Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-07-28
NAN|DER'E|:R|, ON EVE.
OF GALLONS, DENIES.
HE MURDERED WIFE.
IN death STATEMENT" DOOM.
ED SLAYER SAYS MATE ALONE
KNOWS HE is tNNocENT-SAYS
FUTURE WILL SHOW HE HAD
> NO PART IN DOUBLE CRIME.

Chicago, July 2S.-Gayly singir'
popular refrains, Carl Wanderer APP
pears to be welcoming the approach
of Friday as the day he is TO win his
freedom instead Of the day he walks
10 the gallows and pays the penalty
for Staying the ragged stranger"
They say they got new rope for
me and it's an inch wide he said,
81 hope that extra eighteen inches
they are going to give me will do the
work, because 1t must be tough TO
have to swing twice.
why should | be afraid to hang
I'll step right up and take my medi-
cine. II they give me chance TO
talk before tighteneing the rope |
may give a farewell message"
Although trying to make his guard,
fellow prisoners and visitors believe
him courageous, he appears to be
slowly reaching the breaking point
Wanderer yesterday wrote n thir.
teen.page letter in which he stated he
was innocent.
The letter, headed Which Would
You Choose?' in part follows:
With Ruth this wife, as my wit.
ness, I am innocent OF the crime that
the state of Illinois claims have con.
fessed free and voluntary to.
IF have been an offender and com
mitted anything worthy of death
fear not to die BY making comics.
sion against myself and placing all
blame upon myself the people rose
mp against me for something | never
done in truth but in words only.
Il would like to state TO anybody at
large, including the johnson family
tparents of his wife), to show any.
thing that would lead to this afro
cious crime.
Il would like anybody TO show that
Ruth and myself were not at all times
happy. The people would not have
to go very far, as | lived with my
mother-in-aw for the short but happy
married life Ruth and myself enjoyed
The state admits they have no mo
tive. But this state Is one of the few
where no motive is required as long
as the crime is committed. In order
to condemn me they had to manufac- |
ture false testimony.
Il blame no one for being in the |
position | now occupy. am to blame |
for listening to their theory of the |
crime and signing my name to a So
called confession, but I could not do
otherwise after being kept for three
days and three nights without sleep y
The letter complains about the ac.
ton of the police in investigating the
case.
One officer said to HE while under
arrest that he knew | did not kill |
Ruth He said, Well, Carl perhaps |
you found your wife and this man had |
q clandestine meeting and you killed. |
them both for that told the office.
that | would rather say that | killed
her outright and for nothing at all
than to defame her character.
My wife cleared me from all blame
and the theory of Coroner Hoffman's
fake holdup is his own invention As
soon as the shooting was over Ruth's
first words were, Carl, ! am shot.
said, Are you hurt. honey? and Ruth
said, My leg hurts
"A mistake In the identity of guns
leads me to the gallows for a crime
/ never committed
i am glad | had the chance to give
five years of my life to my country's
service. | ask that the gallOws be
decorated with the American flag"