Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-02
COMPLETE CONFESSION
MAY CLEAR DEATH MYSTERY
cIeminson Says He Told Burglar Story
to Save the Honor of His Children
-lntimates That Wife Committed
Suicide and That Scandal Will Be
Revealed.

liinSSS 10 save the lOnOr OF my Cnll-
dren."
This astonishing admission from the
lips of the now cheerful DR.. Haldane
Cleminson, the former Dubuque man,
is taken by the police as the forerun-
ner Of a further confession as to how
his wife met her death al the family
residence, 41SS Wayne avenue, Rogers
Park, early Sunday morning.
DR.. Cleminson made the admission
after a. two hours sweating by Capt.
Thomas C. Kane, and later reiterated
it in the presence of newspaper men.
He made no direct statement. but cast
insinations that his wife had CON-
mitted suicide. Captain Kane laughed
al this suggestion and repeated that he
believed Cleninson was guilty of MUIR
der. The captain promised interesting
developments for today.
The motive-the one thing that
seemed 10 have been ultssing-is now
believed 10 be asserting itself, and the
police declare il will develop into an
affinity" Cleminson talked cheerful
" about everything except this sup
posed affinity. and when names were
mentioned he remarked:
Please don't bring her in"
Formally Charged With Murder.
His statement TO Captain Kane that
he felt much better since this burden
has been lifted" from his mind was
borne out by his general derneanor. He
smiled continuously during the entire
interview-the first smiles tina, have
spread over his countenance since he
was taken in custody Sunday morning
y warrant charging him with murder
was sworn out before Municipal Judge
Hugh Stewart by Detective Levi Wood
Interest in the case now centers
around a Mrs. j. N. Berg. Detectives
from the Sheffield avenue police station
learned that DR.. Clemnson took g
young woman giving thar name 10 the
Chicago Union hospital on the night oi
May 20 and himself performed what
is commonly called a second" opera
ton on her, and escorted her away
from the hospital on the afternoon OF
May 26.
On May % and on May 25 DR.
Cleminson, according 10 statements OF
attaches of the hospital, and accord
ing 10 bill given 10 the police for coll
lection from Griffin, the Plaza Flor
ISL" SAB North Clark street, sent hel
dozen and one-half of carnations
costing altogether $3.50 With this bill
las a clew the detectives began an in
vestigation at the hospital. and the
books there showed that Mrs. j. NJ
Berg" was 81 years old and resided
at $500 Sanganlon street. Further in
vestigation disclosed that no such
woman lives at that address.
Woman Calls on Prisoner.
The woman is described as fair oil
complexion. tall, and Of fine form. The
same description Ats woman DR.
Cleminson is supposed TO have taker
TO the States restaurant on several oc-
casions, and would also do for a youne
woman who called with DR. w. D
Fischer, DR.. Cleminson's partner, Il
see the prisoner last night. Captain
Kane was told that the woman tn,
prisoner took to the States restauran
vas a nurse. The woman who called
at the station last night wore blue
and white striped dress that nucl
rese,n bled the costumes of nurse.
| The caller refused to tell the cap.
tain her name or address, declared sh.
! never heard of Mrs. Berg, and whe,
pressed for her name merely remarked
80, it's fictitious" She promised 10 cal
again today. The police did not permi
either her or DR.. Fischer to see tn,
prisoner. When DR.. Fischer was asked
the name Of the young woman VIII.
( accompanied him he replied
She is our assistant"
The cheerfulness of DR.. Clen,inso,
first began to assert itself when h
! stepped cut Of the automobile on re
turning from his wife's funeral H
had been several hours in the compan,
, of his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Isaia,
Cleminson, 111s Morse avenue. VIII
first made the suggestion that the wifi
was probably responsible for her ow
death in that she might have got tn
wrong medicine from his chest.
Loath to View Dead Wife.
| DR.. Cleminson showed an aversio
70 entering the house where his dea
wife lay and showed the same aversio
to looking upon the corpse, Detective
George Smith and George McGowal
WHO accompanied hin to the funers
say He didn't shed tear in til
house or at the grave, but Ieane
heavily upon the arms of the detee
tfves as the pail bearers lowered til
corpse to its last resting place. He We
still sober looking when he alighte
from the automobile, but once he e.
a good meal he was ready to talk.
Detectives Frank Zeis, William Ros
and Frank Parker, who had bee
watching the prisoner closely and Ike,
nagging him with questions viii
the services were going on, felt su,
that Clemfnson was on the verge of
breakdown and would Confess" bs
fore the night was over. In the after
noon Cleminson told them IT w.
talk soon," despite the warnings
Ills lawyer to keep a still tongue.
He reached the police station ON h
return from the funeral shortly aft
Z o'clock, and was enjoying a cigare
He tripped lightly from behind IL
bars into the captains private Off,
and greeted him with warm hant
shake.
Admits Burglar Story Was Fake.
whats the use of trying to %,
over that burglar story any longe
nobody believes it, and we can pro,
that your house was not entered I
strangers" said the captain"
well, guess you are right" calm
, replied the prisoner. IT Invented TIL
burglar story. burned those match
and strewed them over the floor. al
turned the drawers upside down, al
transferred the jewelry from the pro-