New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-14
Auburn COnViCtS Help
WOman's Fight for
Condemned Man.
KING STATEMENT
WAS VOLUNTARY
Mrs. Humiston Says Eff
fort Was Made to
Shoot Her.
From a star correerond.nt Of The rrbun, ]

From star CorresP sPondent OF The Tribune
Auburn, n. Y, Aug. 13.-EvidencC
that Clarence O'Connell, the Auburn
convict who first directed definite sus'
picion toward Irving King. an itin
Grant pedlcr, as the murderer OF
Charles F. Phelps and his housekeeper
Margaret Woolcott, in West Shelby last
year. was himself seeking an alibi al
the time of the Phelps murder, was OBJ
tanned to-day from companions and &C
qusintances Of O'Connell.
Mrs. Grace Humiston, the New York
lawyer, who for nearly three month:
has been making a stubborn fight tc
save the life Of Charles F. Stielow, con
victed of the crime, visited Auburr
prison to-day and took the sffidavits ot
several prisoners. On leaving the
prison Mrs. Humison said that all the
evidence she had obtained confirmed
her belief even more firmly in the abb
solutc truth of the confession made by
King, who declared TO her and others
that he and O'Connell, and not Stielow
shot Phelps and his housekeeper ia
death to get their money.
Mrs. Humiston refused TO tell her
destination when she left Sing Sing
early Yesterday morning.
"In one place in the course of my
Investigations in this case" she said
"T am pretty sure | came very near
being shot. SO | don't want news of
my plans to precede me-
Remarks Made by O'ConnelI.
Convicts told Of significant remarks
made by 0'Connell while Stielow's flgh'
for life was going on. IL was said
that O'Connell on the morning set fol
Stielow's execution, supposlng StleloW
was dead. remarked to one of his fel
low prisoners that he might now re-
lieve his mind, that Stielow was not
guilty of the crime and knew nothing
about IL.
II was learned only to-day what eT-
treme measures were taken TO prevent
anything which savored Of "grilling
in getting the story from King. TAX
en- on another charge and placed in the
Cattaraugus County Jail, King called
Mrs. Humiston 70 him and said he felt
he ought TO say that he and O'Connell
killed Phelps and his housekeeper, and
that Stielow had nothing to do with It.
Mrs. Humston quickly summoned
Surrogate Larkin 10 represent her and
he did the questioning. The eXtraor-
dinary precautions he took TO warn
King of the probable penalty for the
admission Of murder is apparent from
the record of the confession, which
was made public In part tonight.
Realized the Result.
"Do YOU know what this statement
you are making might mean - the Sur
rogate asked.
King replied calmly: 81 don't know
whether IT might mean the electric
chair or a life sentence"
knowing that it might mean the
electric chair or life sentence for
you, will you still make this state
ment? the Surrogate continued.
"Yes," replied King, II have go!
to q stage where ! don't care"
Larkin continued pressing the pris-
oner on this point. Would you just
as soon make this statement if you
knew it meant the electric chair?" he
asked.
'Yes, feel that ! ought to-
Mrs. Humiston and others who have
been working in Stelow's behalf are
not pleased at the apparently reluctant
manner in which John 5. Knickerbock'
er. District Attorney of Orleans County
is taking up the prosecution Of King
Knickerbocker has said that he takes
no stock in Kings confession. The
threat was made tonight by friends OF
Stielow that if there is not prompt
disposition 10 get Kings story into
court a special prosecutor will be asked
on the ground that Knickerbocker is
not the max 70 prosecute King and his
possible accomplices. having already
convicted two other men, Stielow anc
Nelson Green, OF the identical crime
Asked TO Repeat II.
King will be called upon TO repeat
his murder confession when the
district Attorney appears before JUS
tico A ]. Rodenbeck in Rochester Au-
e,ust 23 TO show cause why new trial
Should not be franted Stielow. II the
state does not call King, Mr.. White, at
,ornev of record for Stielow. will see
tbat Kings story is heard by the court
ONLY two things can operate 10 pre-.
vent a new trial in the opinion OF
those working for Stielow-a repudia-
ton Of his confession by King or
successful attempt on the part OF tht
state TO discredit the statements which
have been made by King Of his move
ments, not only on the day OF the
crime but prior thereto.
Belief in Confession
Although the criminal records Of the
tate furnish few instances parallel "a
the action of King, who voluntarily
confessed cn to the double murder so ss
10 save Stielow from the death chan
and ~ because "he thought he ought TO-
tbose who heard the confession believe
implicitly in IL. . nth
Fearing attempts to tsmper VIII
King. Mrs. Humiston and DAVID a
White Stielow's attorney, left Auourr
tonight for Albion, where King Is IT
jail