The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-29
Young Woter Goes to Death In the
Electric Chair for the Brutal
Murder Of Little Ruth
Wheeler.
LEFT LETTER TO PUBLIC
Protested His Innocence to the End
and Bravado Remained With
Him Until He Breathed
His Last.

[United Press Leased Wire service.]
OSSTNING, N. Y, Jan. 20. - Pro-
testing to the last that he was inno-
cent of the murder Of pretty little
Ruth Wheeler, whom he killed be-
cause she defended her honor. Albert
w. Wolter. boy of less than 20
years old, went smiling to his death
in the electric chair in Sing Sing
prison today--the coolest convict ever
killed In the grim state prison. VOL
ter's bravado remained with him to the
last.
Good bye boys" he shouted to the
other eighteen condemned murderers
in death row" as he walked steadily
from his cell to the chair of death.
Just three hours before his death, VOL
ter wrote statement in which he
maintained his innocence and ex-
pressed the hope that the "perpetra-
tor would some day confess. The
statement was written in copper-plate
handwriting, every letter being beauti-
fully formed. There was not the slight
est tremor of the pen as he wrote
ITO be given to the public by Warden
]. s. Kennedy:
Jan. 20, 2 a. M
Now that am departing from this
earth to go into the presence of God,
wish to make this last statement.
.'The world refused me Justice, but
! opr Father in Heaven who knows our
1 innermost-He will give me pure and
i IND Hofi 1od i've + ,fcb ~. fof fhat
am innocent (the words I am inno-
cent We're underscored) of the crime
/ was convicted Of / have been vic
tim of circumstantial evidence. | hope
there may come time when the con-
science of the perpetrator will over
power him and he will come to the
front and acknowledge his guilt 1t
is my earnest prayer to God that he
may bring the perpetrator of the crime
to justice, that my name may be clear
ed of the stain and that the people
may see the injustice done me and
that they have killed an innocent
boy
To those who have given me their
kind assistance and have trusted in
me, give my sincerest thanks.
ITO those who have maliciously per-
secuted and killed me, for them pray
Gods forgiveness
(Signed)
ALBERT w. WOLTER."
Wolter gave the statement to Rev.
! DIR. F. F. Buemeyer of the German
Evangelistic Lutheran church, who at
| tended him for two weeks Although
| Wolter professed religion, his keepers
| today say he never fully accepted it.
except in the presence of his parents
and his spiritual advisor.
! Wolter slept we'll last night. giving
4 lietle heed to the approach of death.
Before he retired he asked his keep
/ ers to awaken him at 2 o'clock, that
4 he might prepare the statement. AT
/ ter he had written it, he smoked a
| cigar coolly and then went to sleep
! for an hour. rising voluntarily at 4
/ O'Clock and performing his ablutions
! as if he We're going forth to a day of
routine events.
| AT 5:56 Head Keeper Connoughton
4 led him from the cell The witnesses
in the death chamber few feet away,
heard him call out cheerily good bye,
boys" and moment later, without
assistance. he walked steadily into
the chamber He paused for Just a
second and gazed intently at the cleo
trio chair, tnen stepped forward and
seated himself.
AS the keepers strapped his legs to
/. the chair, Wolter leaned forward,
watching with interest. He remained
in this position until it became nee
essary to pull him back that his body
might be strapped to the death instru-
ment.
4 The first and only contact was ap-
piled at 5;S7:40, and remained on for
a minute Wolter was officially pro.
nounced dead at 5:4l
When the physicians had declared
Wolter dead. Sheriff julius Harbur-
ger applied stethoscope to the body
and thought he heard heart flutter
tie was assured that he heard his own
heart beat, five physicians having
4 pronounced life extinct.
Rev. DR.. Buemeyer read a German
prayer to the slayer as he walked to
the chair, Wolter repeating portions
of the prayer, himself speaking in
German, his native tongue. The
preacher stood with eyes tightly