Penman Confesses to All but Motive for Murder

After his capture in Vermilion County Penman is moved to the jail in Urbana Illinois.  The following is from interviews in the Urbana jail and earlier from a meeting with reporters in Danville Illinois. The story is from the Urbana Courier-Herald August 15, 1913

DENIES MURDER HAD BEEN PLANNED

CROWD AT JAIL APPLAUDS

Story From Fugitive's Own Lips of How He Fled From Place to Placed, Always Fearful of Arrest and Haunted by the Memory of His Deed —Says He Shot Shaw and Beat Him With Club -Jumps From Train Running 30 Miles an Hour —Scorns Insanity plea

Gust Penman, murderer of Harold A. Shaw, captured Thursday afternoon at Ridge farm and brought to Urbana at 12:15 this morning, has confessed all but the motive for the heinous crime. He declares that the murder was not premeditated and that he shot Shaw in the heat of anger during a quarrel over the purchase of the latter's automobile. The state's attorney is not satisfied with this and believes Penman is trying to shield someone indirectly connected with the murder —a girl, perhaps. But Penman denies that there was any other motive and answers queries as to a possible love affair with a single word—"No!".

Gaunt from starvation and loss of sleep and with a terrible, haunted look in his large protruding eyes, the murderer sat alone in a semi-darkened cell in the Vermilion county jail, Thursday night, and stared wonderingly at the crowd of newspaper men and officers, sent over from Urbana, as they entered.

"Fellows," he said, "it is horrible, I want to tell you that I have one of the best fathers and one of the best mothers in the world, and now I have as good as killed them.

"My one ambition was to reach Philo, see my dear old parents, surrender myself to Jess Wimmer, a poor man, let him get the reward and then take my life.

Suddenly the murderer asked "How many newspaper men are in here?"

A deputy called off the names of the papers represented, including the Urbana Courier-Herald.

Penman then drew- an attorney's business card from his pocket and tendered it. It bore the name of S. Murray Clark, a Danville lawyer, whom Penman said had called on Him soon after his arrest. "He says I must not talk."

Prior to this, Penman had willingly granted an interview to all the newspaper men present, so he was not Pressed to repeat his story, which is appended to this article.

Some details, told in the drawling tone characteristic of the man, were drawn oot by adroit questioning by State's Attorney L. A. Busch in the course of their conversation the Dodsworth murder was mentioned.

"That was a horrible, horrible, affair wasn't it?", said the man who confesses to a crime ten-fold as fiendish.

Someone asked what his plea would be.

"I do not know. I will do what is right, fellows, but I am not insane and I will not stand for any lawyer putting up that kind of defense."

The story of the crime and escape, condensed, as told bv the murderer is as follows:

Saturday 5:40 pm met Harold Shaw and Mark Henson in Philo. Secured gun and left with Shaw in auto,
leaving Henson.

Saturday, about 7 p. m. shot Shaw and crushed his skull with a club six miles south of Philo.

Saturday, 8:15 p. m., returned and brought Henson to Urbana.

Saturday, about 9 p. m., went to Villa Grove, returning to Philo after midnight. Murder did not worry him greatly up to then.

Sunday, 3.15 a. m., worried about the body lying out in the open, borrowed a spade from Jess Wimmer and dug a grave near body. Fainted at sight of corpse's face, but recovered and continued digging at another point, with head turned away from the body.

Sunday, spent day riding about Philo, Champaign, and Urbana, trying to gain courage to surrender to sheriff.

Sunday, S:30 p. m., started for Danville with Wilson of Sidney. Arrested for running without light and without tire at Danville, but released.

Monday morning, took Big Four train to Indianapolis. Leaving there, tbought conductor recognized him and jumped while train was running thirty miles an hour. During the day he reached Hamilton, 0., where he borrowed a typewriter and wrote a message addressed it to himself at Philo aud signed the name "Harold." Went from Hamilton to Cincinnati and thence to Terre Haute. Leaving Terre Haute Wednesday morning as stated in Wednesday afternoon's Courier-Herald, he arrived in Danville a few hours later and within thirty minutes was walking the railroad track to Philo determined to surrender to Jess Wimmer, the man who gave the damaging evidence that put officers on his trail.

