The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-07-16
Carl Wanderer Confessed
Shooting His Wife
TOLD OF WELL-LA|D PLOT
Desire To Inherit Estate Given
As Reason For Most
Brutal Act
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch1


Chicago, July 1O.-State's Attorney
Maclay Hoyne was expected today to
prefer charges of first degree murder
against Carl Wanderer, former army
lieutenant, who confessed last night to
the killing of his wife and tramp.
The motive for the murders was
first given by Wanderer as a desire
to go back into the army, free from
marital ties. Later it was revealed.
according to the police, that he wish
ed to inherit her estate and did not
intend to rob her.
: Wanderer Is said to have signed his
confession of the shooting after cody
reading over the stenograpnic, copies
of his oral statement. He stated calm
ly today that he was through talking
and that he was waiting for the
hanging" according to police officers.
Placed Under Guard.
Wanderer was taken to detention
home No. l where a heavy guard was
placed over him to prevent any at
tempt on his part either to escape or
harm himself
In his confession, police said Wan
derer declared that he had deliberate
ly shot to death his bride of few
months and that he also shot an un-
whiting victim of his planning, a man.
unarmed, whom he enticed to his
home. SO he could kill him and then
accuse him OF having tried to rob
him and his wife. In two months his
wife would have become a mother.
The unidentified man, used By Wan
derer TO pose as a robber and then
slain, was partly identified as Will
liam Noeth. who in 1911 or 1912, was
employed by a circus while in South
Bend, Indiana The partial identi-
cation was made by E. Pryor, former
ly circus employe.
I'VE shall go before the grand jury
Monday and ask his indictment on a
charge Of murder states attorney
Hoyne said. at is one of the most
cold blooded and reyolting crimes in
Chicago's history. We shall ask an
immediate trial and the rope"
Wants To Be Hanged.
81 want to be hanged" Wanderer
commented. II hope to join her in
death. I wonder If she will forgive
me. Well, l loved her too much to
let another man get her. But / did
not want her myself"
Wanderer said that he did not wish
to desert his wife and join the army,
but wished to be free"
oAC Vi bA6 CtAOA4dliOS VI LA0 GdS0,
which misled the police for weeks,
was the romance OF the couple and
their happy married life. Carl had
never smoked, chewed, drank or In
duIged In slang, had but one love af
fair. the one with Ruth Johnson, who
became his wife.
"She was the only girl ever kiss
ed" he told the police. He took her
to church every Sunday. They mar
,fr .E@ ~ 10 ,.4<, 1aI eco
The family of his murdered wife are
still steadfast in expressing their re-
luctance to believe Wanderers con-
fession.
"Ive got to hear it from his own
lips before I'll know! what to think"
said Ruth's brother. Carl Johnson.
"I'll go down to see him today and
then III ask him."
Relates coIdbIooded Tale.
Wanderer would not allow his mo-
Their to be notified. FIom June p
known as the case without a clew.
The story of how the ragged stranger
was hired to be the unwilling victim
in. the double murder was old by
Wanderer in the same cold blooded,
Unconditional way he related the de-
tails of his wife's death.
He picked up the man on the west
side on the day Of the murder by Of
fering him a job as truck driver.
An appointment was made for that
evening. When the stranger came
Wanderer told him that he wanted
the man to follow Mrs. Wanderer in
to the apartment house when they
returned from movie show that ev-
ening and stage a fake holdup. The
stranger agreed.
Wife Cried, "The Baby"
Then he took Mrs. Wanderer to
the movie to see one of Jack London's
most exciting tales.
He had two guns in his pocket both
loaded. When they returned from
the theatre the stranger played his
part, as directed and was met with
a stream of lead.
Wanderer then turned on his wife
and shot her twice, once in knee and
once through the breast. She died
within Ave minutes. Her only words
were, "the baby" The child was ex-
pected in two months.
When witnesses arrived the rag
ged stranger" was on the floor, shot
in a half dozen places and Wanderer
was sitting astride his chest, beating
the dead Wen's face.
Prefer Two Charges.
Carl Wanderer, former army Lieu
tenant and self confessed slayer of
his wife and an unidentified stranger,
was ordered held to the grand jury
today on two charges of murder by
the coroner's fury.
Identified The Body.
The Identification made by Mrs.
Catherine Vanos, a resident of this
city, who visited the morgue this aft
ernoon after reading newspaper de-
scrlptions of the body.
Watson is said to have been a
member Of the Canadian Expedition
airy forces and 1t is presumed he
made the acquaintance of Lieutenant
Wanderer while in the service.
Mrs. Vanos said she met the man
in Manchester, England. He was at
that time a member of the second
mechanical transport engineers of the
Canadian forces, and that he told her
he was the son Of New York mil
lionaire horseman.
Enjoying Fine Trip.-M. D. Fritz