Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-30
CONFESSES KILLING
SOME OF IS WIVES
Just Desire to Slay, Says the
Prisoner-Used Hammer
and Drowning
HE TRIES SUICIDE TWICE
By The Associated Press

Los ANGELES. April 3O.--At least two
of tho numerous women whom James
Il. HURT is alleged TO have married
in various parts Of the country were
murdered by him. two others met "ac-
cidcntaI' deaths while with him. and
! he might have murdered more ac.
cordiuG to an alleged confession made
public today hy his attorney and county
officials.
Hurt said hc could not rcmem.
ber' what happened to some of the
women because Of his still weakened
/ condition resulting from two attempts
I" commit suicide. the rCputod confCs.
sion said. He lay on n cot at the
county hospital as he talked
HURT has been held here several
days while officers investigated rc.
/ ports of numerous marriages, many OF
them under assumed names.
lie married "twclvc or fifteen
women. probably more HURT was
quoted as saying \ desire to Kill
obSCsscd him four years ago. HURT
was alleged tu have said, and women
wcrr his especial victims. there being
II" direct motive for their deaths. aud
no desire to kill men. children or ami.
mails.
Nina Lee Dcloncy. killed with q
hammer at Long Beach. Calf. and
, Elizabeth Pryor. n waitress, whose
head was crushed with a slcdge hammer
near Plum. Wash. were the "wivps'
whose murders the officers said Hurt
confessed.
Tho partial confession. said th'
officers. related 70 the deaths of Bertha
4. Gooduick and Alice Ludvigson, who
We're drowned.
! More than twenty five marriages hav,
been attributed by the officers to HURT
Seven women arc listed n missing
They inclndc beside tho four named il
tho alleged confession. Mrs. Gertrud
Wilson. Seattle; Beatrice NJ. Andrews
of Canada and England and Asnc,
Wilson. Alberta. Canada.
The first 70 die. according to The
alleged confession. was Miss Ludvigson
HURT was quoted as saying he was il
boat with her. fishing in n river il
Idaho. His memory was weak MS to tn
exact time and location. The boat. ht
stated. jammcd against logs which wcrr
lHShCd TO the bank Of the river and HI
, and Miss IUdyigSon tried with thoi
arms TO free tho raft. Whou he brok
away. he narrated. the woman lost he
balance. and fell into the river ant
| was drowned.
} He said Miss Goodnick died whcr
she fell from a launch into lake nea
. Seattle. while trying 10 go from 'th
c stern to tho center. Later on. the off
GERS said. HURT himself referred to thi
D death as "a murder The girls bod
. was found and trunks belonging 10 he
. have been located in a warehouse q
. Vancouver. Wash.
In the Pryor case the officers said h
5 asserted the woman attacked him wit
a hatpin. and he showed her so volentl
= that she fell and struck her head again,
a box.
Il He believed she was dead. he WI
= said to have declared. but To make cer
tain. struck her with a hammer.
'e Miss Deloney. be was quoted as say
. ing. he killed at camp near Sign
u Hill, AT the edge Of Long Beach. Calif
January % last. after they QuarrrlC
about letters he had received from 9th,
women.
\ party Immediately lett for the plac
near San Diego where Hurt said /
buried Miss Deloney's body.
" Had No Direct Motive
HURT was seized December IL
his home in Hollywood. At that tim
u according to the police. h. was prepal
.. ing to take his latest wife on a trip in
III" mountains. He was arrested for il
,. vrstigatiOn in connection with the o.
"ratiOnS of Il gang Of confidence mel
He said h" knew nothing Of his pul
+ "ntS. but did know he was born som,
\ where in tn" South. He said he hu
little "ducation.
. He admitted. the officers said. Tin