The Detroit times., 1912-10-04

fSpeuglers peculiar mental condition
AZ told bv Detective John sDewney, 10
whom Spengler made n clear. uncon'
fused statement OF, ~the whole Refs
scEime,. and the crimes against the
lother girls mentioned, before Speng
! Ter talked With Chief Palmer and the
large group OF Witnesses.
] Downey SAYS that Spengler did not
contradict himself AZ tint time. bn'
told a straight story, following exact
| ~ the known facts in each of the
cases
Then his lettering mind became un
settled m the lace OF many Witnesses
and he started 90 ramble.
They sent him ont 20 the scene OF
the crime IN an auto. md when he
returned. his eyes were bright. and
his mind was fairly clear. lie again
told atFsigAtforward story, accord
Ing To both Downey. and Chief Palm.
err. But afterea few minutes his eve
dulled. his statements became ramb-
ling. and il was finally seen that he
was completely on" The question
ing was then abandoned.
The little Refs girls desk at school
is covered With white satin and
decked with white roses. while her
school books and pencils are left just
as she left them when she went
home, Tuesday.
Harry Johnson, stenographer in
Prosecutor shepherds Office. took
Spengler's statement, given In re-
sponse 10 questions from Assistant
Prosecutor Charles Jasnowski. in pc
lice headquarters. Wednesday night,
Speaking OF the nature OF the con
fession." Johnson said. Thursday:
Statements are Conflicting.
while some OF Spengler's state
merits are in harmony with the facts
In the killing or the Refs child, much
OF what he said Is at variance with
the real conditions I'm the case. He
told different stories about what he
did with the knife At one time he
SAID he threw IL up against the fence
In the alley where the crime was per-
beside the fence, and, a little later.
when asked about the disposition OF
the weapon, said he, gave II to his
brother, He said he met the little
girl at the entrance to the alley, and
that she asked him to accompany her.
'.Spengler showed no emotion
throughout the examination, just talk
ing as though he were answering
questions on an indifferent topic. He
volunteered nothing, simply answer
ed the questions put TO him. Had
he been asked II he killed Lincoln, he
doubtless would have admitted the
crime. That's just the kind OF fellow
he appears to be; in fact, he impress
es me as being a harmless imbecile.
Yet. there ts one thing in connection
with the Refs tragedy In which he is
correct. namely, the nature OF the
little girls wounds, which he de-
scribes with a great deal OF accuracy.
He says the knife he used was given
to him by his brother; he also says
that his brother sharpened 1t for him.
Now the brother declares that he did
nothing OF the sort; that he never
owned a knife, except an old rusty
one that was around the house.
Moreover, Spengler's brothers and
home when the Refs child was killed,
and that, therefore. he is innocent
OF causing her death. The fact
remains. too. that not a speck of
blood has been found on him, except
a couple OF spots of something. which
looks like blood, on his hat 1t is a
certainty that II he killed the child,
there would be some trace OF blood
on his clothing. especially when he
was taken into custody so soon after
the crime was committed"
Prosecutor Skeptlcal.
Il am not ar all sure that this man
Spengler killed little Matilda Refs
and committed the other crimes 10
which he confesses," said Assistant
Prosecutor Kelley, who was one OF
those who listened TO the mans story
in police headquarters He's a half
witted creature, and l don't think his
statements are TO be belieyd except
where there is corroborative testi-
mony. For instance, his statements
with reference TO the knife with
which he said he slew the Refs girl
have been proven fabrications. He
showed some familiarity with the de-
tails OF other crimes which he said
he had committed, but he might easily
have secured this information from
the newspapers. He may be the man
I'm open to conviction. but I'm not
nl