Evening star., 1938-12-29

NdyIny 9OIy
QuorreI Over Woman
Led to Killing; She
Escaped BIost
BY the Associated Press.
SIOUX FALLS, S. Dak., Dec. 90
Lee Bradley, convicted bank rob-
ber, now awaiting trial on a charge
Of murder, in an interview today
told an amazing story of how he
shot and killed Floyd Parker, also
an ex-convict, and then tossed his
body into powderhouse near here,
where it was blown to bits by 7
tons of explosives two years ago.
A quarrel over woman, Helen
Sieler of Sioux City, Iowa, described
as Parker's girl friend" led to the
shooting, Bradley said. The Sieler
woman also was shot and left for
dead in the powderhouse, but man
aged to crawl away before the blast,
which created one of the Midwest's
sensational crimes.
Bradley, who served about 10 years
of 15-year term after pleading
guilty to robbing bank at Fort
Pierre, S. Oak, in 1925, was ar
rested near Yakima, WASH last Au-
gust after a 19-month search.
Two Already Serving Time.
Two other men are already serv-
ing prison terms in connection with
the poWderhouse crime. William
Nesbeth, Sioux City bartender, is
under life sentence after his con-
viction here of first-degree murder,
while Harry slim" Reeves, also of
Sioux City, is serving 4O-year SEN
tence in Iowa after pleading guilty
to jewelry store robbery at Sioux
City shortly before the bizarre
powderhouse Staying.
Il guess haven't a chance to
beat this rap anyway" said Bradley
detailing events leading up to the
powderhouse blast which shook the
countryside for so miles around on
New Years Eve in 1886. This story
won't do me any good, but can't do
me any harm. because I'm slated
for the limit-life."
Bradley denied the blast killing
was premeditated, gave an account
that conflicted at many points with
testimony in the Nesbeth trial and
blamed marihuana and its effects
for much of the conflicting testi-
mony.
Gives Details of Robbery.
He told of planning and carrying
out the robbery of the Ehlermann
Jewelry Co. in Sioux City with
Reeves. Parker and Nesbeth a few
days before the blast, but denied
Parker was slain to keep him and
the Sieler woman from "squealing'
about the crime.
After the Ehlermann robbery,
BraN.ey said. the five came here on
December 81 and his companions
became "lit up on marihuana." The
trip here was made. he said. to OBJ
tain dynamite, and it was while
he and Parker were attempting to
break into the powderhouse that the
quarrel broke out when he made a
disparaging remark about Miss
Sieler.
Parker, Bradley said. struck him
from behind with his fist and then
attacked him with a hammer, but
he managed to draw his gun.
Il shot, he fell like log" Bradley
said calmly his voice neither raised
nor lowered. Il rolled him over
and he was dead. I had shot him
in the heart"
When Nesbeth, Reeves and Miss
Sieler came up, Bradley continued.
Reeves said: What are we going
to do with this woman? She'll
squawk."
Hit Woman on Head.
"She knelt over Parker and as
she did Reeves grabbed the ham,
mer and began hitting her over the
head. She keeled over. Then when
she cried to Billy (Nesbeth) for
help Reeves shot her.
L guess we must have all thought
OF the same thing at the same
time. Let's get rid of these bodies
So we picked them up and tossed
them into the powder house. I
thought Sieler was dead, too, be-
cause she didn't make a sound.
I'VE all helped toss the bodies in,
but I won't say who lit the fuse
Then we ran to the car and were s
or 6 miles away when the explosion
came.
CThe blast of seven tons of dy-
Mantle and black powder shat
tered $4,000 worth of plate glass
In the downtown district, 5 miles
from the scene of the explosion,
caused near panic among New
Years Eve revelers and was felt
as far as Pipestone, Mimi, so
miles away.
(Only a few bits of Parker's
body were found after the ex-
plosion. These included a strip
OF flesh from thumb from which
prints were made, leading to his
identlflcation as former convict
from Montana and California;
There is your true story, swear
1t. II I plead guilty or don't in a
couple of weeks, suppose 1t means
life for sure. That won't be 80
long. I contracted silocosis out in
the mines. My lungs are drying
up. Five or ten years are all any
doctor will give me. 1t might not
be that long,
Although previous accounts of the
crime and testimony at Nesbeth's
trial said Miss Sieler had been shot
eight times, Bradley declared she