The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-12-21
SAYS He KILLED
. GIRL FOR MONEY
CONFESSION, IF TRUE, CLEARS
UP THE MYSTERY OF SARAH
scHAFER's DEATH.
PAID FOR CRIME He SAY
BY a Man Named White, Who Claim.
ed to Have Been Her Husband
Sentence Suspended to In
vestiqate His Story.

Goshen, Ind, Dec. 20.--Before judge
Dodge of the circuit court, this after
noon, George w. Harris made a com
plee confession of the murder OF
Sarah Schaefer in Bedford. II covers
eighteen type written pages and Is
signed by Harris. Harris is thirty
one years old. He says his real
name il Frank Burdock, and that his
mother lives in Brooklyn, N, Y.
His whole life has been given over
to crime He was born in Logans
port. Ind, and since he was 1G years
old he has roamed to all parts of the
country. He detailed all his move
ments TO the Judge. Harris story is
that, upon his arrival in Bedford he
met Esau White and imedately en-
gagged tomurder bis wife No. ,, who is
supposed to be Sarah Schaefer, for
$500.
The confession saws White helped
drag The body into the alleyway.
Since the murder Harris has never
seen White and did not know him be-
fore the meeting the night Of the kill
ing. In explanation Of committing the
murder Harris says he did the job
through his creed TO get money.
Sentence is Suspended.
This afternoon Harris pleaded
guilty to trying to kill Police Sergeant
Whiteman. of Elkhart and was given
from two to fourteen years In Michl-
gan City Prison and fined $4,000 Sen
tcuce was suspended pending the in
quiry into Harris confession Officers
from Bedford are expected here to-
night Harris insists he is telling the
truth even though he hangs for It,
Judge Dodge is not inclined to ac-
cept the confession as genuine, but
he does not believe Harris insane
Harris gives the minutest details as
TO his movements in Bedford and
while his confession looks improbable
in many respects, in others 1t has ele-
ments Of genuineness.
In the confession which he signed
Harris duplicates man named
White. who, he says, gave him five
500 bills to Kill Miss Schaefer saying
he had married the teacher secretly
at st. Joseph, Mich, and wanted to
be rid of her before the marriage
came 10 light
Harris Confession.
In the written statement and in |
answers TO severe questioning attend !
ing it Harris revealed intimate knowl- |
edge of the scene of the crime and the |
circumstances as adduced by those
who Investigated It.
Here is the gist of The confessions:
Il got into Bedford from Louisville !
ON January ~ | met White next dag
and he told me he wanted me TO put
away a woman whom he had secretly
married. He gave me $500 aud point
ed out the school teacher to me.
Il watched her come out of school
II was a rainy day and followed her
II was about dusk. As
she passed down l. street and came TO
the alley. stole behind her struck
hGr with a brick three times on the
head, and as she fell | dragged her
into the allev There | chokod her
TIL I heard the bones crack
Il threw her into the barn and then +
ran. took a train on the Monon
road to Chicago, then went to Denver,
where | bought new clothes. Later
went to Montana. and when spent
all my money | worked my way back
to Indiana"
Admits His Guilt.
Harris was intoxicated when he
first made his confession to a turn /;
key. When he became sober Deputy n
Sheriff Chappen, who had been ap- |
prised Of the admission. questioned
him and Harris admitted his guilt.
lie was induced 10 sign the statement
later
Harris confession ends with de-
,laration that il is of his own volition,
without fear or promise of reward. ,
Thc last clause says: {
4 am ready to bear tho conae-
Iucnces of the act which have here
. Messed d-even if they be visited to I
ne on the gallows- 3
STORY BRANDED AS FALSE v