The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-12-23
|P|PER'S STORY
! TOLD BY FRIEND
Alleged Slayer of Freda WEIGH
man Kills Self in Jail
Cell.
WAS PARTNER IN RoBBERIES
Claimed Fellow Bandits Slew His
6ride-Murder Followed Series Of
| HoId-Ups-Feared She Would
Tell, Story ays.

Muskegon, Mich, Dec. pa life
long friend Of Milo Piper's-one whose
activity in arranging the defense had
nary statement made public here that
Piper committed the murder of which
he stood accused when he committed
suicide In the county Jail here Satur-
day evening.
It Is admitted Piper lied when he
Freda Weichman of Chicago at Rens-
selaer, Ind.
Knew of Murder Plan.
It Is admitted, too, that he had
knowledge of the plan to murder her
and that he acquiesced in the plan
in so far as he took no action to halt
1t. But that he fired the shotgun
blast which killed Miss Weichman is
emphatically held untrue.
According to this friend, whose
name for the time must be withheld,
Piper told the whole story to him be-
fore he fled to Canada.
Partner In Robberles.
The Goldberg and Sheldon persist
emily named by Piper as companions
ion bis honeymoon trip with Miss
Weichman took part with him in
robberies along the way, and when
they faced the Mortified amazement
and fury Of the girl they spoke to
Piper.
After q robbery OF the post Office
at Rockford, Mich, it was to be his
life or hers, they told him. he could
choose.
Piper chose 60 allow the girl to die,
and came home to confess all but his
marriage to Freda Weichman and to
rest secure in his wifes belief that
he was through with wrong associa-
ton, his wife declares.
Wife's Hint Significant.
Mrs. Piper's significant hint, sobbed
out with Impressive emphasis in the
first throes Of her bereavement, cor
roborates the friends recital. But
she herself will say no more.
ST know he is innocent" she cried
pounding upon the arms of her chair.
"I know, because he told me some
thing, and I'll never tell-never! He
got into bad company, but he never
killed Freda Weichman. I know, be-
cause he told me-he told mel"
"Told you what?" was asked
''Told me what I'll never tell" re-
peated the stricken woman, and
would not commit herself further.
Friend Reveals Confession,
But the story stands. The friend
spoke positively when Freda WEIGH
man't aunt, Mrs. F. William Klinke
Of Einsdale, H., linked the twelve
month silence of her vanished niece
with the finding of the body Of a
woman In q lone grave in the woods
IL miles from here in May, 1916.
When she started search for Piper
who had left with Miss Weichman
March 1, 1916, ostensibly for the mar
riage altar, Piper fed from ques-
tfons to Hamilton, One.
On the evening before he went he
told his friend his story and the
friend sealed his lips, as did Piper
because Of the complexity of penalties
that awaited. Fear Of both the fed
eral and the state penitentiary drove
Piper to suicide, it is asserted.
Other Men Bandits.
Piper went to Hamilton, Ont
to look for Goldberg and Sheldon
who actually exist. They were hold
up men, and their last job with Piper
was at Rockford, Mich, In the robbery
Of the post office there.
e'It must have happened about three
weeks before the killing of Freds
Weichman and quantities of stamps
and money were taken. The authori
ties there will remember.
piper tells of leaving Hinsdale
with Freda In an auto and of meet
ing the men, Sheldon and Goldberg
In Chicago, and then of two other
men joining the party.
sheldon Married Freda, he claimed
using the name of Piper.
Lied on Wife's Account.
"Of course he lied about the
Sheldon marriage to save himself
with his own wife here. And
Freda Weichman was always Pi
pers wife on the trip; never was
anything to the others She was 6
good girl and she must have beer
staggered when she realized wha
was happening"