Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-08
BARTHOLIN A SUICIDE
BODY OF CHICAGO MURDERER
FOUND IN IOWA.
Left Confession That He Killed His
Mother and His Sweet
heart

dispatch from Riceville. Iowa, yester-
day says: The body which was buried here
yesterday morning, and which was believed
10 be that of William Bartholin. was ex-
humed this afternoon and positively idcn-
titled as that of the Chicago double muir
derer.
The Identification was made by William
Mitchell, a brother of one of Rartholin' s
victims, and Detective Andrew ROhan of
Chicago. who arrived here this morning
from Chicago. Or. A ]. COey Of Chicago,
who came here with Detective ROhan. cut
out the lower jaw of the dead murderer,
which contained the two gold-crOwned
teeth which have figured so largely in the
description sent broadcast throughout the
country for purposes of identification. The
Jaw will be taken to Chicago by the de-
teCtive.
Bartholin's body was found last Friday
afternoon about six miles from Ricevile
by J. c. Pratt. a resident of RiCevile Mr..
Pratt was driving to Elma, and when pass
ing a flax field saw the body lying against
a stack Of fax. Thinking it was a man
asleep. he paid no attention, but on return
ing he saw the man still there, and upon
investigation discovered he was dead, with
q revolver lying by his left hand.
Coroner I. S. Carpenter was notified, and
the body was removed TO an Undertaking
establishment at RiCeville. There j. b.
MCCOOk, editor of a RiceviIle paper. dis
covered that the dead man bore strik-
ing resemblance to the published pictures
of the Chicago murderer.
The text of the confession left by the
suicide. as made public by DR.. I. s. Car
penter. coroner of Howard county, follows:
ITO whom 1t may concern: l want to state
i am the Bartholin the police looking
for Also want to certify had no assist
ence of any kind from any one. Thompson,
Claffy and COunselman are all as innocent
as unborn child, and should be freed at
once.
Il cannot go into details in regard to the
crimes. They were not planned. 1t was
all Minnie and 1 could do. My mind is
wandering Such drop in life in a short
time. Two months l was living in the best
company: today living the life of hoDoes-a
murderer.
II intended TO go into details and tell all,
but / cannot get my mind settled. Even my
handwriting is disgraceful.
But above all things, l ask to clear ev-
erybody from under suspicion. There is no
second party; am the last.
Wv ]. BARTHOLIN''
Inquiry here developed the fact that
BarthOlin came TO RiCeVille August 9. be
fore the bodies of Mrs. Bartholin and Miss
Mitchell were discovered. Thomas Phee.
contractor, doing some work here for the
Great Western road. advertised for labor
ers in Chicago on August 3. offering free
transportation to the place of work.
Among those who responded was Bar
tholin. who hired under the name of George
Edwards. He worked at the construction
but half day and afterward was working
on thrashiHg machine and in the harvest
fields. until last Sunday morning, when he
was last seen leaving Riceville in the drec-
ton of the place where his body was found.
In the note signed "Bartholn'' there is
evidence of great mental stress. After the
words 1T was all Minnie and l could do
stretches an ilegible scrawl. apparently
showing that the writer had no intention
to connect the girl with the crimes TO which
he referred in the preceding sentence.
AT the same time IT is apparent that Bar
thOlin and Miss Mitchell shared In some
trouble TO which the suicide referred.
Several notes to BarthOIin. signed M
NJ" and Identified by William Mitchell as
the handwriting of his sister, were turned
over to the brother. who seemed eager to
prevent their publication.