The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-12-29
HAMBLEN ADMITS
GAVE WIFE POISON
Ceylon Mystery Death Is
Cleared Up
WOMAN Is MOTIVE
Infatuation For Another Given
As Reason Clarence Ham
blen Killed Wife
Especial to the Free Press

Fairmont, December 28- A signed
confession that he had placed stry-
chine poison in medicine takerf by
his wife while she lay sick in bed on
last October 9, was made this morn
ing by Clarence Hamblen, of Ceylon
in the Martin county jail at this
place before Sheriff w. s. Carver,
Deputy Sheriff NC. Dalton and a
notary public.
Hamblen was brought back from
Stockton, CAL, last night, where he
had been arrested by Sheriff Carver
last Thursday.
The arrest of Hamblen on the muir
Ition for a WOMAN, The motive for
county Authorities was the same in :
fatuation which led to his arrest.
A letter written by Hamblen to
Mrs. Tena Schneider the woman in
the case, in Stockton led the auth
orites in their search for the MUIR
derer of Mrs. Hamblen. The letter
alleged to have been written was
from the home of Handlers parent
at Dudley, HI, and read as follows;
my wife died recently under mys-
terious circumstances and / collec-
ted the the insurance money"
Result of infatuation
- The alleged murder committed
by Hamblen was the result of his
deep infatuation for Mrs. Schneider
according to authorities of Martin
county. Mrs. SCHNEIDER lfeft Ceylon
two weeks before the death of
Handlers wife and the alleged MUIR
derer left two weeks after his wife's
death. The authorities traced Ham
blen to Stockton through Mrs.
SCHNEIDER.
Questioned regarding Handlers
SCHNEIDER is alleged to have denied
any knowledge of the man. The
woman in the case is the divorced
wife of Albert Helmick of Fairmont
and one child of the couple is liv-
ing with the father at that place.
Hamblen is thirty years old and
his wife was twenty nine, accord
ing to the authorities. The couple
had been married since 1917 and
had no children.
Call Grand Jury
According to information receiv-
ed from Fairmont this morning,
Hamblen will appear before a spe-
cial grand jury which will convene
Immediately. According to the in
formation received, Hamblen will
not make any defense against the
act he is alleged to have committed.
Questioned regarding the motive
for the murder of his wife by news
paper men at the county jail, Ham
blen was very quite and would not
disclose anything further than what
had been given in his alleged con-
feSsion.
Authorities of Martin county are
of the opinion that Mrs. SCHNEIDER
is more closely connected with the
case than she has admitted to the
notice. The fact that she refused 60
aid the officers in locating Hamblen
at Stockton, will probably lead to
her arrest as an accomplice ac-
cording to information from Fair
mont. The fact that she knew
Hamblen had collected the insur-
ance money and, was coming to her
in California, leads to the belief by
officers that she was probably inn
plicated in some way in the plot.
Police Of Stockton have been in
formed to keep a watch on Mrs.
Schneider, in the event that later
developments connect hef more
closely with the murder.
Admits He Fired House @
Hamblen was brought back from
Stockton a few days ago following
his arrest there on complaint of the
state fire mashal's office that he set
fire to his house To collect the I'M
surance. According to Sheriff
Carver, Hamblen also Admitted that
he fired the house. fh
Investigation into the death of
Mrs. Hamblen was begun after
Hamlen had left town. Authorities,
suspicious of .Hamblen's actions,
ordered the wife's body exhumed
and an autopsy made to determine
the cause of her death. A cofon-
er's jury returned a verdict that
Mrs. Hamblen, came to her death
through neglect foul play or poison
ing"
Hamblen, who is thirty years old
and a world war veteran, has lived
at Ceylon for eight years.
Mrs. HAM len, aged thirty, died
in spasms after only a few days
illness. Hamblen would allow no
one to care for his wife nor be with
her while she was i'll it was said.
Accompanied by Sheriff Carver.
and his deputy Hamblen was lodged
in the county jail at Fairmopt this
morning. A date for hearing on the
charges has not been announced.
s
Standard Oil Cuts. Melon