Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-12-17 | Page 13 | Mystery over Death of Girl

MYSTERY Of ER QEITJJ GIRL Accused Michigan Man Declines De-clines Reason for v Changing Name. MUSKEGON, Mich., Dec. 16. Milo H. Piper, charged with the slaying of Miss Frieda AVeichman of Chicago, admitted tfday he had visited several Michigan cities with her in 1J16, when they passed as man and wifeaccurding to Prosecuting Prosecut-ing Attorney Bruek, but Insisted he knew nothing of her death and burial in a lonely spot in Eggleston township, where the body was unearthed a year later. According to Piper's story, a man .named John S. Sheldon had married Miss' Woichman under the name of "M. H. Piper," at Renssaeler, Ind., March. 21, 191ti, but he feared to expose "Sheldon" "Shel-don" because of threats of violence. Piper Pi-per did not further identify "Sheldon." Authorities are proceeding on the theory that Piper killed his alleged bigamous wife after an automobile tour which lasted several months. Piper was arrested in Hamilton, Ont., .last Saturday, to which he fled early 'in December, and Muskegon officers found him working in a hotel under the name of M. J. Cnrlson. Piper would not give his reason for adopting this name. While he was in Hamilton, the police say, he wrote to his wife, who lives in this city, addressing address-ing her "Miss Freda Emmons, general delivery, Muskegon Heights." Several months after Miss Welch man's marriage to "Sheldon," Piper told the prosecuting attorney. "Sheldon gave his wife over to me to live with as my wife. The last 1 saw of the Weichman girl was in Kansas City in July, 1916." Letters written by Miss Weichman to relatives in Chicago and now in the hands of authorities here relate many events that occurred on the extended honeymoon, but make no mention of "John Sheldon" or "Edward Benton." two friends " Piper claims accompanied them. , , INDIANAPOLIS, De 6. According to the lie v. Paul C. Cumick of this city, field secretary for the Methodist hospital, hospi-tal, Milo H, Piper and Frieda Weichman were married by him at Rensselaer, Ind., March 21, 191U. At that time Mr. Curnick was serving as pastor of the Rensselaer Methodist Episcopal church. There was no unusual circumstance attending at-tending the marriage, he sad. As he recalled it, the marriage license was obtain ob-tain ted at Crown 101 nt, and the couple came to his parsonage in a big touring car and declared they were going to take their honeymoon in the south, traveling by motor.