The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1913-10-09
POLICE DOUBT
MURDER TALES
Spencer Now SAYS his Vic
Tins Numb T Twenty
had A EATRED or WOVEN
Killed rhsn yust As Ne wculo s~s,
FHes--MArrieo Two and Disposed
o. Them 10 Get Their Diamonds
Has Been HUNTED and HounSec All
His Life. Ne Declares

Chicago, Oct WIN the major
portion 81 mis- astounding confession
dlscroci,ed as the dreams d an opium
hend. but with Chicago detectives con
ylnced that he murdered Mrs Mildred
A. Rexroat and possibly rad three or
four others on his death list. Henry
Spencer, paroIed convict, entertaiaed
detectives with fresh details Of ether
CORY crimes
Telegraphlc information received by
the police caused an almost total col
lapse Of Spencers story. insofar as 4
concerned alleged victims in other
cities. Authorities in most instances
were unable 10 ind any records Of the
murders Spencer declares he commit
ted
Captain Haipin Of the detective de-
partment learned that while Spencer
was prisoner al Joliet as Henry
Stanzer, under sentence for burglary.
he spent several months in the de-
periment for the criminal insane.
iron his release he came to Chicago.
4 am certain that Spencer killed
Mrs. Rexroat. said Halpin, and he
has shown such an intimate knowledge
OF a number OF Chicago murders that
! have sent detectives out TO attempt
10 corroborate his confession But the
more | question the man the more
doubt the murder statement.
His first wife, Spencer told the po-
lice. was his first victim. She was
Helen Goulds maid, he said, and he
murdered her for her diamonds. worth
$500. The crime went undetected and
started him on series OF murders, he
declared. confident that he could al
ways escape arrest.
Spencer told OF widow he married
next. we were coming TO Chicago
and stopped of at Detroit" he said
we went to Belle Isle or Windsor
We. walked down one of the walks In
the park and shot her, got 5000
and diamond
Women, ! hate EN- They never
did anything but try TO play me for a
sucker killed EN- just like I'd swat
fly
Shaking his finger in Halpin's face,
Spencer shrieked this accusation al
the long list OF women he claims as
victims OF his murderous pistol or
hammer.
Spencer, who has confessed now to
a series OF twenty murders, calmly
repeated the story he told under severe
grilling.
but what made you do it, man."
demanded ialpin. Hadn't you any
sour"
Some one brought me into the
world. the prisoner said, his voice
pitching higher. Some one / didn't |
know, and haven't ever seen. She !
threw me into the Home for the
t'riendless. Then woman adopted
me and turned me into the street. |
Made me sell papers for a living. CAN
that teaching you how to get a soul?"
Without interruption Spencer ran
on. He told how he made his first
at Joliet penitentiary be-
cause he stole some clothes; how he
came out with brain full OF burglars
tricks and how he started criminal
career that led him into dozen pris-
ons.
But what made you kill these wom-
en-" insisted Halpin. This was the
question that brought the TRADE from
Spencer.
What made me kill emf? he
screamed. Why shouldn't kill EN-?
They played me for my money and |
played them for their diamonds. Every
time saw woman with a diamond
wanted 10 kill her on the spot.
You have got me dead to right on
The Rexroat murder" Spencer said,
and know ! shall be hanged in a
couple Of months. That is why want
% tell everything else and get 1t out
II the way.
Il have been in and out OF prison
since | was boy. he continued. Il
nave been hunted and bounded all my
ife. am sore on the world My own
lie does not amount to much and no.
oodys life has meant much TO me"
The proceeds OF Spencer's crimes
lave amounted 10 more than $40 coo
n the last year and he spent the
money on women