Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-21
and Wife
UP FOR MURDER
will be Tried for Killing Gill
in Chicago 10 Get Her
Money

mUIlCy
CHICAGO, FEB. 20;-Al1 preparations
have been completed for the opening or
next onday in the Criminal Corrt OF she
trial of Charles Kramer. alins Conway. n
former circus clown. acrobat AMI hisi
diver and his alleged wife, Lilliaa ~Iieatiict
ltyall Conway. n vaudeville perfinnr with
Il checkcred past and many aliases, who
are charged with having murdered Miss
Sophia G, Singer, n wealthy young womar
from Baltimore, on the night of OC.,b
or IS, 1912. The ease has attracted con
siderable attention owing to the peculiar.
ity of some of It's features and the scnsa
;ional circumstances under which Conway
and his wife We're arrested q few days at
ter the murder.
Miss Sophia G. Singer. the victim of
the crime, was the daughter of the late
Frank O. Singer. formerly n wealthy bus
mess mar in Baltimore. The family Is
well connected. Miss Singer was wealthy
I'm her own name, having inherited $50. 600
from her fathers estate. About Il year
ago she became acquainted with VIM. r
Worthcn, then Il street railway conduct :
or in Baltimore. She fell IN love WItI)
him and early in October of last year
she gathered together her Jewels and
about $1,000 in cast and cloped with Wor
then to Chicago. They rented furnished
rooms in a rooming house at 3229 Indiana
avenue and lived there together to thr
day of the murder. Their room neigh ,
bors in the same apartment were Charles
Kramer, alias Charles a. Conway, and
his salloged wife. Il vaudeville singer
known as beatrice Ryall," "Maym,
Coyiler Grace Coyne," and Lillian BE.
atricc Ryal! Conway. Kramer had ror.
merly heen a circus performer, but had
lost one Of his legs through an accident.
1t is alleged that Kramer and his wife
were practically ,own and out and were
hefriended and financially assisted by
ISIS Singer anu Worthen.
On the evening Of october IS. Worthen
left his sweetheart alone in their apart.
ment and attended to some business mat
ters. When he returned to the house
shortly after midnight he found Miss
Singer dead in her room. She nad been
bound and gagged and be: ten to death
with a billy" ~improvised out of an iron
door knob Wrapped in a handkerchief. Her
skull was crushed and her body had been
rolled up in 4 blanket.
Worthcn aroused the neighbors and in
informed the police. giving Il minute &C.
count of his movements IRON the moment
he left the house until he returned to the
apartment and found the body of h'
cyvanfI % ~ 0 IJo .u,oc n rroctol on c,,cy>;
cion and a thorough search of the apart
ment was mad by inc detectives. Tho
investigation brought to light tina ErNner
and his wife had left the house between
ten and eleven O'clock on the evening of
the murder and had not returned 70
their apartment. A thorough search was
made for them, as the police authorities
began to suspect thai the couple had
something to do with the murder of Miss
Singer. ="
1t was known that Miss Singer hau a
considerable sum of money in her pos
session at the time of her death, but
when the apartment was searched after
the murder no money or jewelry was
found, by the detectives. WOrthen was
able to establish a complete alibi and was
released from confinement after a day or
two.
Kramer and his wife We're traced
through several states and on October 81
were arrested in a hotel at Lima, Ohio,
where they had arrived the same morn
ing. They had registered as Mr.. and Mrs.
&. a. Crowly, of Sidney, Q. Both denied
guilty knowledge Of the details of the
crime, although, they admitted having
read about 1t. Separately Kramer and
his wife We're closely questiond by the
police and their statements We're so con-
nicting, their attempts to clear them
persons, so clumsy, that both We're held
without bail and turned over to the Chi
cago police authorities.
When Kramer was arrested $11 were
found in his pocket. He explained that
before he left Chicago Miss Singer had
given him S35. fe also had two new SUITS
which he claimed Miss Singer had given
him. lie had several scratches in his
for which he could give no plausible
Through a chain Of circum-
evidence 1t was established that
and his wife had left the house
on Indiana avenue between eleven and
twelve O'Clock on October IS, a short time
after Miss Singer met her death. 1t is
brieved that since the arrest of the couple
evidence the prosecution will demand that
both defendants. if found guilty. be sem
crime.