Indianapolis Times, Volume 45, Number 169, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 November 1933 — Page 1
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DR. WYNEKOOP CONFESSES MURDER
ACCUSE STATE TEACHER OF STEALING $25,000 IN RETIREMENT FUND BONDS
Police Dispatched to Terre Haute to Make Arrest After Fugitive Warrant Is Issued in Case. SUSPECT IS EX-BOARD MEMBER Miss Cora Steele Is Charged With Taking Securities From Safety Deposit Vault at City Bank. Warrant for the arrest of Miss ('ora Steele. Terre Haute school teacher and former member of the teachers' retirement fund board, was issued this afternoon in connection with the theft of $25,000 in bonds from the retirement fund. Charges ajrainst Miss Steele and dispatch of police to Terre Haute to arrest her followed appearance before the Marion county grand jury of state board of accounts representatives. The Times learned exclusively.. According to information said to have been presented to the grand jury by board accounts examiners the bonds were cashed or exchanged for other securities at Cedar
Rapids, la., and Chicago. There were two of SIO,OOO ienomination and one ol $5,000. All were United Slates government issues and unregistered, except for the numbers kept by Robert Hougham, board secretary. They were taken from the safety deposit vault at the Fletcher Ameri< an National bank, now the American National bank. Discovery of loss \va* kept a secret for weeks, but came to light during the recent meeting of the Indiana State Teachers’ Association here. Miss Steele is former chairman Os the executive committee of the teachers’ association. She was a member of the retirement fund board until it was reorganized by Governor Paul V. McNutt. O. H Griest was retired from the secretaryship at that time and Mr Hougham. president of the Indiana State Teachers’ Association, appointed in his place. Cosgrove Assigned to Case Charles O. Williams, secretary of the teachers’ association, was the only old board member to be reappointed under the reorganization. William Cosgrove, chief examiner of the state board of accounts, was assigned to run down the missing securities when their loss was discovered by Mr. Hou;Mam several months ago. He assigned Ross Teckmeyer. field examiner, to the case and the information thus procured was what the grand jury was given, it was said. Cashed in Chicago. Is Claim They are reported to have learned that the $5,000 bond was exchanged for United States government bonds of smaller denominations at a Cedar Rapids bank Miss Steele has a brother residing in that city, it was said. The two SIO,OOO bonds are said to have been cashed in Chicago, part of the funds being used to buy Standard Oil stock. A Terre Haute broker is said to have arranged the transaction. All the missing bonds have been found, it was reported. Two are in the Federal Reserve bank at New York City and one in the Trust Corporation bank at Boston, it was said. No Announcement Made The state is reported to already have taken steps toward recovery, including the tying up of $10,245 funds belonging to Miss Steele. She is said to have admitted ownership of one of the bonds and named an Indianapolis broker as the person from whom she bought it." No announcement of the bond recovery was made at the Governors office today, but statehouse attaches admitted that A1 Feeney, state safety director, and Mr. Teckmeyer had gone to Terre Haute to make the arrest. Hourly Temperatures 6a. m 37 10 a. m 39 7 a. m 38 11 a m 40 Ba. m .... 37 12 moon'.. 41 9 a. m 38 1 p. m 40 Times Index Page Black Hawk 37 Bridge 21 Broun 24 Classified • 34. 35 Comics 37 Crossword Puzzle 38 Curious World 37 Editorial 24 Financial 36 Fishing 12 Food Page 29 Radio 8 Sports 32 State News 8 Theaters 28 Womans Page 18 %
VOLUME 45—NUMBER 169
CHARLES WITT PUT TO DEATH Putnam County Youth Goes to Electric Chair at State Pirson. By I nitrd Pret * MICHIGAN CITY. Ind., Nov. 24. —Charles Vernon Witt, 28. Putnam county youth, went to his death in the electric chair at the state prison here this morning for the slaying of Lafayette A. Jackson, wealthy Indianapolis chain store owner. Witt was taken from his cell in death row at 12:02 a. m. He was strapped in the chair at 12:05 a. m and was pronounced dead four minutes later. Prison attaches said he was calm to the end and made the “death march" without disturbance. The body will be sent to the home of a brother, Arthur Witt, at Roachdale. for burial. The execution, of the sentence came after a two-year fight to save his life which was culminated late yesterday by Governor Paul V. McNutt's refusal to grant a petition for a reprieve. Louis Hamilton. lola. Kan., charged with Witt in the slaying during a robbery of one of Jackson's stores in May, 1931. is scheduled to be electrocuted May 11. POSES AS -COLLECTOR’ FOR NRA: ARRESTED Bogus “Government Employe" Held on Vagrancy Charge. Charged with representing himself as a "government employe collecting from NRA members." a man giving his name as Buren Thornberry. 38. Colonial hotel, was held under $2,000 bond on vagrancy charges today. Police were told by Mrs. Edward Luken. wife of the operator of a bakery in the 2500 block East Washington street, that Thornberry ran when she threatened to call officers. He boarded a streetcar, from which he was taken by police.