The Murderer's Confession

"Yes, I killed him," he said between sobs when questioned by the newspaper men. "I'm sorry I did it, for he was among the best friends I ever had. If we had,been together an hour later I would not have done it. It was really not me who killed him, but booze.

"I was on my way back home to give myself up when I was arrested. Had I been let alone for a few more hours. I would have visited my parents and then turned myself over to the officers. I tell you, fellows, it's terrible. Death is much sweeter than living in this manner. Last night was the first rest I have had since I killed my friend and then I slept because I was entirely worn out.

"I can hardly think, much less talk and tell a clear story, but I will tell it to you just as I can. You will excuse any lapses, for 1 can hardly bring myself to realize what I am doing and what I have done. I only hope to see my parents again before I die, but fellows, it will be terrible to meet them.

"I have had better chances than nine out of ten boys and here I have thrown all away. To think that I should have had the chances I have good parents, good home, the best of care and to be destined to fill the grave of a felon. I trust that all of my friends and acquaintances will come to see me at the Champaign county jail. I will talk to them and warn them of the pitfalls which besets their way, and the pitfalls are many and varied.

"Fellows, Saturday morning I came to Danville and at that time had great plans for my future. All of Saturday my friends and I spent in this town drinking and carousing. Saturday afternoon late we left for home. I was drunk when I left here. I was drunk when I reached Philo. Shaw and a friend by the name of Henson met me at the station. We drove out to my home. We left Henson and went for a drive. We drove to the farm, I had tn the meantime been to my brother's room and procured a revolver which he bad secreted there. He knew nothing of it.

"Why l took the revolver I cannot tell. I often took it and carried it about and as usual I slipped it in my front trousers pocket. Out at the farm I told Harold I wanted to look, at some fence which was not in the best of shape and started off. He asked me to wait a minute, saying he would go with me. He did. We waited out in the pasture and were looking at the stock. Meanwhile I was studying about buying that car. I had nearly decided not to take it and told him so. He said I had contracted to take it and must do it. I replied that I had a mind of my own and that if I did not want the car, I would not take it. He stated that unless I did take it he would cause me lots of trouble. I asked him what sort of trouble and he refused to reply. We exchanged hot words and jerking the pistol from my pocket I shot him. How many times I shot him I do not know, perhaps three, perhaps but two. As he fell, I picked up a stick, a bit of brush, which was lying there and struck him on the head and face repeatedly. How many times 1 struck him I do not know.

"I returned to the house. I did not yet realize what I had done. Afterward when I realized that I had killed my friend and that I was liable to bo arrested, I went home and after emptying the revolver, I placed It where my brother kept it. I then left and went to Villa Grove in the car. I returned from Villa drove about 3 o'clock in the morning, and went to the home of Jesse Wimmer, a friend of the family, and borrowed a tile spade. I thought someone might find the body out there in the open pasture and decided to bury it. I dug a hole just as small as I could, so that it would not take long. The first hole I started I found would take too long, the ground being hard. I could not bear to look upon, his face and was compelled, to do all the work with my head turned. Once I looked at him and then fainted. Here Penman broke down for a few moments and could not continue for sobbing.

"Where was I? Let me see?" He was prompted and continued with his tale. "Yes, yes. 1 went to Champaign early Sunday, determined to give myself up and several times started to see the sheriff. After making several starts and turning back, I finally went to Urbana late in the afternoon, but as I came in sight of the jail I could not summon up courage to give myself up. I drove to Sidney and returned. I thought I would get money from Mr. Shaw and would leave the country. Well, I started and went to Sidney again. Then I went to Homer and finally to Danville. I was starting for Argentina, where I hoped to lose myself so that no one would ever find me. I remembered having read that there was no chance to arrest and return me from there. I told Wilson I was going to Hoopeston. I did that just to fool him. Then shortly afterward the police stopped me. I thought perhaps some one had found the body. When I found different I decided to go east and get away.

