The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-16

zow ON the northwest side while he was
on his way to market with a load of
! garden truck.
Guelzow. who had been married a
! little mere than a year pleaded with
/ his assailants to take his money but
| spare his life for the sake OF his wife
/ and month-old baby. After they had
killed him they mutilated his body. They
were arrested while trying to sell
/ GelzOw's horses.
The crime was committed October 20,
1911. The six were found guilty De-
| cernher L. The punishment of the two
youngest was fixed at life imprisonment
ana the other four at death. They
were to have been hanged Decem her
y but Governor Deneen granted a stay
until today.
Jennings was convicted of having
murdered FILLER in the iatter's home,
September 10, 1910, on being discover
ed in the act of committing burglary.
All was in readiness at the Jail to pro-
coed with the executions ii there was
no interference on the part of the
courts.
Hope Is Abandoned.
The four slayers of Guelzow gave up
all hope last night when they received
word from Springfield that the gov
ernor and the pardon board had re-
fused to commute their sentence. With
many relatives, who visited them for
the last time, the four men gave way
to flood of hysteria.
brothers, Philip Somm erling and Thos.
Schultz, finally threw themselves on
the floor of the cell corridor They
mad to be partly carried and partly
dragged back to the death chambers
when they attempted to follow their
relatives out.
Mrs. Shiblawski, mother of Ewald
and Frank, and Julia Kline, the IS
year-old fancee of Ewald, were led out
of the Jail building by guards, after
they had precipitated a frenzy among
prisoners and relatives by their ac-
tionS.
Mrs. Shiblawski tore her hair and
fought with friends who sought to
quiet her.
Save my two boys!" she screamed. |
"Oh, God, how can the world and the |
law be SO hard ?"
Miss Kline threw her arms around |
Ewald's neck and refused to let go.
They shan't hang you" the young |
girl repeated time and again as she !
reeled about the corridor with her |
arms around the man she was to have !
married.
Frank Shiblawski babe farewell to his |
wife and two-weeks-old son. It was |
the first time Frank had seen the baby |
and he fondled it until guards feared |
ne would hurt the child. The mother
tainted.
Schultz, who is but 10, was visited
by his father, mother and two little
sisters. The girls, / 2 and years old,
ing their mother. Don't cry, mamma;
don't cry" the girls implored, as the
sobbing mother was led from her son,
who sought to follow her
Sommerling saw his mother, three
sisters two brothers, his wife's baby,
and several other relatives. The moth
ar, bent and gray, constantly muttered
prayers in Polish.
Asks Widow to Forgive.
Chicago, Feb 16.-Ewald ShdbIawski,
one of the men who was hanged today
for the murder Of Fred Guelzow, wrote
the widow of his victim last night ask
ing forgiveness. The letter reads:
4 must die tomorrow for the murder
of your husband, and the father of your
child I wish to God had never done
1t and ask you to forgive me, il you
can, for what 1 did.
I had fair trial My lawyer did what
he could, and the assistant states attor-
ney treated me fairly
Il am guilty and before my death I ask
your forgiveness for the great wrong /
did God knows that if I could live
would spend my Whole life in trying to
DO for you and your child what I ought
to do