Jones Murder Trial Jury Seated; Court Adjourns Opening Statements to Be Presented Monday: Judge Hines Cautions Whole Panel. Fu Times Special NOBLESVILLE, Nov. 24.—Completed shortly after 11 this morning, the jury in the case cf William H. Mason, charged with the murder of Indianapolis Police Sergeant Lester Jones, was sent home until 9 Monday morning.
Circuit Judge Fred E. Hines carefully instructed the jurors against discussing the case or reading about it in newspapers. Opening statements of state and defense will be presented Monday morning. Members of the jury include ten farmers, a restaurant operatoi and one unemployed. They are Raymond Horney. Lee Lambert, Claude Lane. Everett Goff Harry Mosbaugh. M. O. Phillips. Frank Huber. Harry Williams. Harry Arthur and Ray Clark, farmers; Lowell Carey, restaurant operator in Westfield, and Charles Hammer. Ola Musselman and Lowell Fettijohn, who had been seated tentatively on the jury, were peremptorily challenged and replaced by Cajpy and Mosbaugh this morning.
The Indianapolis Times
HOOVER TOLD ! TO ‘LAY OFF,’ CHARGES FOX Warned by Wiggin to ‘Mind His Own Business/ Senators Hear. By I nitnl /’it#* WASHINGTON. Nov. 24 A ' “mind-your-own-business” message, allegedly sent in December. 1929. to then President Hoover by Albert H. Wiggin. head of the Chase National bank, was related today in the senate stock market investigation by William Fox. Fox said the message was conveyed by Wiggin to Claudius Houston, who was chairman of the Republican national committee during part of the Hoover administration. Houston and James Francis Burke, general counsel of the Republican national committe, had been attempting to aid Fox against what he alleges was a banker's conspiracy. Houston had Christmas dinner in December. 1929, with Wiggin and appealed to him in behalf of Fox "After that dinner,” Fox said, ‘‘Houston told me Mr. Wiggin told him to tell the President of the United States to mind his own business and not to interfere with what j the bankers were doing down in New York. They could take care of their own business and they resented Mr. Hoover’s interference in this matter.” j The message incident came after ! Ferdinand Pecora, committee counsel, had announced that the committee would subpena records from ; eleven banks to show whether Fox, who charged the banks conspired to force his movie empire into bankrutpcy, was right in his assertions. TWO MEN, WOMAN DIE IN PLANE CRASH Cabin Ship Falls, Burns on Illinois Farm. By I nitrd Prraa OTTAWA. 111.. Nov. 24.—Two men and a woman crashed to death today in a large cabin plane about seven miles north of here. County authorities who went to the scene of the crash said the plane was an eight-place Boeing plane owned by the United Air Lines Company. The plane struck the earth nose down with such violence that the motor was imbedded five feet in the ground. The plane caught fire and burned. No identification of the victims could be made immediately. ROOSEVELT CONFERS WITH TREASURY CHIEF Morgenthau at Warm Springs for Financial Parley. By t nitrd Preaa WARM SPRINGS. Ga.. Nov. 24. Acting Secretary of the Treasury Henry A. Morgenthau arrived here today for a series of conferences ! with President Roosevelt in which the entire financial situation was expected to be surveyed.
