Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-01-30
ALBERT WO[TER DIES
IN ELECTRIC CHAIR
FOR MURDER OF GIRL
Leaves Written Statement
Denying to the Last That He
Was Guilty of Ruth Wheel
er'S Death
CBy Associated Press.)


OSSINING, N. Y, Jan. 29.-Albert VOL
ter was put to death in the electric
chair at Sing Sing prison at SD o'clock
this morning for the murder Of 15-year-
old Ruth Wheeler, nearly two years
ago. The girl came to VOTERS flat in
New York in search of employment,
and he killed her after she had been
mistreated. 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 cleo
trician said that wolter showed less
resistance to the electric current than
any murder put to death by electricity
at Sing Sing prison
The murderer spent his last night
quietly, resting only part of the time.
At 2 o'clock this morning Wolter wrote
his denialN OF the killing. It was on a
single sheet and so even and clear were
the letters formed that the writing had
the appearance of copper plate.
DENIES TO THE END.
The statement reads;
Warden J. S. Kennedy:
ITO be given to the public: January
%. a. m. Now that I am departing
from this earth to go into the pres
ence of God, 1 wish to make this last
statement. The world refused me justice,
but our Father in Heaven, who knows
our innermoSt, He will give me pure
and undefiIed justice, I wish to state
that, I am innocent Of the crime I was
convicted Of. have been a victim of
circumstantial evidence. hope there
may come a time when the conscience of
the pereptrator will overpower him and
he will come to the front and acknowl-
edge HIS guilt. 1t is my honest prayer
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 that they killed an innocent boy.
To those who have given me their kind
assistance and have trusted in me, 1
give my sincere thanks. To those who
have maliciously prosecuted and killed
me, for them I pray Gods forgiveness.
ALBERT w. WOLTER."
Although Wolter was convicted on cir
cumstantial evidence, the court of ap-
peals, reviewing the case after a Sc
fairly tried and Justly convicted
STORY OF THE CRIME.
Ruth Wheeler met her death on March
fourth floor OF a house on East 18th
street New York city where she had.
gone 70 seek employment as a steno-
grapher. Her charred body was discov-
bred later The evidence indicated that
the girl had come to her death by
strangulation and burning after having
been mistreated. The body had been
thrust into fireplace, where it was
partly burned and concealed until it
hHHQTna HnnUQnfanf m II q
bag to the fire escape, from which it
was thrown to the ground below.
Wolter admitted that he wrote the
postal card which led Ruth Wheeler
to visit his aptIrtme mt and in a book
kept by him was found in her hand
writing an entry Of her ma ne and ad-
dress. A hatpin and a 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
discovered an umbrella which the girl
was known to have had with her when
she left hOLne.
Wolter claimed he had never seen the
Wheeler girl and that he was not at
home until late H. the afternoon on the
day the crime was committed. He
sought to account for the entry of the
girls name in his book by saying he
wrote it there at the dictation of
man named Fred Abner, who was desir-
Gus Of starting a school Of shorthand,
and told him he was going to engage
Ruth Wheeler. No ole could be found
to testify as to the existence of Alb.
ner.
THE DEATH SENTENCE.
Wolter was found guilty and was SEN
fenced to be electrocuted on June 6,
1910, but the execution 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 convic-
ton within ten days.