The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1926-01-06
Confession of
mankatO Youth
Heard tuesday
HUGO ALBRIGHT CONFESSES
TO THE MURDER OF WALTER.
VINING; is HELD IN NICOLLET
COUNTY JAIL.

Hugo Albrecht, Mankato youth,
is charged with first degree mu--
der, connected with the killing Of
Walter Vining, Belgrade farmer on
the night of December 18. Albrecht,
it is said, finally confessed that he
fired the shot which killed Vining,
but gave no motive for the act. He
was grilled by Sheriff Charles Nor
man of Nicollet county and after sew
eral hours of questioning, it is al
legged, he finally admitted he was at
the Vining home when the deed was
committed and fired the shot. At
first he denied all knowledge of the
crime.
The preliminary hearing of AL
brecht was held before a St. Peter
justice last week. Witnesses were
examined extensively throughout the
heraing. Mrs. Vining was on the
stand during the morning. Other
witnesses were examined during the
afternoon. 1t is anticipated Albrecht
would be bound over to the grand jury
at the May term Of the Nicollet coun-
ty court, on charge of first degree
murder.
Mrs. Vining's testimony, it is re-
ported, was to the effect that AL
brecht was accompanied by someone
else when the murder was committed.
His movements were traced on the
murder night and it was ascertained
that shortly after the hour the deed
was committed he was with his
sweetheart. They spent several
hours riding around Mankato. The
girl works at the poor farm and when
grilled by the police repeatedly stat
ed that she believed Albrecht inno-
cent of the charge and said if he
was "sent up" she would "work and
wait" for him.
When first arrested, Albrecht re.
fused to divulge any knowledge Of
the crime. Sheriff Norman became
suspicious of him because he never
asked why he had been arrested The
man was also implicated by the dy-
ing statement of Vining, in which the
latter stated that he recognized his
assailant and also the coat he wore.
Sheriff Norman started to question
him and kept on the job until AL
brecht divulged the information that
he was the guilty man.
The shooting is the second killing
in Nicollet county within a shors
lime. The obtained confession by
Sheriff Norman will save the taxpay-
srs thousands of dollars in the pro-
'ecution of the case, it is believed.
The Nicollet county officials are to
'e praised for their prompt and eff
icient work.
1t was brought out at the coron-
RS INQUEST on Monday that Albrecht
lad asked Vining for money in the
'ast, but this motive for the crime
las been secuted by the authorities.
n his confession, Albrecht did not
livulge the motive. In his dying
statement, Vining did not divulge it.
1rs. Vining claims she had no know
edge Of it.
Albrecht is "a years old. He for
nerly resided in the vinicity of Glen
oe. He has lived in Mankato for
ome time, working at the Milwaukee
'ound house. He has been boarding
t the Dave Schweiger home in Man
,ato, and kept company with young
girl employed at the county poor
arm near Mankato. 1t was at that
'lace that officers apprehended him.
lie has police record, having serv-
ID time in Jail on two previous occas-
ons, the Mankato police claim.
Vining, the victim of the tragedy,
vas about 40 years of age. He for
nerly resided in LeSueur county. He
md his family also lived south of st.
'eter in Oshawa township for sew.
raj years. In March, 1924, he was
rrested on a charge of manufactur-
ng Intoxicating liquor and received
9O-day sentence at that time. He
ater moved to Mankato and some
lonths ago to a shack near the Min
esota river about three miles west
+ Mankato in Belgrade township.
'here the tragedy occurred. He is
urvived by his wife and two little
hildren.-Brown County Journal.