The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-10-09
.0SKALOOSA GIRL
may BE VICTIM
MENTIONED IN A CONFESSION
MADE BY MURDERER.
.RExROAT MYSTERY is CLEARED

henry Spencer Arrested For Killing
dancing Teacher, confesses to
Fifteen Murders-Names os-
kaIoosa in Statement.
Several kilograms have been re-
ceived by the Herald today asking
concerning an Oskaloosa school teach
er who might have been at Lake Dele
van, Wisconsin during the summer.
In the confession of fifteen murders
made by Henry Spencer in Chicago
Sunday night. he said that one of his
victims was young lady at Lake
Delevan. He said he did not know
her name, but that he thought she was
a school teacher from Oskaloosa, Ia
The Herald has made inquiry from
many sources, but has been unable
to develop anything that might lead
to the identity of the person named.
Spencer'S confession was brought
about by his arrest for the murder OF
Mrs. Mildred Rexroat, dancing teach
er, who was shot to death at Wheat
on, H., week ago. He was positive
lly identified as the mysterious MIR
Spencer" with whom Mrs. Rexroat
left Chicago on the night she was kill
led. Mrs. Retreats blood-stained rat
tan suitcase was found in his room
as was the revolver with which he
said he had killed her.
Following his arrest, Spencer told
his gruesome story calmly to Captain
Halpin and a room full of detectives
and newspaper men.
Thief All His Life.
1--WE been a thief all my life," he
declared. 81 killed all these women
to get their money. / found it was
the easiest way to live. 1t cost me
$500 or $500 week to enjoy myself
the way wanted to in these cabarets
and dives and the easiest and quickest
way to get the money was to get some
girl off by herself and kill her.
Mrs. Rexroat was easy. She
thought she was working me the same
way she worked the farmer. She
| thought | was farmer like her hus
band and she could work me the same
way. | let her think so. At first
was going to take her to Michigan
and kill her there, but finally decid
ed it would be less trouble to take hel
little way out on the car line ant
get il over in a businesslike way. She
thought we We're going to be married
She came along just as | told her.
Lays Body on Tracks, S..
when We got out at the station i
was nearly s o'clock. We turned
around and walked down the tract
until we got where it was dark.
took her by the righ arm, pulled out
my gun and shot her through the
head Then laid her on the railroad
track so she would be tore up
took what few dollars she had and hel
diamond ring. l opened her suitcase
and dumped her stuff out of it ant
brought 1t back to Chicago with me
| took the next train back, about tel
minutes after | shot her.
IL didn't want the ring. ! never &c
near pawnshops, that's the way people
get caught | gave the ring to a girl
just a common girl ] met on the
street. She went to New York Tues
day or Wednesday"
Tells Of Killings.
| Spencer told the police that he ha(
killed ten persons since his last re
lease from the Illinois state peniten
tiary in September, 1912, and four, {
man and woman and Policemen
Pennell and Devine. before that.
| The police cannot account for al
the victims Spencer claims to have
, slain The only victim Spencer wa.
able to name was Fanny C. Thompson
who probably is the woman he sait
he killed before he left for the peni
Itentiary.
Luman C. Mann, the son of veal
thy Chicago family, was tried sis
years ago for the murder of the
Thompson woman and acquitted aftel
long and sensational trial. Spencer
gave clear account of the way he
claimed to have tied up the Thomp
son woman at the time of the killing
and his recital conformed to the eyi
dence that was brought out at Mann's
trial. ....
' List of Victims.
Speneer's confession includes the
following list OF victims:
Patrolmen Timothy Devine and
Charles Pennell, shot when they sur
iprised Spencer and man named
Murphy in the act of forcing the dooi
of house about a year ago. Murphy
died in the penitentiary, Spencer said
Fanny Thompson, murdered in
rooming house at Twelfth street and
Michigan avenue, in the summer OF
1912. Robbed Of diamonds worth
$1,000 Human Mann, son of veal
THY Chicagoan, narrowly escaped con
lviction on circumstatntial evidence
for thisc rime.
Two girls at Paw Paw. Mich, in
May or June of this year. Beat them
over the head with a hammer and
threw bodies into the lake.
Girl at nelavan Lake, Wis, in June
killed with hammer and body thrown
into water. Spencer says he did not
know her, but that she had been a
teacher at Oskaloosa, Iowa.
! Aged man in Washington park last
spring. Met the man at Illinois Cen
trail station and went with him to
Washington park Shot him and
threw body into the swan pond. This
was about six months ago. Robbed
body of 5000.
Woman in house at Fulton and Hal.
stead steers, about eight months ago.
Killed her with hammer. Burned her
clothing and robbed the house.
Woman in house about two blocks
from county hospital. Again used
hammer and burned the clothing. Got
$40 and some rings.