Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-22
Did Arthur Perry, Suicide,
Know Secret of the Mabel
Schofield Case?
POSSESSED VALUABLE EVIDENCE
Tho Fact Has Just Been Made Known
That Perry Was Depended Upon to
Give convictins Evidence Against
Someone for Murder of the sohofeId
Girl-Reform Of Paroled Boy Convict.
|pecial to Times-Republican.

DeS MONIES, April 22.-IHefe are III
|dications that Arthur Perry, the cook
who last week tried to kill his former
cessfully murdered himself, carried to
his dishonored grave the secret of the
somewhat celebrated Mabel Schof1eld
case which has caused a vast amount
of trouble for county officials and
courts in Des Moines the past three
years. Mabel Schofield was found in
the river dead. She was O. beautiful
girl who lived with friends in Des
Moines but had been associating with
those OF bad habits and there was a
question as to whether 1t was suicide
|or murder. Public opinion caused
sharply dividing lines on the question
and finally after several months of de-
|tective work one Charles Thomas. a
hackman. was arrested for the sup
posed murder of the girl. He was re.
leased because there was insufficient
evidence on which to make clear case,
: u ~ 3 =
and two or three grand juries investi-
gated but refused to indict. Here the
case was dropped. But q month ago
Gov. Cummtns received a letter from
one Clarence Kiehle, convict at Fort
Madison penitentiary sent from here
for second offense Of larceny, in
which letter he claimed to be able to
give evidence that could clear up the
mystery. Correspondence was had with
him and with the warden. kiehle
claimed that an effort was made at
criminal operation and the girl was
given too much choral. The fact was
developed that Kiehle is an opium
fiend and somewhat unreliable. But
today Warden Jones made 1t known
ti1at K,efiie now asserts that the man
on whom<h he was depending to give eve
idence that would convict somebody
for the Schofleld murder was none 9TH
Ter than Arthur Perry, the would be
murderer and suicide, and he therefore
desires to drop the matter. 1t Is known
that Perry was an associate OF Thomas
and others who We're supposed to be
we'll acquainted with Mabel Schofield.
It is also known that the woman he
shot, Mrs. Bruce, was witness before
the grand jury in the case and that she
was an intimate friend of the girl who
has since married Thomas, and that she
appeared to be familiar with the case
There Is much mystery about the iden-
tity OF Arthur Perry. Nothing is known
of his antecedents. 1t is not known
that he had any relatives. The man
who came from southern Iowa and
claimed his body declined to make
any statement as to the past Of Perry
and it is generally believed that Perry
was an assumed name and that under
some other name Perry had been a
convict. Now IL there is any truth
whatever in the statements OF Convict
Kiehle, it appears that with Perry's
suicide disappears the last hope of
solving the Schofield mystery.
Wesley Elkins. the former boy con-
vict OF the Iowa state penitentiary has
now been out on parole one year. No
parole was ever harder fought in the
legislature than this one, and the peo-
pie Of that corner of the state where
the crime for which he was being pun
ished was committed were almost des-
perate in their opposition to a parole.
But Elkips, now an earnest and In
dustrious young student at Cornell coll
lege. Mt. Vernon. Ia, has completely
disarmed all criticism by proving him-
self thus far worthy of the trust re-
posed in him. He has done all and
more than was promised of him by the
friends who insisted on parole. Gov.
Cummins has received the following
letter from him under date Of April
20. neatly typewriter and signed in a
plain business hand:
mt. Vernon, Ia, April 20, 1903.-Hon.
A. B. Cummins Des Moines. Dear Sir:
This report marks my first anniversary.
AS / look back over the past year real
lie that while / have tried to improve
all of its opportunities I have not
improved them all to my own salts
faction AS enter upon another year,
however, ] shall not be unmindful of the
mistakes Of the past year, but by al
lowing it's lessons to have proper weight
hope to avoid many of the past fall
sures and make the coming year better
than the one past. School opened on
the first Of this month. spent very
pleasant vacation visiting old school
friends of mine in Milford. I had not
met them for several years and 1t was
a very pleasant reunion. Milford Is
only three and half miles from Lake
Okoboji. three miles from Gar lake and
nine miles from Spirit lake, SO we had
a very nice time visiting the lakes.
am continuing the same studies this
term that had during the winter term.
Respectfully Yours,
WESLEY ELkINS."
BY the terms Of the parole which
was granted by the legislature Elkins
is to make reports monthly to the
governors Of Iowa for ten years after
which he is to have full pardon. He
is attending college and practically
working his way thru.
None of the others who were paroled
by the last legislature are required to
make reports to the governor. Several
Of them have already disappeared from
view. The last heard of Busheck was
that he asked permission to go out on
ia lecture tour to earn money with
which to pay his way to Haytt, his
ln~ V1nf