The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1899-11-22
A TIGHT ROPE ACT.
Another Chicago Wife Murderer
successfully Launched IN
to Eternity.

Chicago, H.. Nov. 11.-Michael Emil
Roinnger, who murdered his wife last
December and then set fire to the house
in an cndeavor to hide his crime. was
hanged i'll the county jai! today. The
drop fell at 1907 D. m. Rollinger's neck
nounced dead fifteen minutes later. In
an imprisoned speech from the gallows
ROllinger protested his innocence
He said he had been deceived and
wronged. All his money had been taken
from him to carry the case to the Su-
preme court which was not done. Il say
before my mother and my children" he
concluded, that am an innocent man"
Governor Would Not Int ere.
Fathers O'Brien and Rithmeier tele-
phoned to Gov. Tanner yesterday asking
a stay of execution of thirty days. The
priests did this with the consent of Arch
bishop Feehan. They told Gov Tanner
that it was the desire of the prisoner and
his friends that the case be taken to
the Supreme court. It was also urged
that Rollinger had been led to believe
that he would be granted sufficient time
to get the record of his case ready and
relying upon this, he had not prepared for
death
Gov. Tanner listened to all the priests
had to say and declined to interfere with
the execution.
Then Attorney William Stanton was
called into the case. He had long talk
with ROllinger and left at late hour
for Springfield to make final appeal to
the governor this morning. To pay the
expense of the trip Rollinger borrowed
$50 of James Smith. who is in Jail for
being accessory to the murder Of Mrs.
Merry.
Played Cards with the Guard.
The condemned man seemed more
cheerful after his new lawyer started for
Springfield and played cards with his
guards and smoked a number of cigars
Rollinger was taken from his cell to the
death chamber during the day. He sent
for the German consul to arrange to have
some keepsakes sent TO his friends in
Germany. He also asked to have his
children looked after.
In the evening Father O'Brien was in
From 9 till 10 Rollinger played cards
with the death watch. He frequently
expressed anxiety as to whether his at
torney was accomplishing anything at
Springfield. He went to bed at 10 and
was soon asleep.
The Crime and It's Motive.
Rollingers crime and it's motive were
in many respects similar to those of the
Luetgert and Becker cases. though in
stead of numbering his victim and boiling
the rem"ins Rollinger adopted the meth
cd of burning her to death. The discov-
cry of Rollinger's crime was made by
fremen who were called to extinguish a
fire In the dwelling They found the
partly-burned body of Mrs. Rollinger
under a pile of barrel slaves and butter
boxes in closet. in which the fire had
evidently originated. Ispflinger was sls-
pected of killing his wife and setting the
10 }la erin Ha
posed tc be in love with young woman,
Lena Hecker. 1t was also learned that
he was in financial straits. and that his
wife's life was insured. On the day of
the FIRE he had taken his children TO a
neighbor and left them for the night
He had also taken his wife's insurance
papers, deeds and mortgages to property
in Austria, which she had recently in
herited, and her jewelry and intrusted
them to the safe-keeping of saloonkeep-
er friend. Like Luetgert and Becker he
was convicted purely on circumstantial
pvi1opco