The jury was approved by the . state and passed to the defense early yesterday afternoon. Eleven of the jury were approved by the defense, with Charles Roudebush being challenged. The jurors were questioned I Closely by Floyd Christian, member the firm of Christian Ar Waltz, mfmed by the court to defend Mason. Mr. Christian pointed out to the jurors that two of the men indicted with Mason had pleaded guilty; that a purported confession by Harold Thompson might be introduced, and that the fact Mason is an ex;onvict has no bearing in the present case.
Fair tonight, becoming cloudy, with probably light rain Saturday; somewh at warmer Saturday.
INDIANAPOLIS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1933
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Upper—Suddenly breaking under police quizzing. Dr. Alice Lindsay Wynekoop. 62-year-old Chicago physician, this afternoon confessed the slaying of her daughter-in-law, beautiful Mrs. Rheta Gardner Wynekoop. former Indianapolis girl. Dr. Wynekoop is shown as she appeared during the questioning which resulted in her confession. Lower—Seated with police when announcement of the confession was made was Burdine Gardner, father of the slain girl and Indianapolis business man (left.) He is shown with Earle Wynekoop, husband of the dead girl, who surrendered yesterday and whose love affairs, confessed to police, added to the mystery entanglement of the slaying.
Public Works Employes to Get $45,000 in Wages Many Will Receive Wages for First Time in Several Years: Other Projects Planned. Several thousand workers on civil works projects in Indianapolis and Marion county will receive their first checks, totaling about $45,000, tomorrow.
For many, these will be the first cash wages paid in several years, as all those employed on present projects were taken from poor relief lists. While officials were preparing the checks for the first four days' work, plans were under way to start another 1.691 men, with a total pay roll of $550,000, to work on several new projects just approved by the civil works administration. Largest of the. new local projects is a reforestation program on 1.700 acres of parks and golf courses, giving employment to 1.020 men, with a total pay roll of $204,360. Employment will be given 205 men with a total pay roll of $34,450 in construction work on North Meridian street, from Kessler boulevard to Sixty-first street, over the new route of U. S. Road 31. Another 308 men will be employed in construction work on Pleasant Run parkway. South drive, from Shelby street to Keystone avenue, with a total pay roll of *62.224. j Another project approved was for development work at the campus of James Whitcomb Riley hospital for children and the Indiana university j medical center, providing a pay roll of $21,443 for eighty-seven men. Seventy-one men will be added to the group washing and cleaning Indianapolis school buildings, and will receive total wages of $1,065. Total projects approved yesterday by the board will employ 9,035 men with a wage total of $1,522,351, | bringing the total U£*s far for the
POLICE SKEPTICAL OF CONFESSION
state to 684 projects with a total pay roll of $6,763,498. Banks were asked in a statement issued last night by President Roosevelt to cash civil works employes checks at par. Nearly 4.000 checks will be issued tomorrow morning, it was announced today. County officials today said they are handicapped in efforts to place the new employes at work because of lack of funds with which to purchase small tools and equipment.
GOULD'S LUXURIOUS GAMBLING CASINO IS DESTROYED BY FIRE
811 < Hi ted Press NICE, Nov. 24.—Frank Jay Gould’s luxurious gambling casino, the Palais de la Mediterranee. described as "a palace the Caesars could not have built,” was ruined today by a disastrous fire that caused damage estimated at $750,000. The gorgeous interior was destroyed. its costly marble walls cracked and broken, its glass chandeliers. worth thousands, shattered. The loss was partially covered by insurance. The fire started in the restaurant, which had ben closed since May In five minutes the entire casino was ablaze. Two firemen were injured in fighting the blaze
POLICE SEE ATTEMPT TO MAKE DEATH OF PRETTY CITY GIRL MERCY KILLING
‘lnferior!’ ‘Not Up to Me Mentally/ Says Earle Wynekoop in Questioning.
