The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-29

DOhuhv bh@1t 6tAu M
Continued From Page One.l
coat off he tied her hands and car
ried her into the basement.
From that point on his published
confession covers the matter except in
the unprintable details.
Alive When He Set Fire.
That he set fire to the house when
he knew the little girl was still alive
and breathing Bissell admitted and
that he went back, after he had come
down town and loafed around pool
habitat he went back and again
assaulted the dying child is the firm
belief of those who sweated him.
During the conversation after the
confession Bissell mentioned going
back to the house and finding the
child still alive.
How do you know she was alive %
'Well, 1 just know she was. 1 had
feeling that she was alive" said
Bissell.
Did you touch herr"
81 did not
Gould you see her breathe?"
Il didn't Lotice, but know she was
alive"
Fred" asked Bob Miller, Ibid you
harm that little girl when you went
back to the house the second time? ?"
He Didn't Remember.
mo, I don't think so. But Mr..
Miller 1 don't seem to be able to re-
member some of the things that hap
pened."
mo, I guess you don't" Numbered
Miller. But there isn't anything
not thing in the world-in the ma
ture of a crime against that little girl
1 would not believe you guilty Of"
And Bob Miller, detective of years
experience with all kinds of criminals,
/ gripped his hands until today his
4 i.
with the strain He did it trying to
keep his hands off of Bissell when the
whole truth went home to him.
| Admitted He'd Do Anything.
Then" said Judge Lindsey, ''you
set fire to that house when you knew
that little girl was still alive. You
were willing to burn her alive in order
to hide your crime. You were willing
to commit any crime to cover the one
you had first committed"
YES" replied Bissell.
Bissell stated that if anyone had
come in upon them when they were in
/ the house he would have killed him
instantly. One other incident during
! that conversation throws light on the
| kind of mind he must possess.
Happy at Her Screams.
| 81 was happy" he declared. when
| [ reached the bakery and heard Bessie
Dinsmore screaming over the death of
her child. 1 had my revenge. And
here's a peculiar thing. 1 think lot
of Bessie Dinsmore and while l was
happy over her screaming, the tears
ran down my face"
Neither Ren.orse Nor Fear.
Neither renorse nor fear dictated
the full confession made by Bissel in
which he recited the horrible details
| of his crime against little Edna Dlns-
more.
Bissell doesn't know the meaning of
the word remorse. And prison Off
working on him believe he knows no
fear in the ordinary sense of the word.
Through Psychological Test.
His confession was secured through
a psychological test proposed and car
| ried out by Warden J. X Codding, as
| sisted by L. l. Kiene, Robert Miller and
Judge Frank Lindsey. His confession,
| including questions asked by the men
| sweating him. covers seven typewrit-
| ten pages. The questions take up
much more space than the replies and
| except for the more horrible details,
the statement appearing in the State
Journal covers the confession COM
p1etely.
They Had Given Up.
The confession was secured after
all the officers concerned had given up
and had announced that they did not
believe Bissell would ever tell the
truth about it. The sweating began
the morning after Bissen reached the
penitentiary. 1t continued all day
Thursday, Thursday night and until
five o'clock last night. Bisseu stood
pat on the first story told in Topeka
until three o'clock yesterday after
noon.
Identification Didn't Touch Him.
The Identification by Press Souther
nly0 ole no soil hi
the bottle of iodine, the vaseline an6
the bandages found in the vacant
house where the girls body was found
did not touch Bissell. His only com
ment at the time was that Souther was
IAN old liar" Later he accused Sher-
if Kiene of tipping it off to Southel
in advance that he (Bissell) wore 6
coat with a square hole cut in the
sleeve.
The writer was with Souther ant
Kiene from the moment Souther. ar
rived until he completed the identif
cation and Kiene made no statemen
that could have assisted Souther il
the slightest degree.
Following the Identification, tn,
sweating process was begun al
over again. Hundreds of question:
were asked over and over again
Questions were shot at the prisoner
first from one side then from tn
other. He declined to be disturbed
He answered the questions just as h
did the first day he was arrested il
Topeka. He stuck to his first story.
When Warden Codding had secure,
complete story of Bissells move
ments during the morning, as told b.
the criminal, he took it outside an,
. studied it. Meanwhile the question
4 ing continued.
Warden Codding returned short1
and took BisselI in hand again.
y Pretty Clever Criminal
Fred he said, ''I think have thi
thing Strengthened out. You're a pref
ty clever criminal and have told
clever story. You have been cleve
in sticking to that one story, but 20
haven't been clever enough.