The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-30
MYSTERY NOTE
new CLEW IN
TORCH DEATH
Letter Signed With Name of
Schroeder's Wife Names
Dead Man.
FORGERY is INDICATED
Judge Prohibits Officers
Removing Prisoner
From Jail.

l stayed IN Indianapolis or who the
man was who was burned in my car
she lies"
Harold Herbert Schroeder, &C
cused Of arson and murder in the
High School road torch car mystery,
today was trapped into this denun-
citation of his wife, Mrs. Leah
Schroeder, at Mobile, Ala, when a
mysterious letter, which officials
believe may aid solving the mystery,
was handed him at county Jail.
The letter, signed with the name
Leah" in handwriting so closely
resembling the signature of Schroe-
der's wife that officials at first be-
lieved it was genuine, named John
T. Kiser of Las Cruces, N. M, as
the torch car victim.
Handwriting experts declared the
signature not that of Mrs. Schroe-
der, but declared the signature was
a clever imitation, detachable only
when microscopic examination was
made.
Gets Order From Judge
The letter arrived few minutes
before Attorney Ira Holmes, Schroe-
der's counsel, FLED a petition be-
fore Criminal Judge James A. Col
Inns, asking an order prohibiting
removal of Schroeder from the
county jail by investigators. Attor-
ney Holmes declared third degree
methods were being used in efforts
to obtain a confession.
Judge Collins made temporary
order prohibiting removal OF
Schroeder from Jail and set a hear
ing on the petition on a permanent
order for Wednesday morning
The order does not prohibit ques-
tioning of Schroeder at jail, Sheriff
George Winkler was told by th2
court.
The mystery letter, postmarked
Montgomery, Ala, was typewriter
and signed with the name Leah
| 1t. reached here at the same time q
handwritten letter from Mrs
Schroeder, postmarked Mobile, wa:
received.
Investigating Kiser's identity fol
The Indianapolis Times, the e.
Paso Post, another Scripps- Howard
newspaper today reported it was un-
able to find Kiser at Las Cruces
Dispatches from the Post said Kisel
formerly lived at Las Cruces but has
moved to Magdalena, New Mexico
where the Posts Santa Fe CORE
spondent was seeking to locate him
The two letters we're handed tt
Schroeder in the county jail Office
at noon today.
Not Wife's Signature
Schroeder opened the Mont
gomery letter. He read it quickly.
That's not my wife's signature,
he declared.
A minute later, however, HI
manifested doubt as to his owr
judgment.
Under close questioning, he main
tanned denials he knew any one
named Kiser or that he knew who
could have written the letter.
He was silent when Sheriff Wink
Ter questioning him on statements
in the letter which openly declared
Schroeder had killed the man ir
an insurance plot.
"Bungled," Says Letter
Don't tell them that you killed
this man for the insurance money,
was one passage from the type
written letter. LET them find thai
out for themselves"
"You have bungled. Had you no
bungled you would have been OF
| easy street. But the insurance com
panies are so suspicious about any
one who takes out lot OF insur'
ance that they do not believe any.
thing unless it is all clear.
did your mechanic friend have
any money. 1 guess not, for yoI
didn't have any when you were
caught her by old Dykes. Don't tel
them the man was James T. Kiser
of Las Cruces, N. M. If We hac
been together a little while longer
after your arrest you could have
told me how you killed him"
officials planned to permit
Schroeder to confer with relatives
on his promise to tell something
after he had met them.
The relatives, who were to in.
terview him Sunday, failed to d.
so. They are: Ernest w. Schroe'
der Jr., a brother; Mrs. Ferne Sans
Elkhart, Ind; Mrs. Faye Speight
Clarion, Ia, and Mrs. Florence
Knowles, Detroit, Mich, sisters, anc
Lynn L. Sans of Elkhart, brother.
in-law.