Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1912-11-08
SAYS HUSBAND
hILLED HE|RESS
WIFE MAKES CONFESSION IN
PRESENCE OF POLICE Off.
GALS IN CHICAGO.
MURDER FOLLOWS QUARREL
Woman, Who Declares Her Mate in
Life Committed Crime of Slay-
ing, Absolves Herself
From All Guilt.

chicago, ILL., SOpnla was lying
on the bed. didn't think she was
hurt much. My husband said we had
better leave before she became con-
scious and then we sneaked away"
This was the concluding statement
of one of the most remarkable con-
fessions in the history of crime in
Chicago. The speaker was Lillian
Beatrice RyallConway, vaudeville
actress and erstwhile lion tanner, who
with her husband, Charles Conway, a
circus performer, are being held for
the murder of Sophia Gertrude Sing
er, wealthy Baltimore heiress, who
was slain in a rooming house at 1929
Indiana-av. The woman declared that
her husband had committed the crime
and absolved herself from all guilt.
The confession was made in the pres
ence of police officials and stenog.
rapher
Epitome of Confession.
BY order of Captain Nootbaar, the
shorthand transcription of Mrs. Con.
ways confession will not be made
public. The epitome of it, however,
as given out by Assistant States At
torned Feind was as follows:
my name is Lillian Beatrice Con-
way" she said. Il was married to
Charles Conway June II, 1911, at AL
bion, Ind. While my husband and /
were at Muncie, Ind, last September
Sophia Singer wrote to me from Bal
timore. She asked us to come to
Chicago to meet her. We did and rent
ed three light housekeeping rooms at
1929 Indiana-av, two bedrooms and
dining room. Mr.. Conway and l oc-
cupied one room and Sophia and viii.
liam Randolph Worthen, her fiance,
occupied the other. On the night
that Sophia was killed she had a
quarrel with my husband in our bed
room. She walked over to the bed
in her stocking feet and sat down and
started to put her shoes on. l went
into the dining room
"The next thing heard was the
sound of a fall. l went into the room
and saw Sophia lying there. / was
out Of the room not more than three
minutes. When l came back Sophia
was lying on the bed. My husband
said to me: We had better get our
things together and get out of here
before she gets conscious"
The above was all that Mrs. Con-
way said concerning the crime itself
The motive for the deed is not
clear Although it is an unquestioned
fact, Conway took Miss Singers
money and two suits of Worthen's
clothes.
Concerning the quarrel itself Mrs.
Conway said: Sophia told us when
she came into our rooms that she was
tired of supporting us. She wanted
me to go out with her that night and
meet a friend and then she made
suggestion that angered my husband.
He said: My wife is not that kind of
a woman"
One Dramatic Incident.
One of the most dramatic incidents
of the day occurred when Worthen,
the dead woman's fiance, was brought
face to face with Mrs. Conway.
you killed Sophia" he shouted,
pointing an accusing finger at the
trembling woman.
Inc cndrSe was ike an electric
shock. She jumped to her feet her
eyes blazing with anger. y
81 killed herr" she screamed. "Nev-
er! You are the murderer!"
'Worthen broke into tears and was
led from the room. Later he was
again taken into the room after Mrs.
Conway had admitted her husbands
guilt She looked up at him with
pleading eyes and again became hys-
terical. After she was quieted she
held out her arms to him, tears
streaming down her cheeks.
please forgive me-" she whispered.
"And forgive him, too. Kiss me. He
didn't mean to kill her."
Worthen refused to kiss her but
held out his hand to her. She clasp
ed it in both of hers and held it
against her face. caressing it with
her lips.
a. H..