The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-02-01
DIES WITH DENIAL
OF Staying GIRL
AS LAST MESSAGE

Ossinning, N. Y, Jan. 3o.-Alber1
Wolter was put to death in the cleo
trio chair at Sing Sing prison at 5:4l
o'clock this morning for the murder
OF ~1S-year-old Ruth Wheeler nearly
two years ago.
The girl came to VOTERS fiat in New
York in search Of employment and he
killed her after she had been mis-
treated. Wolter left a statement with
Warden Kennedy denying that he had
committed the crime.
The execution was without feature
and Wolter was declared dead after
one contact of 1850 volts. The state
electrician said that Wolter showed less
resistance to the electric current than
any murderer put to death by cleo
tricity at Sing Sing prison.
His Last Denial.
The murderer spent his last night
quietly, resting only part of the time.
AT 2 o'clock this morning Wolter wrote
his denial Of the killing. 1t was on a
single sheet M so even and clear were
the letters formed that the writing had
the appearance of copper plate. The
statement reads:
Warden j.. S. Kennedy:
ITO be given to the public:
January 20, 2 q. m.-Now that I am
departing from this earth to go into
the presence of God. 1 wish to make
this last statement. The world refused
me justice, but u Father in heaven,
who knows u innermost thoughts,
Will give me pure and undeiled Jus
tice. l wish to state / am innocent Of
the crime L was convicted of. I have
been q victim Of circumstantial evil
n I hore that there may come a
time when n conscience Of the per-
petrator will overpower him and he
will come to the front and acknowl-
edge his guilt.
TT is my honest praye to God that
He may bring the person guilty Of the
crime to Justice; that my name may
be cleared Of this stain and that the
people may see the injustice done me
and that they killed an innocent boy.
To those who have given me their kind
assistance n have trusted in me, I
give my sincerest thanks. To those who
nave maliciously prosecuted and killed
me. for them I pray Gods forgiveness.
ALBERT Wolter."
Although Wolter was convicted on
circumstantial evidence, the court Of
appeals, reviewing the case after a Sc
ries Of legal delays, declared he was
fairly tried and justly convicted.
Ruth Wheeler met her death on
March "a, 1910, in VOTERS apartment
on the fourth floor of a house on East
Seventy-ffth street, New York city,
where she had gone to seek employ
ment as a stenograrher. Her charred
body was discovered subsequently.
The evidence indicated that the girl
had come to her death by strangula-
ton and burning after having been
ravished. The body had been thrust
into a fireplace, where it was partly
burned and concealed until it became
convenient to remove 1t in a bag to
h fire escape, from which it was
thrown to the ground below.
yUn1for a1poiftal he ,ro&a tLo .o.x.r
card which led Ruth Wheeler to visit
his apartment and in a book Kept by
him was found in her handwriting an
entry Of her name aad address,. A hat
pin and ring which the girl had worn
ON the morning Of her disappearance
were found In the fire place and in a
house to which Wolter had moved on
the following day was found an UNI
brella which the girl was said to have
had with her when she left home.
Wolter claimed he had never seen
the Wheeler girl. He sought to account
for the entry Of the girls name in his
book by saying he wrote it there at the
dictation OF Fred Ahner,' who was
desirous Of starting a school of short
hand. n told him he was going TO
engage Ruth Wheeler. No one could
be found to testify to the existence Of
Ahner.
Wolter was sentenced to be electro
cuted on June 6, 1910, but the execu-
ton was stayed by an appeal. Although
the law allows but six months in which
to argue such an appeal, the case did
not reach the court OF appeals until
December 4, 1911. The court affirmed
the judgment of conviction within 10
daua