"I went to Cincinnati, O. There I wandered about some and could not stand.it. I could not sleep. I decided to return home. I started. I drifted into Hamilton. There I bought a post card. I went into another store and asked to use the typewriter to write the card. I hoped to divert attention until I could get home and give myself up . I'm getting ahead of my story, however. After leaving police headquarters in Danville, I doubled around in several directions, visited a couple of depots, so that I might confuse anyone tracing me. Finally I boarded the head end of a train and rode to Indianapolis. On Monday I started back. I boarded a train out of Indianapolis, but the same conductor I went over with was on the train and fearing, he would recognize me and report me, I jumped off while the train was going about thirty miles an hour. I walked all of the way to Greencastle, Ind. Prom there I went into Terre Haute.

"I came fo Danville from Terre Haute on the morning train and got off at the Junction station. The officer there spoke to me and I was afraid he was about to arrest me. I came straight South down Collett street to Main. At a little restaurant just west of Collett on Main street, I stopped for breakfast. As I was eating I noticed in the paper a story about the car. Fellows, right there I almost fainted. I could not eat another bite. The man in the restaurant there will tell you that I left a part of my breakfast. I handed him fifty cents, and he gave me back a quarter.

"I then went south down through the hills and hollows to a place they call Grape Creek. I spent some little time about there and continued walking around. There at night, some night, I don't know what night, I have no idea as to time. I have slept so little been so worried I hardly know my own name. Whatever night it was I slept in a little church. Some one said it was McKindree, or something like tnat. I continued walking, several times losing my way and getting confused but going in the general direction of home. l'll tell you my plan. I intended going home and visiting the folks. Then I was going to Jesse Wimmer the man from whom I borrowed the  spade. He is a poor ma and he was always been a good friend of the family. I was going to have him take me to jail and get the reward because he needs it.

"I was tired and leafing about that little town down there waiting for night to start home. I talked to some boys and they must have told the officers. Even after the officers came I denied my identity. One of them saw my Masonic charm and he asked me about it. I denied that I was a member of the lodge. I told him my name was something else; that I came from Texas and that I had been working over in Indiana. I had no intention of lying, to them, but did it so that I might escape until 1 could reach home and carry out my original plans.

"I did everything just as I have said it. There is another thing I want. Over at Terre Haute I borrowed $5 from a good friend of mine. I want that money paid back to him. There is also a very kind hearted police officer in Cincinnati who gave me twenty-five cents for something to eat and I would like that money returned to him. He was a poor man, as I pretended to be, and he felt much sympathy for me. If it had not bean that I had planned to have Joss Wimmer collect that reward money, I would have given myself up to that kind hearted officer

In concluding his story Penman stated he feared he would be mobbed when he reached Champaign; that the officers would be unable to protect him from the crowd "I know how well Harold was liked. I have been friends with him for a long time. Everybody liked him. He was as dear to me as anyone could be. That is why I hate it so bad, now that I realize what I have done. I tell you, it is terrible. I hardly know what to do. l want to meet my parents yet I am afraid to meet them. I don't know whether I can. stand the strain. I fear I cannot live through the trying ordeal of greeting my poor old mother. Just think what her thoughts must be, I know she would take my place willingly if she could and it is the thought of the pain and heart weariness I am causing her that hurts me worse than the thought of death. Great God, fellows, I want each and every one of you to think of me whenever you have thoughts of straying from the path of righteousness. Just recall me as you see me now. That is how each and every one of you must suffer just as I am suffering now. Like i have done, though you will probably disregard my advice, but, fellows, better advice was never given. Shun liquor and bad women as you would shun a snake. Each is a thousand fold more poisonous than the most poisonous snake ever hatched and both lead only to the pitfalls which caught me.