Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-25
Leigh RhoduS Gives Details of
Many Crimes to St. Louis
Authorities
ANTICIPATES DEATH PENALTY
Wife of Candy Bandit Says Hus-
band Told Her of Shoot
ing Doctor
Associated Pressl

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill, oct. "a
Leigh H Rhodius, the self-confessed
candy burglar" arrested here yester-
day. who claims to have killed DR.. W.
T. Michaelis, a dentist of EngleWood,
a suburb of Chicago, on August ., and
one other man, Is anxious to face trial
on the murder charge in Chicago.
Late this afternoon he asked Chief
Purdy of the local police to take him
to Chicago Immediately.
Rhodius, however, will be held here
for q couple of days, pending an IN
VestiGltion of the Chicago case. The
police say they are not willing to sur
render the prisoner unless satisfied
that there is sufficient evidence to con-
meet him with the Chicago murder
Rhodius told the police he would
rather take his chances in the Chicago
courts than face the numerous charges
against him here and in st. Louis,
which would keep him in the penIeh-
tiary for life if he were convicted.
After having given details of many
local robberles, and limiting at two muir
ders, Leigh Rhodus, who was arrested
here yesterday, was locked in a cell
by the police with instructions that
no one was to see him until To-Day
One of the murders Rhodus intimated
he knew about was that of man
named DIichaels of Chicago. The
other was of a Capt. Potter of north
ern Missouri. The police believe the
Michaels tragedy was the mystery
death Of DR.. w. f. Michalls in chi
cago August 8. Rhodus, after admit
ting he was in, Chicago at the time,
refused to discuss details.
Rhodus admits he is the man VINO
has been called the Candy Bandit"
because he always took candy from
the stores of the men he robbed. he
says he expects to be hanged.
Mrs. Rhodus, who married Rhodus
in July, said today that she and her
husband went to Chicago the last OF
July. He obtained employment there
decorating buildings for parades ana
hanging bunting in windows. Later
he told her of the time he had served
in the Missouri penitentiary for hav-
ing robbed q house in Springfield, MO:
"On the night of August 49, said
Mrs. Rhodus, my husband came home
with his coat spotted with blood ne
told me he had been shot in the rlghC
shoulder while robbing drug store.
Later in the same night he told me
he had held up and shot doctor.
1.-THE next morning the papers were
full of the murder of a dentist. we
came back to st. Louis August 28. He
continued robbing stores in st. LOUIS
and then we moved here
RoBs MAN HE KILLED
Rhodus, before he was placed in
cell. said he took $3.50 and a diamond
from the man he had killed in Chi-
cago. DIR. BIichalis had money ana
iewelry on his person when he was
taken to a hospital.
AS Mrs. Rhodus was leaving the. po-
lice station her husband called to her:
"If anything happens to me- you XIII
yourself"
"Rhodus told me,' said Chief Of De-
tectives Ryan, that he killed DR..
William F. Michalis in EngleWood,
Chicago, and robbed drug stores ana
groceries while he was there in Au-
gust. He said he did not rob DR..
Michalis after killing him. The doc
tor refused to hold up his hands, and
Rhodus shot.
"Rhodus told me Of many robberies
he committed in Chicago as well as in
st. Louis and here. His wife knew OF
the robberies, but she had no part IN
them. She tried to get him to quit
his robbing, and he promised her he
would do so. He always gave her the
candy he took"
After returning from Chicago Rho
dus and his bride lived at one of the
leading family hotels in st. Louis. HIS
mother lives in st. Louis.
CHICAGO. Oct 24-Police Captain
Wod of this city received a telegram
today from Chief of Detectives Ryan
of st. Louis stating that Leigh Rhodus
had confessed the murder in Chicago
on August of DR.. Michalis. a dentist.
The murder of the dentist has been an
unsolved mystery. Twenty suspects
were examined, but no discriminating
evidence was adduced. Michalis was
shot down at night almost at his own
doorstep.