Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-23
Otto Cole Resigned
to Spending Life
in State Prison
Not Expecting Parole. Says
Slayer, Writing ~ He Lies
on Cement Floor Of
Dark Cell.

Otto Cole, Ia bis dek. solitary
cell In the county jail yesterday.
calmly looked his late in the face and
said he was resigned 10 il-liie I'm.
prisoument'-
This mysterious man. admittedly .
ielon, admittedly the slayer OF Harry
Hahn. srnienced yesterday. WAS
writing, lying or the cement floor
OF his cell, hts head and the paper
close agains, the bars 20 get BIZ
OF light from the window which he
cannot sec from the solitary"
You'll probably be released BY
parole before many years have
passed." said the interviewer.
Better Chance in Illinois"
No. don't think So" slowly re-
Piled this strange n:an. who has
spent q OF his ~ years in peni,en-
iiaries. Il figure | will be all OF 60
years old by the time ! &c, free again
and can walk at will in the bright
air and sunshine. All. | love them
rs well ss you; perhaps better.
I'll this were in Illinois | think !
could &c, out sooner because | could
bring political pressure TO bear on
the board"
Then why are you so cheerful.
facing the next 20 years in prison"
Cole smiled. --.
Hope is a wonderful thing" he
said. Il, is a brave thing. /, goes
with men into the worst situations.
and the worse the situation the louder
il talks"
Little Hope.
James Walker. assistant public de-
fender. arrived at the cell with a
typewriter motion for a new trial.
Cole, after reading il carefully and
making a few suggestions. signed the
paper and Walker took il to the
clerks office to be filed.
Cole probably will be brought be-
fore Judge Leslic's early next week
for formal sentence to life imprison-
mcnt.
Cole plainly showed that he has lit
lie hope OF new trial.
II he gets one, however, he said he
would not again act as his own coun-
Il will hire the best lawyer obtain
able" he said, IF can, raise the
money"
Your friends will put' up the
money!" .-.s
mo. | shall appeal to one man. a
cousin OF mine, wealthy manufac-
turer. He can easily supply the
money. My great aim is to keep
knowledge Of my trouble from my
sister and mother"
Going to Behave Self.
Cole reverted to his evident belief
that the sentence is inevitable.
II understand this warden. Fenton,
is a square shooter" he remarked. !
"I'm going to behave myself and win
his friendship"
"And be made trusty?"
mo; there's little hope OF that.
When a man is escaped from another
prison they won't make him trusty.
But hope to be put on work as
craftsman in the prison. You know,
! am an expert at that. If am
doing that. the years will pass more
easily" l.
Cole related at length the particu-
lars of his escape from Joliet prison
in 1920.
II hated the warden, I'll admit"
he said, because Of = certain affair
which resulted in the death of a
friend of mine. I had access to GER
tain tools and, on behalf of liter
whom ! believed to be innocent. /
cut the bars. l could work only 10l
each night, but did it. We
both got away. He is in Argentine
now"
Cole said that he invented an air
plane precision bomb releasing de-
vice in 1918, but that the warden
would not permit him to send it to
Washington. He managed to place
= letter and the plans in shipment
of chairs sent out Of the prison, to-
gether with letter to Chairman
Coffin of the aircraft board. It
reached Washington just about when
4hA . ort,4 sets~n S1Sac csorad