The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-12-20
LETTER CHARGES
MURDER HUSTLED
Former Wife Reveals HOr-
rors of Life With AL
legged Murderer.
SAYS PROBE BLOCKED
ark Falls Woman Accuses
Former Town Chairman of
Being an Accessory.

ion of the story of a murder com
litted ten years ago, which was first
evealed here by John Spranger, 72-
ear-old paralytic, were made in a
egistered letter received here today
county official. A former town
ficial was named as the man whom
ficials are seeking to shield. The
,tter came in reply to a letter writ
IN in answer to a query gas to the
hereabouts Of the mother of the
opposed victim.
The writer, a Park Falls woman,
sked that her name be kept secret,
caring that if it became known that
ne was making revelations her life
light be in danger. She also asked
nat any further correspondence be
ent in a plain envelope because she
elieves that her mail, is. being
atched, and is afraid that it may
opened and read
She intimated another attempt will
made to pry Price county officials
ito action, and that failing in this
he entire matter may be laid before
Governor j. j. Blaine.
Encloses Ex-Wife's Letter.
In her letter the Park Falls woman
old of the reason for her interest in
The case. She also enclosed an exact
copy of a letter from Herman
Spranger's first wife, the original of
which was turned over to the district
attorney of Price county, and upon
which she alleges he has refused to
act. She said that she had lived as a
neighbor to the first wife in Park
Falls back in 1911, and that she knew
of the fear in which the woman held
her husband. She said that she was
familiar with his acts of brutality,
toward his wife and family.
In her letter she named the man
whom, she charged, was the one who
would be implicated as an accomplice
if the case ever came to trial She
said that it was the friendship be-
tween this man and the present county
officials which is serving to block the
prosecution of the murderer.
This former town official was pres
emit when the deed was done and it
was through his powerful influence IN
the community that the thing was
hushed up at that time. 1t was to
prevent an expose of conditions at the
road house, and of graft and licensed
vice which was being allowed that
he took hand to shield the muir
dered. He is alleged to have help
ed to dispose of the body and threat
ened those who knew of the crime
with death if they ever breathed a
word of it.
'WOrse Than War"
The letter from the first wife des-
cribes conditions in her home with her
first husband, as worse than war;"
following her discovery that he had
murdered man. She said that she
lived happily with him until he "killed
that man" Discovering the crime she
said that she threatened to reveal
everything and have the road house
pulled. Then it was that (name de-
eted), together with the woman of
the roadhouse and her husband threat
ened to wipe out herself and her en-
tire family if she ever let peep
out. Under these conditions she
said she lived on firing line worse
than war.
She said that she is positive that
the body was not buried near the
rouse where they lived. She believes
that it will be found near the road
house. She said that as near as she
could get it, he was buried in a shall
low grave near the road house,
at happened on a Saturday night"
the wife's letter read. "My husband
never came home until Sunday night,
and he was blood from one end to the
other, while his face was all battered
up from licking the lady at the road
house gave him for doing it. He had
swell team at the time, and they
came home on Saturday alone.
Carried Her Cross"
al carried my cross all these years
until / left him, and then for the first
time | knew what freedom was, and
such a relief. Believe me, l tell you,
it sure is a torment for a woman to
live with such a man. That is why
we left the county and moved away
to no-man's land. / was in hopes it
would come to light to open peoples
eyes as to what l had to live with.
81 would have never said a word,
but my husband (the second husband),
said that sooner or later either one
of them would confess, as my first
husband talked in his sleep so much
I really got scared that he would
take me too, as /. have been choked
and pounded up.
'He kicked me the last time was
expecting baby, and lost her, and
he is also to blame that l lost my
other baby boy at ten months, but I
shall never repeat what he done that
he died, for God alone knows.
Tells of kidnapping.
IL wish I could get chance to get
my other boy back again. l haven't
seen him for six years. l wish George
would have a talk with Herman and
see if he won't come home to me- He
nearly killed him one time, and if it
hadn't been for the neighbors I don't
know what would have happened. He
had him tied to chair hands and
Feet and was clubbing him over the
head until the blood ran from his nose
and mouth. The two girls / had in
a home until / left him. He stole
he oldest girl and boy from me
md then skipped. Well such is life
\ the army"
The letter closed with a query about
op conditions back in Wisconsin, and
i~ueI "A1-,,e"