The Washington times., 1920-05-01
PLAN TOCHEAT
ROPE MAYFA|L
"Arch-Loyer" Faces GalIows
Despite Bargain With State
To Escape Death.
ONE HOPE is '4HsAEITY"
will Plead Guilty, Relying OF,
District Attorney to Urge
Life Term.
By W. BOYD GATEwOOD,
International News service.

BY W. BOYD GATEwOOD,
International News Service
Los ANGELES, Calf. May L.
Ironical fate tricked Charles Newton
Harvey into confessing the murder
of four of his twenty-eight wives"
1t developed today in an interview
with the modern "Bluebeard" and
super-bigamist in his iron-bound
hospital cell.
Feared Capital Punishment.
"Biuebeard" Harvey, misinformed,
believed capital punishment existed
in the State OF Washington when he
slew pretty Betty Prior near Olym-
pia, and II was to escape that er-
roneous fear of death on the gallows
that he bargained with District At
torney Woolwine here for life i'm
prisonment as the price of full con-
fession to the four wife murders.
But "Bluebeard" had escaped res
toration of capital punishment In
Washington by single day. and 1t
would have been impossible there for
him to hang. while here. with the
murder to confront him. disregarded
by the court of the district attorneys
recommendation of life imprisonment
would mean death. And this seems
not unlikely today, officials agree.
Harvey lay today in his iron bed.
hands manacled to pr.syent further at
tempts at suicid@, I6n utterly broken
man. ,., g -
Claims Insanity.
II must be insane" he means; Il
must be insane"
He refuses to answer questions;
photographers are barred from his
room. Only once did he show the
slightest emotion and that was when
correspondent said:
Didn't you know you could not
hang in Washington when you Of
fered the confession to the murder
here?'
He propped himself up in bed. tug
ging at his hands.
my God. mol" he exclaimed. That's
not so-not so!'
But when assured that It was, he
fell back, buried his face in his pill
low and sobbed, crushed. He seemed
to feel that, despite his promise from
Woolwine of recommendation of life
imprisonment he is living under the
shadow of death His one hope ap-
pears to be insanity and he harps con-
stanuy on that
Will Plead Guilty.
Harvey has announced he win plead
guilty to murder in the first degree,
with its mandatory death penalty, 1t
was announced by authorities today.
Accompanying the guilty plea Of
the arch murderer will be the rec
ommendation of the district attorney
that sentence be placed at life I'm
prisonmenL
Harvey's we'll nigh Incredible story
has been verified in part by the dis
covery of the body Of one Of his
numerous wives, Betty Prior. near
Olympia, Wash. Officials today were
getting into communication with
other parts of the country to check
up on his movements
It will be difficult to get q com
plete check on his movements, for his
wanderings the last ffteen years
have carried him from Massachusetts,
to California and from Canada to the
Gulf.
The four victims OF whose deafh
Harvey is certain were named by him
as Nina Deloney, of San Franchises:
Bertha Goodnick, OF Seattle; Alice
Ludvinston, of Spokane, and Betty
Prior, Of Seattle.
Burned Bodies OF Two.
The first two were hendishly mur-
dered. Harvey said he beat their
heads in with a hammer, and then
buried their bodies to destroy evil
dencc of his guilt.
Bertha Goodnick was drowned. She
and Harvey were rowing a boat on
Lake Washington. She fell into the
water and he rowed away and left
her to drown.
Alice Ludvington met the same fate
Somewhere in Idaho" Harvey doesn't
know the place. He cant remember.
he said.
Lays Crimes To HBIood Lust"
Harvey doesn't know just why he
killed the women. He said he had a
"blood lust" and that when 1t hit
him, he couldn't control himself. Mem
tai blankness envoloped him during
these awful periods. he said ana
when he came out of them he always
went away and married somebody
else. Then Il would happen again
The mental fog would come down.
and he would kill.
Harvey has a string OF aliases
under which he operated, making
more difficult the work of checking
up. Ho can't remember them.
"I don't remember he reiterateo
moaningly as astounded offctas
pressed him to think OF more MUIR
ders.
occasionally he appears rational
and calm. chcorfully admitting hts
horrible crimes.
"rm ready to 60" he said durine
ono OF these lucid intervals.
Supplied with picks and shovo1av y
posse OF men from San Diego ARE 81
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