By Timm Specinl CHICAGO, Nov. 24—" She was my mental inferior” Earle Wynekoop, 28, college graduate, told police investigators as they delved' into circumstances surrounding his estrangement from his pretty, murdered wife, Mrs. Rheta Gardner Wynekoop, formerly of Indianapolis. During most of his questioning by police, young Wynekoop talked emotionlessly of his relations, or rather lack of relations, with his slain, auburn-haired wife. “Rheta had only a high school education.” he told Police Captain John Stege, ace murder investigator of the Chicago department and known as "Bulldog” Stege because of his persistence in running down clews. Elaborating on his statement that Rheta was “his mental inferior.” young Wynekoop said: “I am a college man. That's why we didn't along so well. She wasn't up to my scholastic attainments.” van WYNEKOOP explained he and his wife had not lived together in that status for five months. “During the last two years, we had drifted apart.” he said. "I guess I didn't understand her and she didn't understand me. She had a high school education and was very musical. My college education didn’t bring our relations into harmony.” Wynekoop revealed that the SIO,OOO life insurance policy on his life names his sister as the beneficiary. Asked why “his rtientally inferior wife" was not the beneficiary, he said: "After we were married two years. I learned there was a strain of tuberculosis in her family. I thought It best that the policy be made out that way.’’ ana WYNEKOOP’S coolly superior denunciation of his slain wife as his mental inferior came a short while after he had gazed on her dead face, to turn away with the cry: “That’s enough!” The husband of the slain girl also revealed to police that he had discussed with his mother his relations with his wife, as he and Dr. Wynekoop sat in a car in a trysting place on the south side. He would not explain what he meant by “marriage relations,” but police learned that Dr. Wynekoop knew of her son's affair with Priscilla Wittl, red-haired department store clerk, whose name is the latest to be drawn Into the murder mystery. Os Miss Wittl. he would only say: "She's a nice girl. Why drag her into this?” 3.500 ILLEGAL VOTES ARE CHARGED TO LONG Senate Committee Hears Claim at Election Probe. By l nited Prraa NEW ORLEANS. Nov. 24—Senator Huey P. Long's organization was charged today before a senate investigating committee with permitting 3.500 persons to vote illegally in New Orleans notorious “redlight" district.
'<Give Her Limit, ’ Father of Slain Girl Pleads B. H. Gardner Expresses Hope That Aged Woman Will Die in Chair for Crime. BY FREDERICK G. MATSON Times Staff Writer CHICAGO. Nov. 24.—“1 hope they give her the limit,” Burdine H. Gardner, Indianapolis, father of the slain Rheta Gardner Wynekoop, said today when police said I)r. Alice Lindsay Wynekoop had confessed the murder of the former
Indianapolis girl. "You mean capital punishment, don't you, Mr. Gardner?” he was asked. “Yes.” he exclaimed, brokenly, "The worst there is is none too good for her." Mr. Gardner revealed following the purported confession that he believed the murder “had been planned for some time.” "It was a cold-blooded and deliberate killing.” he asserted. Earlier, before Dr. Wynekoop is alleged to have admitted chloroforming and shooting her daughter-in-law. Mr. Gardner had asserted it "was immaterial to him” whether any of the Wynfkoops attended the
Filtered as Second-Class Matter at Fostofiice, Indianapolis
Mother-in-Law of Indianapolis Musician Asserts She Chloroformed Victim, Then Shot Her. CAPTAIN STEGE IS SKEPTICAL Expresses Doubt True Story Has Been Told; Says Slain Woman Was Alive When Gun Was Fired. By l nilPrraa CHICAGO, Nov. 24.—Police said this afternoon that Dr. Alice Lindsay Wynekoop, 62-year-old gray-haired woman physician, confessed she chloroformed her beautiful daugh-ter-in-law and shot her to death. “1 took her down to the operating room and gave her chloroform,” they quoted the steel-nerved elderly woman as confessing. ‘‘Then I shot her. It was about 5 p. m. I was alone in the house.” The aged woman, broken under the strain of hours of questioning, was quoted by police as giving a complete confession. “Rheta was an invalid. She was unbalanced and could not live long,” they quoted Dr. Wynekoop as saying. “So I killed her. 1 placed the blanket over her and walked away. “My son lost all love and affection for the young woman within a month after he married her. She was anemic,” the officers said the physician told them. While the statement was being taken, a detail of police was dispatched to the dismal Wynekoop home to bring several articles mentioned by Dr. Wynekoop in her confession to the police station. Captain John Stege. bulldog-like inquisitor, emerged from questioning the woman. “Well, boys." said Stege, “the case is solved. Dr. Wynekoop has told us the whole story." Bimtine H. Gardner, father of the beautiful 23-year-old Rheta, whose body was reported found by her mother-in-law on the operating table in i the basement of the gloomy home Tuesday night, was present when the confession was announced. A detailed statement was given police by the aged doctor. "Rheta was down in the basement weighing herself on the scales in | the operating room. I came down and stood in the doorway. Rheta complained she had pains in the pelvic region. I told her to get up on the operating table and I would examine her.
