Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-11
BESOLD HOPESTO
OBTAIN FREEDOM
CONVICTED SLAYER OF WIFE
is OPTIMISTIC
Supreme Court Rules Accused May
Not Have New Trial-Priaoner
Declares He Is Innocent
of Crime

Anton Besold, convicted on charge
of numbering his wife two years ago
and sentenced to pass the remainder
of his life in San Quentin penitentiary,
received the news o. the action OF
the supreme court In upholding the
decision OF Judge Smith with the same
calmness of demeanor that has char
acterized him since the day of his ar
rest in Washington, shortly after the
discovery of Mrs. Besold's body in
Santa Monica canyon.
AS Besold sat in the reception room
of the county jail yesterday he was
the picture of health. Straight as an
arrow and with his lons military mus
tache combed to a nicely, he is the
exemplification of the discipline gained
by his experience as a Sc ldier in China
and the Philippines.
"Hencefortn | am dead to the world"
said Besold, unless my release is se~
cured on appeal to the United States
supreme court. There are certain facts
in connection with my case that makes
this appeal possible, and l will take
steps through friends to bring it
about.
81 still maintain my inr ocence OF the
| charge against me- Twenty years
from this time should some person
with power to do so come to my cell
at San Quentin and offer me my free
dom if I acknowledged the commission
of that crime l would still deny 1t.
There were many circumstances
surrounding my case which are still
beyond my understanding The testi-
mony of many witnesses confiicted and
later was changed in order that their
statements might dovetail together
and fit the desires OF the prosecution.
Should Have Gone on Stand
'I am sorry now that 1 did not go
on the stand l know they could
never have broken dowr my testimony.
refrained from testifylng on the ad-
vice of my attorney, and the advice
appeared good at the time"
Besold believes his wife committed
suicide. Twice, he said, she had
threatened to take her life. Frequent
gone to her mothers ir the northern
part of the state. and when she left
the last time he believed she could
be found there.
Besold is said to be a model prisoner
at the county Jail. Since his entry
into the institution he has been made
trusty and is looked up to by other
prisoners with much respect.
IT have been treated kindly here"
he said, land only hope I shall be
| used as well when / reach San Quen-
tin"
How have you occupied your timer"
he was asked.
"Well, recently I have been taking
care of Dafty. the old man charged
with killing his son. l have just fin
! ished bathing him. I believe he is re-
gaining his mental faculties, and GER
tainly he has improved physically.
MY greatest grief is for my poor
| cid mother since coming fO the Hall
1 have earned two or three dollars
each month, and this have sent to
her. She does not know my position,
and never shall. When / got to San
Quentin she will never hear from me
again, unless l am released by the
higher courts There Is but one person
in this country who knows her ad-
dress in Roumania, and he will never
tell her"
Besold is eager to leave Los An
gelus to begin his sentence at once.
but owing to certain formalities it
will be impossible to take him north
before sixty days.
Mrs. Besold's body was found lying
behind some small bushes about two
years ago, six days after her disap-
her identity was discovered through
laundry marks, and search for Be-
sold followed 1t was found he had
left the vicinity in company with a
woman, Mrs. Martha D. Pickett, and
later he was arrested in Washington,
d. c.