New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-22
STIELOW RECALLS
CLEW TO MURDER
His Hazy Memory Works
in Time to Aid Fight
for Life.
rr,om san Correspondent @, The Tribune

lFrom stan Correspondent q, The Thbunel
Medina. n. Y, Aug. 21.-Out of his
cobwcbby memory Charles Stielow, con-
demned as a murderer and fighting for
life, brought a recollection to-day
which, if caught earlier, might have
spared him his months Of torture in
the shadow of the electric chair. 1t is
a memory which dates back to the Sun
day night in March, year ago, when
Charles Phelps and Mrs. Margaret
Wolcott, his houseekeeper, were muir
dered at West Shelby.
At his trial, when he was being
shunted along toward the little green
door Stielow, whose mental age tests
have shown to be exactly seven, could
remember only few vivid details. He
had heard shots, he said, had been too
frightened to investigate and then, at
the coming of dawn, had found Mrs.
Wolcott's body outside his house. But
now. Stielow, so say the half dozen
lawyers leagued TO save him from the
death penalty, has thought of some
thing that happered before the shoot
irg. His mind holds a vague picture
Of a rig with two men in it driving up
to the house of his employer, opposite
his own. He remembers that although
he recognized the voice of one of them.
That one, he told his wife then, was
Clarence O'Connell, named by Erwin
King, in his since repudiated confes-
sion, as the man who did the shooting
Wife Aids Stielow.
Luckily for Stielow, Mrs. Inez Mil
holland Boissevain, one of his defend
ers, was visiting him at Sing Sing when
the fash back of memory came. AS a
result, Mrs. Laura Stielow rode to-day
from her home TO Albion. the county
seat. and provided James ". Osborne
with corroboratory affidavit. In the
stress Of the trial she, TOO, had forgot
ten what might have upset completely
the case built by the state on her hus-
bands recanted confession.
Mrs. Stielow's affidavit is expected to
weigh heavily in the fight for new
trial. which Mr. Osborne will begin on
Wednesday before Justice Adolph Ro-
denbeck, sitting in an extraordinary
term OF the Supreme Court in Roches-
ter.
Mrs. Voorhees,, of Friendship, y. y.
will also be an important witness for
Stielow. She will testify concerning
remarks dropped by King shortly after
Phelps and his housekeeper were mur-
5cred- remarks she deemed so signifi-
cant that she later communicated with
Mrs Grace Humiston, one OF the law
vers irving 10 save Stielow. The letter
written by Mrs. Voorhees, will be a
St;elow exhibit. Its contents have been
iealously guarded. More than once
Mrs. Humiston had been ready TO offer
the letter as a last resort 10 gain more
time for the man in the death house,
but always another way has been found.
VIII Call Experts.
Mr. Osborne also plans 20 introduce
.ostimonv Of experts refuting the ex-
49,. testimony by which the state
sorrbt 10 prove the bullets in the
boJies Of Phelps and Mrs. Wolcott were
Sred from a revolver found IN posses
sion Of a brother of Nelson Green, who
nionded guilty to second degree murder
aafter the conviction of Stielow. his
her-in-law, and is now serving a
life term in Elmira.
In the course of a forty-mile motor
.orr today, Mrs. Humiston says she
n;oto6 mn some threads which, pieced
p,, v;lI nrove a sensation in court.
vi 81 can't tell vet just what have dis
covered'" she said "For long time
| have been in possession. Of enough
facts TO lay an information against
......o. N, Mage A column