The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-21
KILLING Of
ROY wolff
PROTESTED
Entire Pacific Coast Aroused
Over Proposed Execution
Of Boy Murderer
ny MAN STERN

SAN QUENTIN. Cal. Sept IL
n Roy Wolff. former Seattle Toy
murderer. Is hanged on October y
be win have been the youngest felon
ever executed In the United States.
excepting only Chas. osman. ~. OF
Los Angeles. hanged In 1915.
Governor stephens Of California
has the power to halt the hanging.
~ committing the boys sentence 10
imprisonment for life
From the four corners OF CaiiforS
MA and from Washington. where his
parenss live. q storm OF protest
ever the coming execution In pour
ing In upon tho governor demand
ong that the state shall not hang n
mere boy.
NO PROTESTS
FROM BAkERSF1ElD
Out Of Bakersfield. where the
murder Of Elmer Greer. taxidrivcr.
81 young Wolff year ago caused
3 passion OF indignation. Il Is true.
there comes no plea for cicmvncy
District Attorney J. X. Dorsey has
e1red the governor that the youth
displayed the mind OF depraved
adult AMI Is entitled TO no pity from
emeddiinS sentlmentalists."
But in Los Angeles the case has
aroused such reaction that an in
osiative Is being launched 20 wipe
capital punishment Off the states
eide.
To get Wolfrs story I was sent
~ The star TO san Quentin prison.
whore he Is spending what may be
The last days Of his youth
Young Wolff il the son OF Ger
man and French farmer parents in
Yakima. Wash. one OF family Of
- children. He Is stocsy. blunt.
uncouth and slow of speech His
enc passion IL for mechanics. Just
= tough kid the guards said as
ths boy walked across the prison
court u be interviewed
He may be tough for he has
Juvenile court record. hut there
vas no bravado In his speech. He
0poked me frankly In the eye when
be told hi3 story. and when he
spoke Of the daily letter from his
mother his slow smile was not ~
III -hardboiled.-
Il didn't murder Greer for his
nr.- he said. 4 didn't mean 70
hin him I meant to beat him up.
I came down from Yakima to work
near my brother at TAN In the oil
fields In California
II got . Job tn n garage. A spe-
cal policeman Of one Of the OH com.
Dantss had me arrested for stealing
m auto ! didn't steal 4. and
VAS acquitted
But his friend. Greer. vas sore
~ me. and got me fired I got an
ether job. and be got me fired from
that He was always picking on
Ne
Finally I got 20 sore I decided 20
beat him up. dressed up. and got
him to take me out In his car to
the country. where said I was
going to a wedding. He didn't
yecownixc me In my best clothes:
probably thought was a Mexican.
was sitting in the back seat. and
getting awfuily nervous. Three
times I dropped my cap out Of the
car to make him stop and get out
% could beat him up. He didn't
ret out I got Wild then and hit
him over the head with . hammer
! rot under the sat
DROVE OFF THINKING
GREER WAS ONLY HURT
when he stumbled out Of the
ear he was able to stand up. and
drove off. ! thought I had only
hurt him
Il heard he walked two miles %
Z railroad station and tagged .
train that took him to Bakersfield,
and died on the operating table
that night
Il drove way down below the
town and left the car In plain sight
IN the road. took the train for
Yakima. and when I got home my
folks showed me the paper that
told of the murder. went to the
station and gave myself up"
District Attorney Dorsey's state
ment h that Wolff left Greer lying
IN the road and refused to give him
water when he called for II. Greer's
widow has joined Dorsey In urging
4H~ dooth v.cuafty