Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-06
CONFESSES THAT
He SLEW Il To
ROB THEM
Chicago Prisoner Clears Long List
of Killing Mysteries-Says
He Is Ready to Hang.


able confession Of Henry Spencer.
who admitted that he killed Mrs
Rexroat and calmly reclted the de-
tails OF sixteen other murders. Al
the end OF the confession he said
there might be one or two other
Sayings that he could not recall at
the moment.
Captain Halpin, Of the detectives.
said the mans story could not be dis
believed, although Spencer admitted
he sometimes smoked as many as
fifteen hop pills" in half an hour
He has had no opium for three days
and apparently his mind was clear
to-day when he retold the story OF
his crimes.
Most OF his victims were women.
Some were OF bad character, attracted
by Spencer's spending Of the pro-
oeeds OF his daily robberies and al
most monthly killings. Others were
deceived by pretense Of love. one
he married. Others still were chance
acquaintance A part Of his con
fession was substantiated to-day. The
rest was being investigated through
the police Of the cities where the
murderer said his crimes were COM
mitted
Crimes He Confesses.
with uncertainty as to the exact
dates. Spencer told of the following
murders which he committed either
with revolver or small black
smiths hammer:
Prior TO September u. 1912;
Man shot to death for a few
dollars about fourteen years ago.
Policemen Timothy Devine and
Charles Pennell, Chicago shot
when they surprised Spencer and
"a man named Murphy robbing a
store Murphy died in the peni-
Tertiary Spencer said.
Fannie Thompson, Chicago
roomins house keeper, killed with
hammer and robbed of $1,000
in jewels.
Between September ~. 1912, and
September &c. 1918:
Two Weber girls. Paw Paw.
Mich. beaten over the head, their
bodies thrown into the lake.
Girl at Delavan Lake, Wis, last
June. killed with a hammer and
her body thrown into the water.
Aged man, Washington Park,
Chicago, last spring. shot to
death, robbed of 5000 and his
body thrown into the swan pond.
Woman, in rooming house
Chicago, killed with hammer,
clothing burned and house robbed
OF few dollars
Woman, rooming house keep
err killed with hammer. robbed
of rings and &14O in cash.
They All Lie," He Says.
Woman, Belle Isle. Mich. whom
he met in New Lork Took her
money after beating her TO death.
Did not remember her name
They all lie TO YOU" he ex-
planned.
Woman, Fort Montgomery. N.
Y. Married her. beat her to death,
took 5000 cash and $500 worth of
diamonds
Ida Oliver. Chicago, beaten TO
death with hammer; body thrown
into drainage canal on November
9, 1912.
Man shot when he resisted
hold up in downtown alley, Chi
cago.
Saloonkeeper. Chicago. Killed
him, wounded his wife while rob
bing saloon.
Mrs, Mildred Allison Rexroat,
shot near Wayne. H., robbed of
$3.50 diamond ring. and her body
thrown on the tracks of the Ell
gin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad,
where a freight train mutilated ii
a few minutes later.
Mrs. A. j. Schofield, at whose home
Spencer was living, was to have be y
killed to-day and her house robbie I.
according TO the murderer's confess
sion. He said he planned to get the
woman to come to his room. where he
would beat her to death. take hsr
money and then leave Chicago for i
few DAYS
Ready to Hang, He Declares.
Spencer said to-day that he had
been "A thief all OF his life He was
released rom the Illinois penitep-
tiary ~ Joliet thirteen months azo
after serving a short term for thief.
He said to-day he expected to b
hanged and that he didn't care.
"Nobody'S life ever meant anvthiag
to ne and my own doesn't amount 10
much" ne said 10 Captain Halpin. 7
suppose IL will take a couple u
months pickering before they hanS
me. ] wouldn't care if they would -
IL to-day"
Captain Halpin planned to ques-
ton Spencer more fully about his
robberies later to-day. The prisoner
said ne usually performed two hold
ups in an evenin
Gee" he said, Sometimes I ha I
to stick up half a dozen places in one
evening. II costs a lot OF money To
run around the cafes about Twenty
second street. / spent $500 there IN
two nights not long ago.
You won't be able to find Mrs.
Retreats ring" he continued speak
ing OF the most recent murder Il
gave that to a girl who went to NJ p
- York the next day. ! always gave
the jewelry TO girls when | cnuldu'.
cell II right away"
Spencer justified his killing Of tn,