The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-10
Jury SCHOSEN
FOR TRIAL Of
TORCH Slayer
Main Street Faces Bar
With Killer OF Mail
Order Mate.

BH titcd Press
ELIZABETH. n j.. June 10
Henry Colin Campbell, 81. neatly
attired, but appearing i'll, was placed
on trial here today charged with the
torch murder of Mrs Mildred
MOwry of GreenviIle. Pa, on Feb. %.
Campbell, confessed killer and
seven times a bigamist, was seated
at the defense table with his wife
some time before court opened.
In contrast to her husbands
iaundiced and anemic appearance,
Mrs. Campbell seemed healthy and
young-more like the prisoners
daughter than the mother of his
children.
Less than a half hour after the
opening of the trial a jury was COM
pleted from the first thirty talesmen
called
Francis A. Gordon, the defense
counsel, challenged eleven taleSmen
and Abe J. David, prosecutor, chal-
lenged seven others, while the re-
naming twelve were accepted
Main Street" Is on Trial
Main street also is on trial with
Campbell
This tragedy, which eliminated
in a sensational expose of methods
Of 'mail-Order romance" began
in a lonely country town long be-
fore Campbell appeared on the
scene.
The small town sends its most
ambitious sons and daughters to
keep the cities going, and those who
stay behind marry young and settle
down in the established routine.
No provision is made for the man
or woman who wanted to go, but did
not. or who wanted marry and
failed.
/ 1t IS in just such communities that
the matrimonial agencies and the
4 lonely heart" magazines do their
most effective work.
Conquest Made Easy
Mrs. Mowry met Campbell through
+ the social introduction of a matri-
monial paper.
! According to reports, four of
/ CampbellS other seven wives were
obtained through the same agency.
He was not the first man to real
( ize that small towns abound in
widows and maiden ladies who have
/ farms. money in the bank, and
negotiable securities, as we'll as a
normal desire for human compan-
/ ionship, and often an unsophistica-
4 ton that makes conquest easy.
Campbell is a man Of considerable
background-the son of a school
master. at one time a publicity man
and advertising expert with an in
come of $4,000 year.
Sentenced to Prison
In 1890 ne was sentenced to five
years in Folsom state prison in Cali
fornia for forgery. but was pardonec
the following year.
In 1905 ne was sentenced to si2
years in Sing Sing for grand lar
ceny. and was released in 1909.
Henry Colin Close (that is hi;
real name) always seemed to have
money for the support of his vari-
Gus wives. But when he needed more
he did not hesitate to resort to fur
ther bigamy.
Mrs. Mildred Mowry had only
$1,000. but ne took that-and killec
her when it had been spent.
Other famous criminals used hi.
methods.
There was Helmuth Schmidt o.
Detroit. who ran a murder farm foI
years before retribution descended
upon him. He made discriminating
use of matrimonial papers in seek.
ing prospective victims.
DR.. Henry c. Myer. who had ,
modest record of fifteen murders
was another heavy traders in lone
some ladies who did not scorn th
Temple of Love" He married anC
murdered a dozen women of com
Portable incomes whom he met Il
this way. and collected more than
100000 from insurance agencies
before he was exposed.
Then there was the case of DI
H. H. Holmes, who was hanged afte
confeSsing to the murder of forty
seven persons.