I am researching material regarding a criminal case from 1913. I know
for a fact  that the killer Henry Spencer assisted in making this
film.(The movie is listed in the silent film records) I am trying to
track down a copy of this film. Can you help to find a copy

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 23 Aug 2005 16:03 PDT

Dear sleuth007-ga;

Alas, the film may be gone the destructive way of many silent films of
the celluloid era. Needless to say, I could not located a film but
here are some photos I managed to scare up (no pun intended) that you
may find useful. Here you will find several still photographs
reportedly taken in 1913 as (or shortly after) Henry Spencer confessed
to the brutal hammer bludgeoning of dance teacher, Mrs. Mildred
Allison Rexroat:

AMERICAN MEMORY
http://www.bonus.com/contour/Northern_Great_Plains/http@@/lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cdn:@FIELD(SUBJ+@band(+Spencer,+Henry++))

Its not the answer you?d hoped for but in the event that the film
cannot be found and you feel these photos are worthy of a somewhat
lesser recognition, I?d appreciate it if you?d let me know.

Best Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 23 Aug 2005 16:06 PDT

PS:  It occurs to me that this may also represent the extent to which
Spencer cooperated on the documentary of the murders. There may be no
way to find out.

tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 23 Aug 2005 16:41 PDT

Update:  In the tradition of the day it would have been common for the
guilty party to be executed forthwith, or at best, in the days or
weeks shortly following the pronouncement of guilt.

Ste. Marie Tribune, Jasper County, IL reported that Henry Spencer was
found guilty of murder by a jury at Wheaton, Ill. Friday, Nov. 21,
1913.

NEWSPAPER TIDBITS FOR DUPAGE COUNTY, IL 
http://www.iltrails.org/dupage/newspapers.html

I realize that silent films were hastily made in short order and with
little budget but for Spencer to have cooperated on the actual filming
and for that to have been completed in 1913 they either had to have
worked very fast or the still films were probably the extent to which
Spencer personally helped the project along. Just seems logical in the
absence of any other evidence.

tutuzdad-ga

After having a serious look on the net, the only thing that I came up
with from IMDb which is the largest database on movies in the world
was recommendations of other movies, all along the same time frame,
that might give you something.

The link to that site is:
   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233858/recommendations

Also, you could always contact the National Film Preservation Board
(Library of Congress) to see if they might have anything in their
records.  To obtain this kind of information, they might be a fee
you'd have to pay or for their searches or you may be able to get the
information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/)

   http://www.loc.gov/film/
   http://www.loc.gov/help/help-desk.html

Please let me know if this leads you to the right answer...

Cliff