The Washington times., 1912-01-29
WOLTER, SMILING,
MEETS HIS DEATH
IN ELECTRIC CHAIR
Slayer of Fifteen-Y -Year-Old
Ruth Wheeler Stoical
81, at Execution.

oSsINING, N. Y, Jan. 2s-protesting
to the last that he was innocent of the
murder Of pretty little Ruth Wheeler,
whom he killed because she defended
her honor, Albert w. wolter, a boy of
less than twenty years, went smiling to
his death in the electric chair In Sing
Sing prison today. the coolest convict
ever killed In the grim State prison.
VOTERS bravado remained with him to
the last ., III
"Good-by, 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 a statement, In which he
maintained his innocence and expressed
the hope that the "perpetrator" would
some day confess. The statement was
written In copper-plate handwriting,
every letter being beautifully formed.
There was not the slightest tremor of
the pen as he wrote.
Protests His Innocence.
The statement Is as follows:
To be given to the public by Warden
]. 8. Kennedy:
January 20, a. m.
earth to go into the presence of God,
I wish to make tlis last statement:
me world refused me justice. but
our Rather In Heaven. who knows our
undefiled Justice. wish to state that
an innocent 1.-THE words I am inno-
CENT were underscored] Of the crime
1 was convicted of. 1 have been a
hope there may come a time when the
conscience OF the perpetrator will over
power him and he will come to the
,,r 'front.' and acknowledge his guilt. 1t is
my earnest prayer to God that He may
Dr1pg the perpetrator Of the crime to
Justice that my name may be cleared
OF the stain, and that the people NAV
see the injustice done me, and that
they nave killed an innocent boy.
TO those who have given me their
KIND assistance and have trusted In
me, give my sincerest thanks
70 those who have maliciously per-
secuted and killed me. for them 1 pray
ALBERT w. woLrER."
Not Very Religious.
Wolter gave the statement to the Rev.
DR.. F. F. Buemyer, Of the German
Evangelical Lutheran Church, who at
tended him for two weeks. Although
Wolter professed religion, his keepers
said today he never fully accepted 1t,
except In the presence Of his parents
and his spiritual adviser.
Ruth Wheeler. fifteen years old, a
graduate OF a New York business COL
lege. received from the instructors of
the school on the morning Of March a.
1910. the address Of Albert w. wolter,
24 East seventy-ffth street. which he
had written on a card, saying he wished
10 employ stenographer. i, :
Suspected of Kidnapping.
The girl left to apply for the place.
When the child did not return home
that night her sisters set out to look
for her. They obtained the address
from the school and saw Wolter. He
denied seeing Ruth. The girls COM
planned to the police, and Wolter was
arrested on suspicion Of kidnapping.
Two days later the charred remnants
OF Ruth's body were found wrapped in
sacldng on a fire-escape outside the fiat
where Wolter had lived with a young
woman, Kate Mueller. The body had
been burned and Wolter had tried to
hide bloodstains by painting over them
The next day Kate Mueller was found
N flat to which she had fled She
admitted that Wolter had written the
post card to the school and Identified
the sack in which the body was found
and shirt In which 1t was wrapped
as VOTERS.
Wolter Accused Another.
Wolter was indicted, and after plead
ing not guilty on April 49, went to trial.
He testified on his own behalf and told
q story Of the murder having been COM
mitted by Fred Ahner, who, he said,
had asked him to loan him his fiat on
the day Of the murder. His trial lasted
three days and the jury promptly found
him guilty
Three appeals were made to Governor
DIX to interfere, the last time being on
Saturday, but the governor refused.