Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-12
Chicago Police Investigate Henry
Spencer's Story That He Killed
Twenty-Five, and Plan to Hurry
Trial and Hanging.
Drug Victim Tells Simple Facts Of
Crimes Committed With Death
Hammer-Girls, Brides, Older
Women His Victims.

CHICAGO, Oct. 11.-Detectives and
public prosecutors alike are ready in
their declaration that every effort will
he made to rush to trial and to the
gallows Henry Spencer. confessed
murderer Of Mrs Mildred Allison
ReUoat. the tango girl" and the
slayer as well of % other persons. If
his statement is to be believed.
The police department is stirred by
Spencers story of his many murders.
1t has been ascertained that a num-
Der Of the crimes of which he told
probably were committed by him just
as he described them. AS to others, it
is fairly well established that he
could not have committed them, as he
was in Joliet when they occurred.
However, the fact remains that Spen-
Ger is one of the most remarkable
criminals of the age.
Il am sure he killed a number OF
persons" declared Captain Halpin,
chief Of detectives, to-day. Possibly
nearly as many as he claims to have
killed, He is, despite his, dopey con-
fessiors. a remarkable criminal"
Robbery His Sole Motive.
Spencer makes no plea Of insanity
nor of supernatural message as an
excuse for his crimes. Instead he
tells frankly that robbery was his
motive in almost every case. Some
times.tha stake was small. few dol
lars or trinkets of small value. But
TO Spencer evidently, the lives of his
victims were even cheaper. With the
most astounding sangfroid, he tells of
killing young girls brides, older mar
ried women and mothers
Spencer's mind is morbid. through
and through. He is, in the jail YER
nacular. stir crazy" that Is. unbal-
anced by long imprisonment, In ad-
dtion, his diseased imagination has
been further spurred by the hop
ptpe."f He is a confirmed user Of
drugs, particularly. opium. It is for
this rea son that the police are inves-
tiga ting carefully every detail of his
alleged confessions. 90
Spencer PAGES his cell necessarily,
nervous to the verge Of frenzy. The
after effects of his last opium orgy
are accentuated by the merciless
mental torment of the third degree,
through which the detectives have put
him. He smokes innumerab BILE cigars,
seeking in tobacco some relief from
a wrecked nervous system
. Tells of Murder Hammer.
During the last inquisition by the
detectives, Spencer was plainly ex-
hausted in mind and body, although
he made brave efforts to conceal his
condition. Time and again Captain
Halpin would push him for details of
one alleged murder or another. Some
times the captain was armed with
facts proving Spencer's statements
untrue in some particular. Then
Spencer would close his eyes, and
with sigh of WEAKNESS. declare:
Il can't remember. My mind is
bad to-day"
Then his fervid imagination takes
fresh inspiration, and he arouses him
self for the declaration OF fresh de-
tails.
He tells always of his hammer. that
being the favorite instrument Of death
with him. When he killed Mrs. Rex
roat, the tango teacher, he shot her,
but he had his hammer along with
the revolver, to be used in event of
necessity. hammer has been dug
up near Wayne, H.. with which Spen-
Ger claims to have killed a score of
persons.
The man insists that his stories are
true. The detectives are investigat-
ing, and send kilograms everywhere
10 acquire corroborative evidence.
When a telegram came from the chief
Of police Of Delavan. Wis, saying,
Story that two women were muir
dered here false" and similar mes
sages came from officers in Detroit.