Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-07-30
MURDERER FACES
GALLOWS friday:
SPENCER TO DIE
Slayer of Chicago Tango
Teacher Has But Few
More Hours to Live.
BRUTAL CRIME
WILL BE AVENGED
Efforts at Calming Stay Through su.
preme Court Enthusiastically Muir.
der of Woman Fraught With Man,
Sensational Features.
BRUTAL CRIME
WILL BE AVENGED

Wheaton. ILL.,, July 30.-In his cell
IN the Dupage county Jail Henry
Spencer. whom the police Of Chicago
have declared to be one of the most
remarkable criminals with whom they
have ever had to deal, is awaiting
Mildred .Allison-Rexroat. tango
teacher whom he lured to a lonely
spot in this section last October and
then killed her for her money and
Jewels The execution Of Spencer will
take place tomorrow morning, unless
the intervening hand Of the supreme
court is stretched out again at the
eleventh hour to deny the moose its
victim.
Owing to the atrocity Of the mur.
der and the sensational history of the
convicted man, who at the time of his
arrest contested not only to the muir.
der Of MrsS Al All1ssd-Hexroae but sev.
eral other murders committed in vari.
GUS parts OF Illinois within recent
years, the case Of Spencer has attract
ed countrywide attention.
Murder Brutal.
The murder Of Mrs Allison-Rex-
roat was committed late in the even
Ing at lonely spot near the village
of Wayne. The victim was choked
and shot through the head and then
placed on the tracks Of an interur-
ban railroad. where a train mangled
her body. The crime was discovered
by the motorman Of the train which
ran over the body of the woman and
he promptly notified the authorities.
The body Of the victim was crushed
beyond recognition, but by means OF
her bracelet and bag, containing
her card and some papers, the victim
was identified as Mrs. Allison-Rexroat
the divorced wife Of farmer living
near Maconb, Ill. For several years
she had resided in Chicago and was
supposed to make her living as a
dancing teacher.
Had Appointment.
Not until several weeks after the
murder did the Chicago police find
the clue that led to the arrest of
Spencer. From an acquaintance OF
the murdered woman it was learned
that she had an appointment with a
man named Spencer for the evening
on which she met her death. She was
to accompany him to Wayne to teach
a tango class which he said he had
formed there.
After his arrest in Chicago spen-
Ger made q full confession of the
murder of Mrs. Allison -Rexroat, CIV
Ing all the details Of the case and a
graphic description Of the murder it.
self. He. also declared that he had
committed number of other mur-
ders and robberies and created a tre-
mendous sensation by giving detailed
accounts of the numerous crimes
which, he claimed to have committed.
A careful investigation by the police
established the fact that many of
Spencer's alleged confessions were
mere fiction, or the Pigments Of a drug
'crazed imagination.
Wanted to Die.
When Spencer was arraigned in
court last November to be tried for
murder he was not represented by a
lawyer He refused to plead not guilty
and demanded that he be tried on the
spot and sentenced to death. The
court declared itself ready to hear the
case then and there without a jury II
Spencer would plead guilty, but this
the prisoner refused to do, saying that
he fully realized the motive Of the
court, which he believed to be to SEN
tence the prisoner to life imprison-
ment instead Of pronouncing the
death sentence on him.
Appeals Have Failed.
Later Spencer changed his mind
and engaged counsel to direct his de-
Tense. A plea Of insanity was made
and evidence introduced to show that
Spencer came from a family tainted
with insanity and had suffered a seri ;
Gus injury to his brain while child
The confessed murdered was found
guilty, however, and sentenced to be
executed on December 10. An appeal
to the supreme court served as a stay
Of execution. The higher tribunal
upheld the verdict of the trial court
and the convicted man was again
brought face to face with the gallows
Several women's clubs and church
organizations made an unsuccessful
effort to commute the sentence to life
Imprisonment. The governor declined
to take such action but allowed time
for the counsel Of Spencer to again
bring his case to the attention Of the