The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-15
Suspected Young Man Tires of
Inspector Hunts Persis-
tent Questions
POLICE WORKING HARD
ON THE BARTHOLIA CASE
Horse and Laundry Wagon Taken 70
Spot Where Miss Mitchell Was
Murdered and Horse Showed
Familiarity With Place.

Chicago. August 14.-Becoming desper-
ate tonight, while being subjected to a
vigorous examination by Inspector Hunt.
Oscar Thompson, who is detained pending
investigation of the Bartholin- Mitchell
murders, confessed to everything that
the police have been trying to make him
tell. When he had finished Thompson
laughed derisively and said:
Inspector. that story Is a lie. You
wanted me to tell you all these things.
! have admitted all, but I must confess
that 1t is all a lie''
Inspector Hunt, who has been laboring
with Thompson for days, thought for a
moment that the solution of the mystery
was pouring from Thompson's lips, but
the next moment he realized that 4 homp-
son was endeavoring to perpetrate a joke.
In making the bogus confession Thomp-
son said:
Yes, Bartholn made me go to the
laundry barn and get the wagon that
Wednesday night. He made me bring it
to the house at 1910 Calumet avenue and
back 1t up to the curb. Then Bartholin
came out of the house carrying a mys-
Then we drove to the Englewood prairie
and hid the bundle in the weeds You
have been telling me the same stories day
after day and have pressed me to confess
that they are true. I will tell you that
all these things happened but, Inspector
Hunt. l will also state to you that every
| word have spoken is false. Everything
I have told you is a deliberate false
hood
Inspector Disappointed.
The bogus confession came just at the
very moment when a confession was ex-
pected. and Inspector Hunt was greatly
disappointed. After Thompson was re-
turned to his cell Inspector Hunt said:
II believe that sh ange confession is
| Thompson's last card and that he will
tell terrible story before long"
What the police belive to be another
strong link in the cnain of evidence being
formed around tho men under suspicion
vas developed tonight when Police Lieu
tenant Backus, under instructions from
Inspector Hunt, took the horse and laun-
dry wagon which t is thought may have
been used to conway the body OF Minnie
Mitchell to the spot where it was found
and went over the same ground again.
Two police officers who Here unaware
OF the locality where the body was
found were put in charge of the wagon
After proc eeding leisurely to Sixty eighth
end State streets the horse WAS turned
irto State street and given his head.
Stopped at the Spot.
Slowly he ambled along to within 260
feet of the spot where Minnie Mitchells
body was found. There he stopped and
nibbled a bunch of grass growing along
the side of the road. Then, turning a
half circle. he crossed the road and stop
ped at point directly in front of where
the police had found a pair of bloody
cuffs on the prairie a few feet from the
road, which are believed to have be-
longed to Bartholin.
At this point the driver turned the
horse about and he crossed Seventy
fourth street and stopped at a point
where Minnie Mitchell's shoe had been
previously picked up. From this point
the horse leisurely took his way south
until within a few feet of Seventy-ifth
street where he turned abruptly and re-
traced his steps, stopping about twenty
feet north of Seventy-fourth street and
about forty-hve north of where the body
was found.
A second test was made by Lieutenant
Backus and upon this occasion the horse
stopped directly in front of the spot
where the body was found.