona"
Wilson was arrested on a Delaware.
I nd fpoi h..
Barring McSweeney detectives last
winter and brought to Scranton. He
was kent without a hearing In the Of
flee of the detectives in the Common
wealth building for two or three days.
While a prisoner there he managed to
communicate with the employees at Hill
& Connell'S furniture store by writing
messages and holding the paper up
against the window. Convinced that
his detention was irregular the furni-
ture men engaged a lawyer and applied
for writ Of habeas corpus with view
to securing the release of the prisoner.
The case was heard before Judge Arch
bald and attracted considerable atten-
ton. The detectives We're enabled to
show their authority to arrest Wilson.
and were allowed to take the prisoner
to Altoona. where he was tried for the
murder of Bonneka and convicted on
circumstantial evidence.
WAS HIDEBRANDT INSANE?
Altoona. Pa. Aug. 2.-Frederick
Hildebrandt. the convict who said he
murdered Henry Bonneka in this city
on April g. 1895. before he committed
suicide was in this city at the time of
the murder. and he and another man
were followed to Baltimore by detec-
tives. being suspected of the murder.
The detectives after following the men
for some time. learned that they were
not concerned in the murder. District
Attorney Hammond talked with the
warden of the Baltimore penitentiary
today and learned that Hildebrandt was
insane when he made the confession.
The news created Il good deal Of eX-
| citment in this city. especially among
the people who believe that Wilson and
Farrell are innocent. they having been
convicted of the murder of the miser
on circumstantial evidence.