Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-07
Inquiry PunCtures COMES
sion of Score of
Murders.
BUT ONE ESTABLISHED
Mrs. Rexroat, Dancing Teacher,
Believed Single ViCtim-To
Get Quick Trial.

Chicago, H., Oct "A speedy trial
for the murder of Mrs. Allison-Rexroat
is promised Henry Spencer, whose
confession Of % murders woven by an
opium-clouded brain has dumbfounded
the police. The authorities will con-
tinue investigating the fantastic story
in the hope of establishing further
facts.
While Spencer slept as peacefully
as a baby in a cell al the detective
bureau after adding during the day 10
his recital of countless murders and
holdups. his confession" was being
riddled in some respects and support.
ed in others.
Mrs. Sarah Schram today identified
Spencer as a man who lodged at her
house last winter and attacked her
with a hammer. He was frightened
away by the return from school of
her daughter. Spencer admitted the
accusation.
STANDING OF CONFESSION.
Early today the situation was ss fol
lows:
Spencers story of the killing of Mrs
Rexroat practically had been confirm
ed and he had been indicted for the
crime by the DuPage county grand
jury.
His statement that he had killed a
woman in 1912 near the county hos
pital' was in part substantiated by
police records and a partial identified
: -tfoh.-- -----z-s -a---------------- 1890
Two restaurant holdups of the so or
60 TO which he had confessed" had
been fastened upon him by victims
who identified him.
1 Important evidence which may lead
( to the early arrest Of the murderers OF
Policemen Pennell and Devine had
been obtained from Spencer, but it
had been established that his con
fession" that he had killed them was
false.
Search of police records in many
cities had revealed that many of the
crimes confessed" by Spencer had
never been committed, or if they had
/ the bodies of the victims had never
4 been found.
! Inquiry has established that at the
time Spencer told of commting some
crimes he was in the penitentiary.
Persons listed as victims" by Spen-
Ger in his confession" have been
found alive.
Stories told by Spencer Of his
crimes" have been found in direct
variance with the facts known con-
cerning these crimes"
Staggered by Spencer's first story,
and later by its contradictions through
Spencer and others, the police and
county officials are working with open
minds"
DOUBT TWENTY WE'RE KILLED.
They do not say that they believe
/ Spencer's story that he has killed q
score or more persons. They do not
say they disbelieve it. They are look,
ing into records and making investi-
cations, willing that in the end the
facts shall speak for themselves.
One thing practically was settled
during the day. That is that Spencer
will be placed on trial as speedily as
possible for the murder Of Mrs. Rex
roat
The confession which he made con
cerning the murder of the tango teach
er was confirmed in every essential
particular.
Half a dozen witnesses identified
) Spencer as the man seen with the wo
man the day before she was slain and
gave evidence which strengthened
Spencer's own account of the affair.
The blood-stained suitcase found IL
: Spencer's room after his arrest was
I identified by Mrs. Rexroat's landlady
! The hammer dug up near Wayne
H., with which Spencer had claimed
/. to have killed a score Of persons alsc
was identified. Other links have beer
added 20 the chain of evidence in th,
Rexroat case.
RUSH REXROAT TRIAL.
Under these conditions the DuPag,
: county officials wasted no time in pre-
pairing for the trial Of Spencer. State
. Attorney c. W. Hadley appeared be
fore the grand jury az Wheaton yes
q terday, taking with him witnesses, an
after he left the jury room a true bill
was voted and returned against Sper
= GER
I States Attorney HadIey and ". F
Sullivan, one OF States Attorne
e Hoyne's assistants. conferred Iatel
= and il practically was agreed that III
-. DuPage county officials would be give
charge Of Spencer, while the Chicag
police continued their efforts TO verif
(coatlnued on Pare Eirbt1