"Rheta had her clothes off as she always did when she weighed herself. I started to examine her. Then I gave her chloroform. She lost consciousness. For twenty-five minutes I worked over the girl. I looked at the pupils of her eyes. I was certain that she would not come out of the anesthetic. “I was confronted with a terrible problem. Why whole life seemed to flash before me. I felt certain Rheta was going to die. Suddenly I remembered the revolver in the desk in the other room. “I got the gun and fired one shot into Rheta s back, holding the gun about five inches from the body. ! Then I covered her with a blanket | and went out of the house. I w-alked j up and down Madison street for a long time wondering what to do." Son Admits Love Secrets The confession of the woman who once was one of the city's bestknown child and women's specialists climaxed such a murder case as, Chicago had not seen in years. Dr. Wynekoop, a person of steel nerves and rigid composure, reported the death to police at in p. m. Tuesday night. Development followed development as discrepancies were discovered in her story, and the stories told by other witnesses. Today her son Earlp. husband of j the slain girl, admitted his suspi- ; cions of his mother and confessed ;to widespread acquaintanceship with other women. Conflicts With Story | In her formal confession to police, Dr. Wynekoop placed the time of the slaying at 2 p. m. This conflicted with the story of a neighbor
funeral service here for the pretty slain musician. His face pale and drawn. Mr. Gardner had asserted before the alleged confession: “I have some very definite ideas about the murder, but I do not care to make any statement until there is a confession.” Almost the only time he had smiled prior to the alleged confession was when he expressed gratitude on learning of the many kind things said about the slain girl by her friends in Indianapolis. He asserted that funeral services in Indianapolis probably would be iopen to Rheta s many fiends.
HOME EDITION PRICE TWO CENTS Outside Marion County, 3 Cents
that she had seen Rheta at 3 p. m. "Rheta was going to go down to buy some music,” Dr. Wynekoop explained, "before she went down she went to the basement to weigh herself. I followed her there. While ! she was weighing herself she com- | plained of these pains. “I said, Rheta, I think I can do something to ease these pains for you.’ Rheta said that was fine and I told her to undress and get on the operating table. "I told her I would give her chloroform to pase the pain and the girl was agreeable. I had no | thought of killing her. Then I saw ’ she would not come out of the i chloroform.” Ignores Insurance Angle After the statement, the physician asked and received permission of police to tell her story to her family, in her own words, j The confession made no mention of the fact that Dr. Wynekoop had been named beneficiary of Rheta in a double indemnity life insurance policy for $5,000 which had been j issued only a few days before. Nor that two members of the Wynekoop household were named beneficiaries of a second accident policy of SI,OOO, i issued about the same time. However, police had disclosed that Dr. Wynekoop was in financial straits and had been for some time 1 since the death of her husband, who was a well-known physician himself. Police Are Skeptical I The confession was so worded that police immediately decided Dr. Wynekoop wanted the slaying to appear to be a "mercy killing,” done for the good of the victim and her husband They said, however, new evidence indicated the girl was ( chloroformed after being shot. They announced a belief that the whole and true story of the killing had not yet been revealed. They pointed strong doubt at Dr. Wynekoop's statement that she chloroformed the girl and shot her afterward. ' The girl was alive when she was shot,” said Captain Stege. "Medical evidence shows this without doubt. We believe more blood exuded from the wound than would have had she been shot while unconscious." At the very moment the confession was being dictated to police, a telegram arrived for Dr. Wynekoop from her son Walker, sent from Peoria, where the ‘alibi” telegram from Earle was dispatched. "Keep up the fight like the brave soldier you always have been," Walker telegraphed his mother. "You surely are innocent of anything. I have flown here on an important matter. God knows you didn't do this. ’ Car Loadings Soar WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.—The American Railway Association announced today that car loadings for the week ending Nov. 18 totaled 599.289 cars, an increase of 21,813 cars above the preceding week and , an increase of 26.666 cars above the corresponding week in 1932.