Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-24
CONFESSED SLAYER
REENACTS MURDER
OF ALBERT KRAFT
Victor Eshelman, A gain
Taken to Scene of Brutal
Crime, Insists He Was Re
sponsible.

Victor Z. Esheiman, confessed murderer
Of s-year-old Albert Kraft, whose body
was found in a culvert arch near 5eth
street and Gibson avenue last week,
made another attempt today to oonvince
the police Of the truuN Of his confessions.
Accompanied by Detectives Manuel and
Giovanni and several bluecoats, the man
re-enacted the brutal crime tracing step
by step the route he says he followed tho
night the boy was killed.
Several minor errors made by Eshei-
man the first time he went over the
ground, and statements by attaches Of
the Inasmuch Mission, where he boarded,
that conflict with his story, have led the
police to doubt the truth OF Eshelman's
confession.
The prisoner has stuck to every point
of his story as he first told 1t. Ques-
toned on details that failed to doyetail
in the testimony of those employed at
the mission, he has steadfnstly refused
to admit he might be mistaken. Since his
arrest, Eshelman has made no attempt
to deny he killed the boy.
MAY HAVE DEJUsIoN.
These details that do not fit with
others and the condition OF the mans
mind have caused the police to believe
that he might be laboring under de-
lusion. Numerous tests have been applied
TO him, but Eshelman sticks to his story.
This morning he was taken again to
Bartram's Gardens. From there he re-
traced his steps along the bank OF the
river up into the woods and down the
railroad embankment to the culvert arch.
There he demonstrated how and where
he left the body of the boy.
George Long, head Of the Inasmuch
Mission, 1Ol1 Locust street, will see Eshel-
man for the second time today.
Eshelman told a connected story of the
crime yesterday when Long saw him for
the first time since the night after the
crime. Until the interview the prisoners
confessions have been made only with the
aid of questions
Today Mr.. Lcng, who gained the conf
dence of Eshelman while the man was at
the Locust street mission will see him
again. Captain Cameron and Detectives
Emmanuel and Gionetti said their belief
that Eshelman was telling the truth had
been strengthened after the conference
with Mr.. Long.
The most serious discrepancy in Eshel-
mans story is the part which deals WIN
the time he returned to the Inasmuch
Mission on the evening of the murder.
Eshelman has persistently declared ne
committed the crime before o'clock
last Wednesday night. Opposed Ia this
Is the decisive declaration by employees
of the mission that he checked his coat
there at 6:15 Wednesday evening ana
was in the dining room at 6:45.
MISSION EMPLOYEES STATEMENT.
]. L. Mortimer, the day clerk. says he
noticed particularly when he checked
Eshelman's coat because the time he
usually took to twist out of 1t had be-
come a joke about the mission, and he
wanted to see whether Eshelman really
did take 10 minutes for the task as some
said.
Captain Cameron said yesterday Nor
timer and other employees must have been
mistaken in the date. He believed they
saw him at 6:l5 Tuesday night or at that
time on Thursday night Eshelman him
self says he reached the mission a few
minutes before o'clock and went direct
ly into the mission meeting after brush
ing off his clothing.
II this is true he was singing hymns
and leading rescued derelicts to the
mothers bench an hour after the murder.
PRISONER GROWS WEAK.
That Eshelman will never suffer the
death penalty, even II he is convicted OF
the crime, is the belief of detectives ac-
quainted with his mental condition. At
first detectives thought Eshelman used
drugs, but physicians who examined him
declare he showed no indications that
he ever had. Eshelman. according to
physicians, is suffering from paresis. HIS
power Of concentration Is rapidly growing
weaker and his physical condition is bad.