The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-15
CONFESSION WAS BOGUS
Chicago Prisoner Played a Joke on
The Officers.
A LINK IN TIE CHAIN OF EVIDENCE
Police Examine Carefully the Ground
Where Minnie Mitcheps Body
Was Found

Chicago, August Ia Becoming desperat
tonight While being subjected TO vig1rou
examination by Inspector Hunt, osca
Thompson, who is detained pending inves
tigation Of the Bartholin-Aritchel murders
confessed to everything that the police nav,
been trying to make him tell When Ii
had finished Thompson laughed derisiyel!
aud said: Inspector, that stcry is lie
You wanted me to tell YOU all tn Sc things
/ have admitted all, but / must comics.
that II IS all lle.'
Inspector Hunt, who had been laeor,us
with Thompson for days, thought for q
moment that the solution of the myster,
was pouring from Thompson's llps, but tn.
next moment he realized that Thompson
was endeavoring to perpetrate joke.
In making bogus confession Thompson
said: Yes. Bartholln made me 70 to the
laundry barn and get the wagon that
Wednesday night He made me bring it
10 the house at 1910 Calumet avenue and
back it up to the curb. Then Bartholiu
came out of the house carrying a mys-
ferrous bundle. He put It Ia the wagon.
Then We drove to the Euglewood prairie
and hid the bundle in the weeds. You have
been telling me TO tell you that and admit {
is true. You have told me the same sto-
confess that they are true. / Will tell
you that all these things happened but,
Inspector Hunt. 1 will also state to you
that every word have spoken is false
Everything l have told you Is q deliberate
1ulsehoud."
The bogus confession came Just at the
very moment when confession was ex-
pected and Inspector Hunt was greatly dis
appointed. After Thompson was returned
70 his cell. Inspector Hunt said: II be-.
AeYe that strange confession Is Thomp-
sons last card and that he will tell a ter
rlblc story before long"
What the police believe to be another
strong link In the chain Of evidence being
forged around the men under suspicion was
developed tonight when Police Lieutenant
BaCkus under instructions from Inspector
Hunt, took the horse and laundry wagon
which IL is thought may have been used
TO convey the body of Minnie Mitchell 10
the spot where IL was found and went over
the same ground again.
Two police officers who were unaware OF
the locality where the body was found were
put in charge of the wagon. After proceed
ing leisurely to SiXty-eighth and State
streets the horse was turned in State street
and given his head: slowly he ambled along
to wlthin 260 feet Of the spot where Minnie
Mitchells body was found There he stop
ped and nibbled a bunch Of grass growing
along the side Of the road. Then, turning
Il half circle, he crossed the road and stop
ped at point directly in front Of whore
the police had found pair OF bloody cuffs
on the prairie, a few feet from the road,
which are believed to have belonged 10
Bartholin At this the driver turned TIE
horse about and he crossed Seventy fourth
street and stopped at point where Minnie
Mitchell's shoe had been previously picked
up. From this point the horse leisurelv
took his way south within few feet Of
Seventy-hfth street and then he turned
abruptly and retraced his steps stopping
about twenty feet north of Seyenty-fourth
street and about forty-fvc feet north Of
where the body was found.
second test was made by Lieutenant
Backus and upon this occasion tho horse
stopped directly IN front of the spot where
the body was found