Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-07
MURDERER ADMITS v
Staying TWENTY
CONTINUED From Page l.,

/
|
| been able to trip him UP In his state
ments but 1t will take several days to
establish the truth or falseness of his
story"
Admits Twenty Murders.
After being continually questioned
for ID hours during which he confessed
| to having committed more than 20 muir
ders. Spencer exhausted by the ordeal
was allowed to retire in cell at the
central police station shortly after
o'clock this morning for few hours
sleep. ......
He had been questioned without in.
terruption by Police Captain Halpin
and Assistant States Attorney Sulli-
van in regard to the details Of his
criminal career ever since his arrest at
6 o'clock Sunday night. After the
long siege he put his hands to his head
and said:
II am too tired to remember any
more just now. got to have some
Sleep Maybe when am rested can
remember some more The truth Is
killed so many I can't remember all
of them"
From an unofficial source 1t was
learned that Spencer had amplified his
story of the murder of one of his
wives. He said the woman's name
was Nellie but refused to give her
surname.
'T was in New York six years ago
and one day inspected the art gallery
which Helen Gould had installed in the
Martha Washington hotel for women,
said Spencer. There I met Nellie.
Miss Gould's maid. We were married
three days later. l had told her was
a wealthy travelling salesman. go.
Kills Own Wife.
Zone day we took ride up the
Hudson river to West Point and from
there went by bus to Fort Montgom-
cry. In a secluded spot | struck her
twice with hammer, killing her in
stantly. took $500 from her clothing
and returned to Chicago. f..
"a few daps later I robbed cloth
ing store of As suits which I sold.
Then for while stole bicycles, get
ting about $50 of them. Then the po-
lice made 1t so hot for me that beat
1t out of town." a}
Spencer this morning told his inter.
rogastors OF two more victims, one of
whom he said he had shot and killed,
the other he said he struck down with
a hammer One Of the victims was an
unidentified man who accidentally
brushed against him at Indiana avenue
and East Forty-second street and
whom he followed robbed and shot
dead. He dragged the body into an
alley and fed. This was last spring.
Two months ago he is said to have en-
tered Park Row saloon where he
formerly was employed as a porter and
killed bartender with hammer. He
did not give the bartender's name but
said he robbed the man of several
hundred dollars.
Killed Iowa Girl.
Spencer gave further details of the
murder Of Policemen Devine and Pen
nell in August, 1902, at West Cingress
street and South Ashland avenue.
II had pal named Murphy and we
were on back porch Of house down
there preparing to enter, the place"
said Spencer. Murphy knocked over
q tub and we hid in yard nearby.
Then the police came and Murphy and
emptied our revolvers at them and
ran. We got away after shooting them
and went to our rooms near North
Clark street and West North avenue.
Two or three days later Murphy and
l parted company and never saw him
afterwards"
The prisoner told the police of kill
ing two girls at Lake Delavan, Wis.
last October He said he shot one
and killed the other by hitting her on
the head with a hammer. He said
both bodies were thrown In the lake.
Spencer said he robbed nearly every
room in the leading hotels at Delavan
Lake before committing the murders
and fleeing. .,.E -.
zone of the two women killed at
Delavan Lake was school teacher
from Oskaloosa, Ia. and the other was
the wife of the auditor of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad at Min
neapolis,' said Spencer. guess they
iwere there on "a vacation. I got
acquainted with them. They both had
jewelry and money. told them Of an
exclusive dance that was supposed, to
be held and they wanted to 60. took
one around one side Of the lake and
shot her and the other killed with a