The Washington times., 1933-12-29
CONDEMNED YOUTH DECLARES HE DIDN'T INTEND TO KILL
WANTED MONEY
BUT LOST HIS
HEAD,F|RED
Walter Reppin Tells Own Story
Of HoIdup Death; BIames
Self for WayWardnesS


Self for WayWardness
-. Following Is L story By Walter
- Reppin, 1S-yeGr-old youth con-
- = denIned to die neat tDeek in the
se,D lethGl gas chamber at Colo
. rGdo penttentiary,
By WALTER REPPIN
= fVPitteA ExclusiveIy for International
~ News Servlce)
CANON CITY, Col, Dec. 20.
:M.N.sJ.-Nobody believes me
when I tell 'em I had no in
= &ention Of killing anyone that
might I strapped two rods on me
Sn Colorado Springs and went
) out looking for easy money.
81 It's true though.
+; Everybody says:
4 "YOu must of meant to kill
:, Or you wouldn't had the guns"
They don't understand there
would be no stick-ups If there
were no guns. A stick-up is
afraid to go it alone and he
Z knows that stickin' a rod in
mans ribs does the biz.
Reached For Glasses
Most stick-up killings are from
cscaredness or in self-defense. Take
tsRne, I never thought of killing
that guy (Vincent Regain. All
Il wanted was his roll and his
buggy.
But he was game guy ana
put up his dukes. When he
knocked that first gun down, he
thought he had me, but I fooled
fin. I knocked him down and
anreezed out with the other artil-
aery. He reached around on
the ground and picked up sumpin'.
- guessed it was gun. got
all blooey and fired. I knew at
s@nce it was his glasses he was
*Heachin' for, but it was too late.
Z got him and he flopped over.
e breezed out of there.
But they caught me.
Only Easy Dough
I got o fair trial. I had q
esehance to tell my story, but it
,:didn't go over so hot. Those
Jurors, like everybody else, wouldn't
believe I thought I. was shootin'
In self-defense.
= got the book. Maybe it's
best.
Anyway, I've learned what God
h and that there's sumpin to
this religion thing. To tell you
sElle truth, there's comfort in it.
II never thought nothin' Of it be-
fore, but took a dab at it after
they got me in this two-by-four
aGteel frame.
Z I like the way the chaplain
AaIked. Those Bible stories are
1ntereStin'.
I guess II I'd absorbed some Of
.et when my Aunt Emma and
Brother Herb wanted me to, I
wouldn't be here. The kids I
-bummed with had no use for re-
71igion. All they thought was
Rettin' a rod and some easy
e9VuSA'
Paid No Attention
There are lots Of those kids
kEmnin' loose. I met up with 'em
In every town. I should have
stayed home and got educated. But
rVou know how 1t is. I never
knew my Pa and can Just remem-
Ser my Ma. When you are
raised by relatives you just kind
OF grow up. My Aunt was good
But she had her own family. Herb
treated me like he was Pa, but
L never paid much attention, be-
.SauSe he was my brother.
/ went to school because had
DO. Everybody made me do
-EhingS. I didn't like it. After
awhile Herb got married. He
give me 0 place to stay and did
dots for me, but you know a kid
won't listen to his brother. You
.Shink brothers know too much.
. Was Just Afraid
:. ]. drifted with the gangs around
Newark and picked up the tricks.
Then Herb wouldn't let me 60
9sampin' about two years ago, so I
.breezed. I picked up an easy
Twin along till I got to Colorado
Springs. I liked it and stuck
around.
We did some little Jobs of not
much account. and then I breezed
nut for myself. And here I am
and that good kid is gone ahead Of
me. When the bulls had me in
stir in the Springs, I put on the
hard-guy stuff, but down in my
heart I didn't mean 1t. I was
afraid they'd think me weak.
Wants to Live
/: I'm just like any other kid. If
I'd had o mother and gone to
school and got some church, I'd
probably been like Herb. He's q
good boy and he makes his living
honest. Not so hard. either, cause
hes educated. told 'em over
here I didn't want to live, but that
amt true.
What I want Is life in here, so I
Ban see the other side. All I've
had Is the rough stuff. # stay
In here 90 years and learn religion
- ~ NAA