Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-26
BURGLAR ADMITS
HE SLEW WOMAN;
ACQUITS A GIRL
James Regan, Sing Sing Con-
vict, ConfesseS Murder of
Mrs. Helen Hamel
BY Associated Press

- -iNs|e'ettN 800
New York, Nov. 26.-James Regan,
Sing Sing convict. confessed to-
day that it was he who killed Mrs.
Helen Hamel in her clearinghouse
here last February, exonerating Miss
Elizabeth Baksa,. 10 years of age, of
Freemansburg. Pa, now on. trial
charged with the murder.
With a record of six criminal con-
victions, Regan was yesterday
brought into the court room where
Miss Raksa was on trial for her life,
avswing his desire to clear her of the
charge of numbering Mrs. Helen
Hamel, a New York lodginghouse
keeper, last February.
Regan demurred, however, at the
terms" on which District Attorney
Swami offered to accept his testi-
mony. which he limited might involve
himself. Mr. Swami and Judge Ros-
alsky, presiding at the trial, then de-
cided to turn him over to attorneys
for Miss Baksa so that they might
attempt to persuade him to tell what
he knows about the murder, regard
less of the personal consequences.
District Attorney Swami, who with
SNNSN ANCSttASNNt iuNoNlOhtu llllll lOI
several hours. said he refused to give
any testimony in the case unless he
were assured immunity from prose-
cution. Mr.. Swami said a suggestion
that Regan might be permitted to
plead guilty to manslaughter in ex-
change for his testimony, didn't
seem to appeal to him"
Mr.. Swami declared he could not
consent to Regan's demand for inn
munity. though he was anxious to
have him testify.
Regan was brought from Sing
Sing as the result of letter he wrote
Judge Rosalsky last Friday in which
he declared he knew the murderer
of Mrs. Hamel and that he was pre-
pared TO give testimony in court
which would free her. He now is
serving a sentence for burglary i'm
posed on May 10.
Regan declared he had intended
also to kill Miss Baksa when she
came into Mrs. Hamel's house. where
she roomed, just after he had
strangled the elder woman to death.
The pleadings of pal" in the
crime, who said don't do that, Jim.
one is enough" induced him he
said to let Miss Baksa go.
Breaks Down After Grill
convicted six times of burglary
and grand larceny and sentenced
last May, three months after the
murder. to the Term -, now is serv-
ing, ReSan told the district attor-
ney, after ten hours of questioning
which terminated at two o'clock this
morning that he could not allow an
innocent girl to so TO the electric
chair for crime which he had COM
mitted. He refused to divulge the
name of his accompliCe, but said
thye were robbing Mrs. Hamel's
house when she discovered them and
began to scream. Regan killed her,
he confessed, by knotting a towel
around her throat to suppress her
cries. -
Makes Full Confession TFN
Regan wrote from his cell to Judge
Rosalsky, asserting that Miss Baksa
did not commit the murder and that
he would tell who did, after he had
read in the newspapers of the trial.
+! He refused at first to give any de-
tails of the crime unless he was
promised immunity from prosecu-
ton, but finally made a full con-
fession which he said he would
swear to in court. 1t is understood
that if his story on investigation. is
found to be true, he will be per-
mitted to plead guilty to man.
slaughter. Pendn gthis inquiry. the
Baksa trial was recessed until next
Monday.
In the meantime, the district at
torney, who stated that he was not
satisfied with some parts of Regan's
| confession, wills check. UP its var
| ious features with other evidence in
the case. Regan will. be subjected
! to an examination by allienists to de-
! termine his mental condition.
Girl F'lees i'm Fear
Miss Baksa fled to Freemansburg
| after the murder. When she re-
turned four days later, impelled.
! as she declared, to tell what she
knew of the killing, she was ar
| rested and later indicated for the
crime. She maintained from the
start of her trial recently that an
unknown man had strangled Mrs.
| Hamel and had threatened to kill
her unless she went away and kept