New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-16
Chief Witness, with
Diary, Fails to Con-
firm Denial.
PRISONERS FIRST
TALE BORNE OUT
His Reclamation Is Made
Public-ProsecutOr Says
He Is Sincere.
rFrom 4. s,n Correspondent Of IN. rrbum. J


Albion, n. Y, Aug 15.-Erwin Kings
recantation of his confession to the
murder of Charles B. Phelps and his
housekeeper, Margaret Wolcott, in West
Shelby on March 2i of last year, was
made public in full tonight by John C..
Knickerbocker, District Attorney of
Orleans County.
But essential statements were either
unconfrmed by persons depended upon
to support King or were denied fatty.
OF the four persons expected to aid
him in establishing an slibi none has
come forward. Frank Stevens, who,
King says, was with him in Knowles
vile the night of the murder, ten
miles from the scene Of the crime, de-
clares he was in Albion, and proves it
by the diary of the woman who since
has become his wife.
Albion Factions Bitter.
The little town Of Albion, county seat
Of Orleans County, has split over
whether the perpetrators OF the crime
were King and Clarence O'Connell, as
represented in the confession of King
TO Mrs. Grace Humiston, of New York,
or Charles F. Stielow, whom Mrs.
Humiston is trying to save. and Nelson
Green, his brother-in-law.
Feeling has become extremely bitter
Both sides are making charges. There
are so many private detectives IN town
that they are under foot. One band is
shadowing Mrs. Humiston and every
one identified with her in the effort TO
save Stielow's life. Others are check
ing I'D the statements made by King.
When shadowing gets slack they
shadow each other.
Stevens punctured the alibi Of King
most severely. King declared in the
repudiation Of h. confession that he
was not near the Phelps farm the night
of March 81, but stayed at a hotel in
Knowlesville all the evening, going to
bed between and 10 o'clock. He
named Stevens, Frank Montondo. owner
of the hotel, and Harry Horn, board
er. as the persons he sat with until he
retired.
None Sustain hing.
In the diary kept by the present Mrs.
Stevens was recorded Stevens's visit
here. He did not leave this town that
night until 10 or IL o'clock and did not
reach Knowlesvile until some time
after King says he went TO bed. Neither
Mr.. nor Mrs. Montondo sustained the
statement of King, although they did
not dispute it. They said they could
not remember whether King was at the
hotel that night. Horn has not been
reached.
Kings alibi is understood to have
been further weakened by an investiga-
ton by Stielow's friends. This makes
Kings original confession appear more
likely. King now says he did not leave
Knowlesville the Sunday of the murder.
In his confession he said he went to
Medina that afternoon, drank with sew
eral persons at Kelly's Hotel, met
Clarence O'Connell shortly after dark,
and by him was induced to go to the
Phelps farm in West Shelby.
Says He Was in Medina.
Investigators for Mrs. Humiston are
reported to have interviewed men to-
day who claim to have seen King in
Medina the afternoon his confession
places him there.
Kings original story of his move
ments directly after the crime has
also been fairly we'll borne out by wit
nesses, although the dates are still q
matter of dispute.
The District Attorney admits King
visited most of the towns named in the
confession, but says it was several days
after the crime. Knickerbocker con-
tends that King. in making his confes-
sion TO Mrs. Humiston, merely moved
forward his actions of several days
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