Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-01
THE CLOSING CHAPTER
Of A HORRIBLE MURDER.
MRS. EMMA A. VAN LEW IN THE
PENITENTIARY TO SERVE
TEN LONG YEARS
FOR KILLING ALICE HAMMEL.
ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY TO
THE CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHT-
ER-MOTHER'S STATEMENT.
saec.al to the Register

Special to the Register.
VANWERT, O., November 30.-The
last chapter in connection with one of
the most heinous crimes ever commit
ted in Ohio, and one that has attracted
the attention of the American people
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was
abruptly closed about o'clock this
evening, as Emma A. Vanliew,
bankers wife, who murdered Miss
Alice Hammel with vitriol, entered the
penitenAary at Columbus to serve a
term of ten years.
Ten minutes after one o'clock to-day
found Mrs. Vanliew in the court room.
AS it was not known that anything
more than the assignment of the case
would be made, the ATTENDANCE was
small. Judge Mooney announced that
the court had been informed that it
was the desire of Mrs. Vanliew to
change her plea. This announcement
was confirmed by Prosecuting Attor-
ney Trippy, and a reading of the in
dictment was waived. Being then ar
raigned on the charge of manslaughter,
with voice of one apparently glad O.
the opportunity to plead to a lesser
charge, she answered firmly: Il am
guilty"
.''In answer to the question, What
have you to say why sentence should
not be passed upon you?"
She answered: Nothing"
He then sentenced her to the Ohio
penitentiary for period of ten years,
no part of which shall DC in solitary
confinement
She was Immediately taken back to
the Jail, where she hastily bid all fare
we'll and then '7e- ~ the depot in
charge of She.1 ter, accompa-
MED by her husband. She was heavily
yelled, but it was apparent that she
was weeping bitterly. The following
si>tement by the family will explain
why she received so light punishment.
Miss Hammel was the daughter of
Mrs. Samuel Neel by former mar
riage This explains the first sigma
ture:
ITO the Public:
'Ordinarily the bereavement of
family is not a subject which its mem
bers would feel like bringing before
the public. In our own case, however.
the conditions are such as to cause us
10 feel it our duty to make this state
ment. The relatives of Mrs. Van LEW
have asked us to consent that she plead
guilty to the charge of manslaughter in
the proceedings against her for caus-
ing the death of my daughter, Alice
Hammel. In my own suffering | can
not forget that those who made this
request are themselves innocent suffer
ers, and have granted the request In
this my brother. Mr. D. A. Clark. and
remaining children, Mr.. J. S. Neel and
Mrs. Ida Tumbleson, have yielded re-
spect co my wishes and they have join
ed with me in asking the prosecuting
attorney and the attorneys ASSOCIATED
with him, and through them the court.
that this splea be accepted in payment
of the debt to human Justice My re-
quest has been complied with I know
what suffering means, as no one can
who has not undergone affection such
as mine, and a vengeance, adding to the
sufferings Of others, who are innocent
of wrong themselves, could bring no
balm to my heart. My sole longing
now is for peace and softening of my
grief as time and the memory Of Him
who is above all can only bring. I
have one comfort from the plea as
given that | could NOT have from a jury
conviction in any degree. The plea of
guilty is a confession that my daughter
was right in fixing the crime upon the
accused, so that no one can ever here
after say that l. or mine. caused an in
nocent person to be prosecuted. If. in
adopting this course, have erred, it is
on the side of mercy.
MRS. n. E. NEEL.
1--WE join in the words of our sister
and mother.
u. S. NEEL
MRS. IDA TTTMBLESON.