The Washington times., 1921-03-06
FAC|NGNOOSE:
DENIES GUILT
Campbell, Doomed to Hang FRI
day, Repudiates Confession
He Slew Mrs. Mann.

Although in the shadow Of the
gallows, where next Friday he will
pay the penalty of death for staying
Mrs. Gertruds Harrison Mann,
Washington music teacher, William
Henry Campbell, twenty-year-old
negro, today repudiated the confes-
sion he made that he slew Mrs. Mann
and criminally attacked and robbed
Miss Mary B. Saunders, formerly
employed by the army intelligence,
and Mrs. Bessie Gleason, Of Nichol-
son place, last summer.
q. CONFESSED AFTER ARRBSr.
Following the arrest OF Campbell a
few months ago. he told the police
and others that he not only killed
Mrs. Mann. but attacked Miss Saunders
and Mrs. Gleason, as well AZ having
robbed a number of other women and
looted houses In Washington
Brought to trial in the District
Court on February IL. Campbell en-
tered a plea of not guilty. declaring
his confession that he killed Mra
Mann had been forced from him by
detectives. He also repudiated his
confession of attacking Mrs. Gleason
and Miss Saunders.
! 1t took a jury but twenty minutes
to bring in verdict of murder In the
ifirst degree against the negro after
Detective Sergts. George Darnan and
Patrick O'Brien had testified to the
confession.
CHARGES THIRD DEGREE.
Two days after the young negro
bad been convicted by the jury, he
was sentenced to hang on the Dis
trict gallows by Justice Gould, who
presided at the trial. Since he has
been in the District Jail Campbell
has been in conference with two
ministers and has told them that
the confessions he made to the po-
lice were "wrung" from him.
Regardless of this fact. the po-
lice believe that when Campbell
steps on the gallows next Friday
and is asked again regarding his
that he not only killed Mrs. Mann,
but attacked Miss Saunders and
Mrs. Gleason
The police believe Campbell's con-
fession that he killed Mrs. Mann and
attacked Mrs. Saunders and Mrs
Gleason is true, because he told them
in detail how the attacks occurred
He also led the police to the spot
where Mrs. Mann was killed and ex-
planned to them how he had attacked
her. He also told where he had dis
posed of diamond ring and other
jewelry he had stolen from Mrs.
Mann.
o.. TAKES POLICE TO SPOT.
Later, when he was asked II he had
not attacked Miss Saunders, who Is
now at Harvard University, Campbell
took the police to the Chevy Chase
Golf Club and pointed to the spot
where he said he attacked her. He
also took the police to strip of wood
land, where he admitted he had at
tackled Mrs. Gleason. The negro's
story of each attack fitted in every
way with the reports Of attacks made
by Mrs. Gleason and Miss Saunders.
He only confessed to the killing Of
Mrs. Mann after the jewelry of the
slain woman had been recovered by
the police.
If Campbell should confess on the
Jail gallows that 1t was he who at
tackled Mrs. Gleason and Miss Saun-
ders, it will mean the release from
prison of two other negroes.
Harry Randall, twenty-five. the ne
gro identified by Mrs. Gleason as her
assailant, today is serving a life term
in the Federal prison at Atlanta. He
was sentenced to death by Justice
Gould, but President Wilson COM
muted the sentence to life imprison-
ment.
"Woodenhead" Eaglan, caddie at
the Chevy Chase golf club, was con-
victed at Rockville of the attack on
Miss Saunders and sentenced to twen-
~ years Imprisonment in the Mary
land penitentiary.
Campbell told not only the police,
but other persons, that he had at
tackled Miss Saunders and Mrs Glea-
son and killed Mrs. Mann. He boasted
about II. But after he had consulted
a lawyer he repudiated the confession.
Counsel for both Randall and Eag-
Ian have attempted to get their re-
lease from the prisons where they
we're committed following their con-
viction. but the prosecuting attorneys
IN each case have persisted that they
believed both of the negroes guilty.