The Minneapolis journal., 1906-06-10

= H. CHARLES L. TUCKER, i
& Doomed to Die for Murder Of Sweet. II
: -"iT heart. ~ -
Xxxwxxxxxxxxxexxx OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Special to The journal. II 80
Boston, June 9.-His counsel having
unavailingly exhausted every twist and
turn known to the law, Charles L..
Tucker, at an age when most young
men still have the pleasures Of life
before them, lies in the death cell at
the Charlestown state prison facing the
prospect of an ignoble death in the
electric chair within the next few
hours. His last = hours will be
spent in company with his Spiritual ad-
wiser and his aged parents, whose un-
finching loyalty and devotion to their
lures Of the celebrated case. :.
Tucker will be executed between mid.
night and 1890 Monday morning if
the present plans Of the warden are
carried out. He has been informed
that all hope is gone, but is apparently
composed and declares that he does not
expect that he will have to die. ~.
Ine crime LUZ iWulSu L uChoI ~ w pay
the death penalty was one Of the. most
homicides Massachusetts has seen in
many years. The murder Of Mabel
Page, for atrocity, deliberation, malice
and strangeness, ranks among the re-
markable crimes of rural New England.
For more than two years it's details
have excited interest, wonder, and i'm
agination. while the public has dis
cussed the. possibilities with widely :di.
yerge9t yiews ty But thaa the government 5a
tion Of this remarkable homicide lies
with Charles L. Tucker. The young
mamie is but 25 years old now---was
arrested for the crime, tried, convicted
and sentenced to the electric chair. He
has had the benefit Of able counsel, who
for two years have practically aban
doned all other business in their efforts
to save their client from his fate The
case was carried to the highest courts
in the land without avail. 4 petition
for elemesney, said to be the . iiarg,ssst l.; g,,s
Guild. The CHIEF executive, however
after consultation with his council ant
with the Judges who had presided al
the trial, failed to see his way clear tt
interfere with the decision Of cth'
courts. ..--- .s-i.s -:-.+s.<. :5r.scs n
The Murder.
The murder of Mabel Page occurred
March 81, 1904. It was crime tina
might at any time occur. in a suburban
community. There was no more ap
parent motive for any one to kill he
than there would be FOR the assassina
tion Of any modest, retiring intellec
tual woman who never gave Qffense an
who might be found any day in he
home. She was 40 years old, tn
daughter Of Edward Page, a retire
dealer in steel and iron, whose busines
| reverses had reduced him to compare
lively poor circumstances Mr.. Pag
passed away but a few months agt
dragged to his grave by the overwhe1m
ing sorrow Of his daughters violen
death. *."
On the day Of the crime Miss Pag
was left alone in the house. He
father returned shortly after 2 o'cloc
in the afternoon. On a writing tabl
in the living room he found q note j
Miss Pages handwriting, and evidentl
fe5 word ta sSateS her thas broher hs
met with an accident and was in Boz
ton hospital and that she had left fc
the city to see him. Going upstai1
Mr.. Page found the body Of his daugl
ter, extended on the floor of her bet
room. She was dressed apparently t
90 out. An examination revealed th
fact that she had been stabbed
death. For several days the investig;
a possible motive and opportunity.
sleuths Baffled.
The theory Of the detectives was thu
, the murderer must have told Miss Pae
, her brother had been injured and W.
in the hospital. She must have lie,
him downstairs while she went up
dress, after writing the note to b.
E father. He undoubtedly stealthil
, crept upstairs, entered the room viii
:. she was standing before the mirror a.
: iusting her hat and stabbed her !
death before she had an opportunit
to resist: The theory was 10y advanc, snn
5 one one whom SIe Mis- Miss Page recognized, els
being q timid woman, she would n
, have left him downstairs while 81
; went to her room to Dress.
+ For three days the state detectiv
worked day and night trying to fiji
everyone who was In the vicinity
the Page house on the day Of the mu
der. Finally, on the fourth day, It W
n ascertained that a young man who h'
g not been previously described had be,
n seen in the neighborhood about no.
: on the day Of the crime. Late tn
O night the identity Of the man was {
J, tabHshed as Charles. L. Tucker, livil
d in Auburndale.
'. Tucker was the son Of Albert
= Tucker, an old and respected employ
n Of the Boston & Albany railroad.
8 had always lived in Auburndale a:
was known all over that section.
n had been inclined to be somewhat wi
n and dissipated, tho never suspected
Ie to that time of any serious erin
le Altho very young he was a widow
q His wife had been drowned by the oy
q turning Of canoe. on the Charles riy
81 about a year previously. Tucker "
+ with her at the time and was an expt
/. swimmer. The wife's death was
~ garded as somewhat mysterious, /
fuckers explanation of the accide
was accepted at the time.
stickpin Evidence.
Upon being questioned by the. pol
oh Tucker told an apparently straight
n, ward story Of his movements on
th day of the Page murder. He was ]
d. taken into custody but was kept un,
1T surveillance Within day or two n
re developments came to light a
Id strengthened the suspicious agai
g. Tucker. He was placed under arr
and search made Of his house. Pa