The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-09-10
FOUND IN A FIELD IN IOWA WAS
COMPLETELY IDENTIFIED.
Found Written Confession on His
Person-Said Other = = en- I'm
der Arrest Are Innocent
Officers Decline to
Drop Persecution
Other News.

| DuFleu mere yesterday morning, anC
believed to be that of William Bar
tholin, was e:xhumed this afternoon
and positively identified as that O
the Chicago double murderer.
The Identification was made by
William Mitchell, brother Of
Minnie Mitchell, one of Bartholin's
victims. Detective Andrew Rohan
of Chicago, who arrived here this
morning from Chicago, and D. A. J.
Coey, Chicago dentist, who had
worked on the murderer's teeth.
DR.. Coey cut out the lower jaw o1
the dead man, which contained the
two gold crowned teeth that have
figured 80 largely in the description
of Bartholin sent broadcast by the
police. The jaw wastaken to Chi
cago tonight by the detectives.
Bartholin's body was found last
Friday afternoon, about six miles
from Riceville, as told in the Asso.
ciated Press dispatches last night.
Inquiry here developed that Bar
tholin came to Riceville Aug. 6, be-
fore the bodies of Mrs. Bartholin
and Miss Mitchell were discovered.
Thomas Phee, contractor, doing
some work here for the Great Wes-
tern road, advertised for laborers in
Chicago on August 5, offering free
transportation to the place of work.
Ameng those who responded was
Bartholin, who hired under the
name of George Edwards. He
worked with the construction gang
for but half q day. After that he
worked on astiareshing machine and
in the harvest fields until last
Monday morning when he was last
seen leaving Riceville in the direc.
ton of the place where his body
was found.
The text of the confession left by
Bartholin as made public by Coro-
ner Carpenter follows:
"To whom it may concern-I
want to state [ am the Bartholin
the police are looking for. Also I
wish to certify I had no assistance
of any kind or from any one. Claf-
fey, Thompson and Counselman
are all as innocent as an unborn
child and should be freed at once.
I cannot 60 into details in regard
to the crimes. They were not plan.
ned. 1t was all Minnie and I could
do. My mind is wandering. Such
a drop in life ia a short time? Two
months ago travelling in the best of
company; today living the life of
hobo; a murderer.
II intended to go into detail and
tell all but I cannot get my mind
centered. Even my hand writing
is .disgraceful. .
''Bnt above all things [ ask to
clear everybody from suspicion.
There is no second party; I am the
last. "W. J. BARTHOLIN,"
It is apparent that Bartholin and
Miss Mitchell shared in some trou-
BILE to which the suicide referred.
Several notes to Barthoiin, signed
"M. M" and identified by William
Mitchell as the handwriting of his
sister, were turned over tonight to
the brother, who seemed eager to
prevent their publication. One is
a specimen of the rest. It is ad-
dressed to "Dear WILL" land informs
the recipient that the girl could not
meet him that night. Two of the
missives are signed "Your Darling
Sweetheart, Minnie" All are dat
ed in Chicagoaduring April.
1t developed today that Bartholin
badsbeen in correspondence with
an unknown woman in Chicago who
had endea7ored to aid him finan-
cially after his arrival here. One
of these letters Bartholin accident
ally dropped from his pocket and
Charles Hoeft, farmer for whom
Bartholin was workin, read few
lines Of it. Bartholin, however,
took the letter from him after he
had read the first few lsnes. Hoeft
states that the letter was addressed
to George Edwards" the name by
which Bartholin was known bere,
but that the letter began, my
VIII