The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-12
Police Say Murderer Had Out
side Reason for Murder.
Sixteen Year-OId Girl Didn't
Know He Was Married.
HIRED R0DBER" IDENTIFIED
Supposed "Woman in Case" Il
Not Held Today.
Indictments Against Lieutenant
Wanderer Held Up.

Chicago, July ~ Two true bills
charging Lieut.. Carl Wanderer with
the murder of his wife and the
stranger whom he used as a dupe were
voted today by a grand jury.
The bills will be returned before
Chief Justice Grove later in the
week
1t was decided not to return the
bills Immediately, police said. so as
to give the states attorneys office
of the case. Chief of these are iden-
tification of the murdered stranger
and the police theory that Wander
er's alleged infatuation for a 16-year-
old girl may have been the motive for
the crime.
The girl. Julia Schmidt, and Wan
derer both maintained today that
they were merely friends" and that
no love affair had existed between
them. Miss Schmitt after being ques<
toned by police was released.
Have Woman Theory.
Police announced today they were
working on a theory which may estab-
lish that Carl Wanderer shot and
killed his wife and a hired "robber"
because of his interest in a 16-year-old
girl.
When confronted with the girl
TIME
since his arrest lost his composure
momentarily. but firmly denied that
the girl had any influence on his de-
sire to be free. In one of his state
ments to the police Wanderer said he
shot his wife so he could return to
the army and be free from the care of
his wife and the baby they expected
neT The s"G girI. Julia. kehmitt. told the
police she had known Wanderer for
some time and had gone to an amuse-
ment park with him several times,
| but did not know he was married.
She was not held as the Iolice an
nounced after questioning that they
were convinced she had no knowledge
| of his confessed plot to kill his wife
and the hired 'robber" which he car
ried out in the lobby of their apart
ment June 21.
He Claims the Money.
| According to one of the latest OF
Wanderers confessions, the fifteen
hundred dollars which his wife drew
| from the bank two days. before she
was shot. was his own money! He
had stated once before that he in
| tended to steal the money and return
to the army, but in the excitement
following the shooting forgot about it
In all his previous statements Il
the police Wanderer has maintained
THAT he never had another sweetheart
than the wife he confessed to have
| shot. The girl whose connection will
the case now has been practically es
tablished. was discovered thru the eff
forts of Detective Sergeant John Nor
ton. who traced the second pistol useC
in the shooting to Wanderers cousin
and thereby secured the confession
that the man slain by Wancerer wal
enticed to the apartment lobby to b'
shot in a fictitious holdup which wal
Ito mean the death of the wife also.
Identity "Hired Robber.'
Wanderer today maintains his calm
attitude in regard to the murders anC
talked of his dead wife without emo
ton. He contradicted another of hi
iprevious declarations in his signe'
confession, saying now that he hat
been very happy in planning for tn
Firth of the baby.
The Identification of the hired rob
fber' as John J. Malonuy. OF Rive
Point, R. 1. was further supported to
day by John Welland Clark at hote
where Maloney had stayed three day
ljust before he was slain, and had reg
istered under that name.