The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-25
FEAR Of PUNISHMENT
DROVE HIM TO SUICIDE
Silent or Confessed, Federal or state
Prison Was Sure TO Get Milo III.
Piper. Michigan Man.
coNFrDANT OF DEAD NAN TALKS
Suidiic's SiiIicd Lips Part Through
Life-leng Friend. Who Says He Did
Not Kill Fric1a Weichmann, But
Aided In PostoGice Robbery.

Muskegon, Mich. Dec. 22.~-Milo
H. Piper's dead lips parted today
through a lifelong friend and spoke
the guilty knowledge that for two
years he hid and then by his suicide
in Jail Saturday night forever sealed.
Frieda Weichmann was the bigamous
wife of Milo Piper. he admitted to his
friend, but she was slain because she
knew too much.
Desperate men, actually the Gold
| berg and Sheldon persistently named
by Piper in his honeymoon trip with
Miss Weichmann. companioned him
. in robbery along the way and when
they met The Mortified amazement
and righteous fury OF the girl. spoke
to Piper in the hard terms of their
kind.
After the robbery of the, postoffice
at Rockford. Mich, lit was to be his
life or hers. they told him. He could
choose
Piper chose to allow the girl TO die
and come home to confess all but his
marriage to Frieda Waichmann and
to rest secure in the belief OF his
association. Mrs. Piper's significant
hint, sobbed out with impressive en-
phasis in the first throes OF her be-
reavement, corroborates the friends
, recital. But she will say no more,
Il know he is innocent" she cried
! pounding on the arms of her chair.
Il know. because he told me some
thing and I'll never tell. never, He
got into bad company. but he never
killed Frieda Weichmann. | know.
because he told me--he told me"
Told you what 2" was asked
| Told me what I'll never tell" re-
peated the stricken woman. and she
would commit herself no further.
Fled From Questioner.
! When F'rieda's unit started an in
| ouiry for Piper.~who had left with
Miss Weichmann. March /, 1916. os-
tensibly for the marriage altar. Pipet
fed from questions to Hamilton, Ont.
The evening before he went he told
his friend his story and the friend
sealed his lips as did Piper. because
| OF a complexity of penalties that
| awaited, silent or committal. Fear OF
botn the federal and state peniten-
tlaries drove Piper to suicide
Piper went to Hamilton, Ont, 10
look for Goldberg and sheldon, who
actually exist" revealed the frie nd
i today. They were hold-up men and
their last job with Piper was at Rock
ford. Mich. in the robbery of the post
Office there. II must have happened
about three weeks before the killing
| of Frieda Weichmann and quantities
of stamps and money were taken. The
authorities there will remember
Every little while on the trip.
Sheldon and Goldberg would meet up
lswith FridAns aasd Slipper with cash in
hand. or Piper would rob Goldberg.
leaving Frieda with Sheldon. Piper's
funds for the trip, II you remember.
have never explained. Frieda WEIGH
mann wrote to her aunt for all her
little savings and the aunt sent them.
but they would not go far in that
crowd.
postof7ce is Rified.
Now" continued Piper. confidant,
'sthe auto hold-ups. with the amazed
and frantic Frieda Weichn1ann in
their midst, motored up into Michigan
! and one day tht town Of Rockford
awoke to sths fast, that the postottice
| Piper told me OF having been in
on the deal. He told me of the re-
sentiment of Frieda and OF the more
dire resentment against her OF Gold
berg and Sheldon. who feared she
would tell He told me they threat
ened then to kill him or her to clear
their way OF escape,
And then" concluded the friend,
The told me that Frieda Weichmann
was shot while she slept. but he did
not tell the name of the murderer.
Nor did he say who hid the body in
the ground or who're the grave was
dug.
III he confessed to the postoffice
authorities. the federal penitentiary
| was awaiting him. II he told. at all.
how Frieda Weichmann died, even
| though he denied firing the shot. he
. was guilty of completely.
"One way or the other. silent or
confessed he was hooked How he
| thought the men could help him
don't know. He was just desperate
| ~ founderinG.
QEuHnIIT. ~