The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-28
CONFESSES MURDER
IN FIT OF DEL|R|UM
Steve Israel Informs Police
That He Killed Man in
North Topeka.
STORY TOLD IN DETAIL,
Although Crazed With Drink.
He Answers All Ques-
tons Lucidly.
STORY TOLD IN DETAIL

In a frenzy of remorse and drunken
delirium, Steve Israel, a Welshmsn, %
years Of age. after surrenderine bimselfI
to the police last night, made fearful
confession of having brutally murdered
an aged Jewish merchant of North To-
peka, Kan, more than year ago.
According to an Associated Press dis
patch this morning, Benjamin T. Platt,
an aged jewish clothing merchant was
found murdered in his store in North
Topeka on February %, 1911.
While making his confession, Israel
wTithed in an agony of mortal terror
and begged in shrieking tones of deadly
fear to be protected from the yengeful
shade of his victim, which he imagined
was pursuing him.
s1 killed that Jew. ] murdered him.
hit him in the head with monkey
wrench three times and the third time
he died L killed him in his store in
North Topeka, Kan, and I robbed
him.
talks IN Dellr1um.
Such was the hysterical declaration
of Israel, alias Harry Nelson, while in
a fit of dclirium tremens at police
headquarters last night at IL O'Clock.
Overcome by the effects Of drink,
and haunted by the horror Of crime
real or fancied-IsraeI gave himself up
D., &ha gxr
last night. While being booked at the
station he shrieked in terror for some
one to protect him from the crawling
things conjured by his delirium-racked
brain.
Suddenly his fear took new aspect.
"Don Il let that Jew hit me- he yelled.
"I killed him, but don t let him hit
me-"
A telegram of inquiry was immedi-
ately sent to the police of Topeka last
night by Captain John Hempel-
At first Israel gave the Name of Har-
ry Nelson. Later he declared it to be
an alias aud Steve Israel to be his cor
rect name. With drawn features,
frothing mouth and horror-widened eyes
as he writhed upon the floor or clung
with fearful clutch to the wire graf
ing and looked through at Desk Ser
peant Lenzi, came the whole story, re-
pcated again and again with absolute
| conformity as to detail. He answered
lucidly all questions put to him by the
officers. pleading in a terrorIzed treble
hetween answers to be protected from
the attack of the Jew whom he de-
|clared he had murdered.
Tells Of Robbery.
According to the story of tho wretch
cd man. he secured twenty watches and
|, $3.50 from the store Of the man whom
Ina declared to have been his victim
. Not during his widest rawlings could be
be tangled in any particular or MS
story Once he corrected remark OF
hystauder who used the name To-
polka, insisting that it was IN Nortn
Topeka where he had murdered and
rohbed the Jew from whose avengine
shade he sought protection.
CAPTAIN Hempel locked up the man
and held him without bail pending In
: vestigation.
: Israel is small Of stature. he is mol
of q brutal but rather nervous type
, light complexioned and not i'll look
s ing.
o Strong possibility of the correctness
. Of Israel's story. is lent by the appar,
; ent1y corroborsting information ITO"
Toneka. The murderer is said TO nave
eutered the store by rear "lnoo"
and apparently killed the Old store
= keeper with some blunt instrument
: some yaluables had been stolen, incluu
: inc many old gold coins Later tnt
4 coins were returned to the coroner anu
= tine newspaper offices.
Israel is known in Topeka, ha'ins
e ,;uoa there for wears. He had been AT
v ros,ed many times for drunkenness Du
o never ON a serious charge. He has peer
3 in Topeka most of the time since tn'
It .aor was committed. Until TN
j. s,ory of Israel's confession was re
% co;ved tberc last night, the murder ha'
been a mystery.
\. salt I.akers In New YORK.
1t snecial to The Tribune =, \.
"a EEw YORK. Aug. 27.-Flenders' Nj -
c.,tdimer. Astor house, II. Jensen I'M
&c -Iai DIR. C, w. Hillesnn; Manhat'ap