The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-10-25

l
being woven by authorities in Kenosha
and Price counties drew its threads
tighter today around Herman Sprang-
er, 42-year-o1d mill hand, who was tax
en- into custody late yesterday at PARK
Falls, following -death-bed revela-
Ftion Of John Gustav Spranger, 72-year-
old paralytic of 354 Middle street, of
a murder committed ten years ago.
Further attempts will be made late
to-day to pry details of the crime from
behind the locked lips of the old man
who could not die in peace with the
black secret on his conscience. Sher-
if August Johnson, of Price county,
arrived in Kenosha shortly after noon
after an all night ride. from Philips.
= He went Immediately to the office OF
the district attorney where he held
conference with Frank Symmonds to
whom one of the most unique confess
sions recorded in crime annals of the
state was made yesterday by the with
cred little old man who lies in mo-
mentary expectation of death in the
front bedroom in the home of his SON.
in-law, H. w. Amelung.
Herman Tells of Fight.
c. E. Lovett, district attorney of
Price county, in long distance teIe-
phone conversation, shortly before
noon today. told Mr.. Symmonds of an
admission made by Herman to him
this morning, of a fight which he and
the old man had following card par
ty in a saloon five years ago. Her
man, however, denied that there had
been any ''third party" in the game.
To further substantiate the theory
that the victim was the bartender of
the tavern, a telephone CALI from a
woman in Kenosha was received late
last night by the district attorney.
The woman said that about five years
ago, bartender by the name of Sam
Franz, better known as Duff, disap-
peared from the neighborhood under
mysterious circumstances. For a time
there was talk of an investigation be-
ing made into his disappearance, but
that this in time died down.
The name which the old man re-
sponded to yesterday was sam Fran
cis." -
Further revelations were made to
the district attorney today by Mr..
Spranger's own son, Gustav, who told
of a threat made two years ago against
the life of his father by Herman. Far
into the night Gustav probed for the
secrets which the crippled tongue of
the father is unable to tell. 1t seems
that two years ago while attending a
funeral of. a relative, Herman, who is
a step-son, met the father and threat
ened him with death if he ever breath
ed a word about the murder. The
right name of the man under arrest
is said to be Herman Schumacher, but
he has always gone by the name of
Spranger.
Unusual Confession.
The first inkling of the murder mys-
terry came in a fashion which will
doubtless go down in Wisconsin crime
history as the most unusual ever re-
corded. A week ago Friday night Mr..
Spranger was stricken with paralysis
as he sat talking with the family.
When he regained consciousness he
began to mutter. Over and over came
the same sound.
On w Wednesday night death was
near. For periods Of rs seconds he
stopped breathing, then suddenly he
would bring himself back with a jerk.
According to the family, in the light
of later revelations, it seemed that
the old man could not die until he had
cleared his conscience of the cankered
secret
On Friday night Gustav suspected
that something was troubling his ia
Their and he began to question him.
But the only way the father could tell
his story was by the expression of his
eyes and nod or a shake Of the head.
While the son listened attentively the
dying man managed TO mutter the
word KILLED" The effort to command
The lifeless tongue was heroic. Great
beads OF perspiration stood out on his
forehead.
On Right Track.
Then for hours Friday night the son
sat by his father and questioned him.
kept on the right track only by the
continuous mods or negative shakes of
the head. rF
In, this way the dying man Soon
fessed' the secret of the fight which
Herman had had with the bartender,
He told" of the killing of the man
and the burial in a shallow grave at
midnight under some building, on the
farm where Herman was living at the
time. He gave the story of the card
party which resulted in the alterca-
ton.
Herman admitted that he had fight
over card party, to- the district at
torney of Price county where he is
held, but he said that was between
himself and his step-father and placed
it at a tavern rather than at the farm
house.
Plan to Search for Body.
According to dispatches from Park
Falls, the farm where the body of the
slain man is supposed to be buried is
now owned by Fred Steinheker, Plans
are now being made by the authori-
ties in Price county to dig about the
farm in the hope of finding the body
of the victim.
Keep Up Death Vigil.
At the Spranger home on Middle
street, which because of the strange