The Detroit times., 1910-07-02
WENGER is CRUSHED BY
EXPOSE AND WILL RESIGN
,contlaued from page on.J


Ibookkeeper in the box factory, which
is conducted on state account
Snitgen said in his confession which
Twas taken down by stenographer,
That Mrs. Wenger had been friendly
with him for some time. Oficials and
employees OF the prison said. too, that
Mrs. Wenger had visited Snitgen at
least once a week for the past three
months. Keeper Davis, OF the box fac
! tory. says he found Snitgen and Mrs.
Wenger locked In the office twice. i
got out my key and opened the door"
says Davis. Il went In and after com
pleting my errand left They were In
a corner conversing. I said nothing
and have never mentioned the matter
| to anyone"
| As soon as Atty.-Gen. Kuhn secured
the damaging admissions from Snftgen
| he communicated with Gov. Warmer.
| The governor said an investigation
| would be started as soon as he could
get the board OF control together. He
said Wenger should resign at once In
view OF the latest scandal.
! After the sensational expose was
made, Wenger said he would not pro-
tect even a member Of his family who
committed wrong in the prison.
Il gave orders TO the assistant war
den and the deputy warden says
Wenger, Ito watch for the miscreant
who was supplying the drug. The as
sistant warden caught Snitgen selling
opium TO fellow prisoners and l at
once placed him in a punishment cell.
He said IL he were allowed his lib
erty from the cell he would reveal the
name of the person who gave him The
drug. He first said he got 1t from an
officer of the prison. / pxessed him
for the name and he finally said, Mrs.
Wenger'."
Warden Wenger said he had done
everything possible to eliminate the
use OF drugs in the prison. He was
instrumental, with the aid OF Attorney
Lawler, of the attorney-generars
office, in securing the passage of the
bill which makes the smuggling OF
drugs a felony.
When the latest sensational expose
got out, Atty.-Gen. Kuhn came here
| from Lansing to make an inyestiga-
ltion. Yesterday morning. accompanied
by Prosecutor Reece, Assistant Atty
lGen. McGill and a stenographer he
went to the prison. Snitgen was ques'
toned for two hours.
q have been using dope for the last
seven months, but only regularly for
the last three" Snitgen said. Il first
learned to use ii from young fellow
in the band. but he has gone out and
I do not want to mention his name.
my first friend on parole was Mr.
Null, OF st. Joe. who was formerly
superintendent OF the box factory. |
met Mrs. Wenger while she was visit
ing them.
How long have you been friendly
with her heie IN prison?"
Since last Christmas. She used to
come and bring me news Of Mrs.
Null"
How did you come 10 use dope?"
"Oh. | got feeling blue, end when
you use 1t you forget your troubles"
"How did you come to ask Mrs.
Wenger TO bring IL in to you?"
II told her that II was tough 10
go without any money and that | ex-
pected 10 go before the board for an
other parole. told her that II could
get the stuff could make some money
TO have when ! went out, but when
got using II I only sold enough to get
my money back"
When Snitgen was searched S15.25
in money was found on him.
How many times did Mrs. Wenger
bring you opium"
Three or four times. The first lot
cost $50, so there must have been
three ounces. | borrowed the money
|, from another convict to give her. The
last time, which was about June ~.
she brought me FIVE ounces"
How much did she bring you IN
I8n?"
Il think spent $i2 or s13."
Snitgen admitted that Mrs. Wenger
called on him every week or every
two weeks and remained from half an
hour TO an hour with him. He de-
clared that she was more like a
mother to him than anything else In
answer TO other questions Snitgen
stated that Mrs. Wenger told him that
she did not live with her husband.
At one time he was asked how old
Mrs, Wenger was and he promptly
answered 40 years old"
The last FIVE ounces which SnitgeE
cot was wrapped In a paper which
bore the poison label OF local drug
Eist, and part OF this was found in
his desk The officials went to thu
drug store in question and the drug.
Fist promptly produced his poison rec.
ord, showing that Mrs. Wenger had
purchased two ounces Of gum opium
in April and five ounces on June %.
They are satisfied that purchases were
made al other stores, and Prosecutor
Reece said he would ask all the drug.
gists In the city TO produce their rec.
Iords.
NJ Acknowledgement Kuhn then sent
flor Keeper Davis. who has been I'm
charge OF the box factory since May
10, when Supt. John w. Jackson. of
4 Addison, resigned. Davis had also
been keeper under Jackson. Davis
was asked whether he had ever seen
Mrs. Wenger visiting Snitgen I'm the
box factory Office and said that she
had.
: For the last three months" he
said. she has visited him on an aver.
age OF twice a week knew her as
J the warden's wife and certainly did
not interfere. Sometimes she came
|, through the main entrance and some.
times through the east gate, which IL
the team gate"
n Davis admitted that the other con
vfcts expressed surprise at her visits
The fact that Mrs. Wenger was alone