The Washington herald., 1922-11-19
YKUEHL|NG
|, TELLSROWHE
| ELUDED GUARD
Victim Of Circumstances, Is
Plea Of Washington Soldier
of Fortune After Recapture.
PILE OF COAL HIS COUCH
cIashed With Second wife Be.
{; cause She Refused TO Bear
Children, Ayers Adventurer.

Roy Harper Kushltng, of Wash-
&ngton, pho igas sentenced to five
years IN the State psnitentiary at
jefferson. Mo-. for attempt to kill
his second wife, and who escaped
from a sheriff while en- route to
jail, being recaptured IN st. Louis
on Friday, has dictated his o,on
story for The Washington-T Times
Herald.
BY ROY HARPER KUEHLING,
The Captured Convict.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Nov. 49,
] am a victim of circum-
stances.
My first wife was drowned
accidentally in the Potomac
river and my second wife shot
herself, blaming it on me be-
? cause I wanted her to bear
me children while she would
hot.
My coal dust complexion
and disheveled clothes are due
to travelling in a coal car to
st. Louis from Pilot Grove,
where l escaped from Sheriff
B. NJ. Church, who was taking
me to the penitentiary.
Early in 1920 / married the
first Mrs. Kuehling, who had been
divorced. I took her to my home
In Washington and we planned to
establish chicken farm and
watch the profits roll in.
RECALLS RIVER TRAGEDY.
In September of 1920 we went
canoeing on the Potomac and
were approaching a bridge when
our canoe got caught in the rapids.
We were turned clean around,
being overturned, and both Of us
thrown out.
She was wearing a leopard skin
neoat and / guess that's what
kept her down. There was an
Inquest and the jury returned q
verdict of accidental drowning.
Eight months ago while I was
working in a Government bureau in
Washington. l met Miss Kathleen
Whitsell. who was only eighteen
years old. We were married and
gave up our Government jobs, com
Ing west. She had money and / had
about 81 900.
We spent most Of the money fol-
lowing the ponies at the country
fairs. betting on them. of course.
And then We quarreled over the
question of having a child. She did
not want a child and l did Finally
j decided to take her to parent s
home at Stockton and let them talk
To her. They stood by her.
One morning as / was going to
the bathroom l heard a shot and
found my wife on the floor with a
bullet wound through her head. The
revolver which she used to shoot
herself was one she took as security
for loan to some man.
The authorities took what they
though would I've her anI.-m0rtem
statement in which she accused me
Of shooting her through jealousy
/ Later. she said that | shot her try
ips to get her money.
SHERIFF FALLS ASLEEP.
i am willing to admit that once
I sawed the bars of my cell in the
jail at Eldorado Springs.
On the way to the State peniten-
tiary at Jefferson City. the sheriff
who had charge of me fell asleep
for about fifteen minutes. / got
30 nervous I had to do something.
1 went to the door of the car
and jumped out, although was
stlll handcuffed. slept In a field
sn night. 4 freight train came
along the next morning. I dug a
hole In q coal pile In ne Of the
cars Of the train and hid there all
day. i rode ia miles and I
hopped out at dusk when the
freight reached st. Louis
l paid a hardware man Is cents
for the saw with which 4 liner.
ated my hands. and up until that
time had had nothing to eat for
thirty-sIx hours.
I have beea an actor. playing
Juvenile parts. Also was in the
army. but never saw France.
That is all l can say in this state
ment for The Washington Times
Herald at this time as ] am TO be
taken back to jefferson City to
begin an unjust sentence of five
long years But probably 1 won't
have TO stay there that long.
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