Mabel Champion – The end of the Story
Part Two
So, what about Ausley? In April 1923, Ausley is re-captured in Omaha. He was using the alias of Albert Ohse and has an unknown woman with him. He writes a letter to Mabel telling her how much he loves her.
Ausley told reporters, “Mabel’s one girl in a million. They don’t make many like her. I jumped my bond to go to New Orleans and play the races to get my money to help her, but you can’t beat the ponies.”
Ausley is extradited to Cleveland, but then word comes from California. Ausley is wanted for murder in California. He allegedly shot and killed James E. Goldy in a dice game in Los Angeles. After a quick trial with little details, he was convicted of first-degree murder without a recommendation for mercy, Ausley was sentenced to hang.
He wrote a letter to Mabel:
“Dearest Mabel,
My last thought will be of you. I am only sorry I must leave you. I still have some friends, and they have provided me with a few dollars.
If you need some money for stuff to eat, I will be glad to send you some. If you get out all right, go back to my mother. She will be glad to take you.
With love from your husband,
Ausley.”
While Ausley was awaiting his execution, Mabel Champion spoke to the press, “I knew him since I was a tiny tot in pigtails. And I loved him. God how I loved him.
“He turned the magic key of love in my heart. And the whole world opened as a fairyland when he asked me to become his wife.
“Nothing can ever make me turn from my husband. I know him better than the police can ever hope to. He is not bad. Just weak. Drink was his evil. It cursed him whenever he let it blot out his real friends. “
On August 15, 1924, Ausley was hanged at San Quentin prison in front of 33 witnesses. According to all he approached the gallows bravely.
Mabel was devastated. She was inconsolable for weeks.
March 30, 1925, a small heavily veiled woman carrying 2 suitcases calmly walked out the back door to the Marysville Reformatory, walked to a hotel, had the clerk call a taxi for her, and was never seen by the authorities again.
Police are on the hunt for Mabel Champion. Because of the inefficiency of the night matron, Mabel had a 10 hour start plus an additional 8 hours because the Cleveland police weren’t notified for 8 hours after Mabel was found missing.
The police did find that she took a taxi from Marysville to Springfield. She walked into a hotel and had the clerk call a taxi for her and Guy Sewell picked her up and drove her to Springfield. Mabel had her breakfast at 4:00 am! An hour later she was at the hotel.
The escape wasn’t discovered until 4:00 in the afternoon. Mabel got the keys from Mrs. Kissinger, a matron, to Mrs. Kissinger’s room. Clothing and two suitcases along with $10 were missing from the room. Prison officials say that she packed the 2 suitcases with clothes and calmly walked out the back door.
The county prosecutor tells the press that they think that Mabel is headed to California to get revenge for Ausley’s execution.
Mabel is seen in Akron, OH. The tip was given to the police from Judge C.G. Washburn of the appeals court. The judge had taken a bus from Elyria to Akron and saw Mabel Champion on the bus. He got off the bus and tried to follow her, but she walked so slowly he had to pass her. He went to the corner hoping to find a police officer there, but when he turned around Mabel had vanished.
After a 24 hour of searching the Akron police give up on looking for Mabel. They had also received information from the Cleveland police that Mabel was on a train headed to Indianapolis. The train was supposed to arrive in Indianapolis at 1:55, but the Indianapolis authorities didn’t see her at the station.
Mabel was however in Indianapolis. She went to a beauty parlor under the name Kitty O’Brien and had her dark brown hair bleached blonde and got a perm too!!
August 1925 was the last anyone ever heard from Mabel Champion. She wrote a letter to the prosecutor of her case Edward Stanton. The letter was post marked Kenosha, WI purportedly from Mabel. The letter said:
“My dear Mr. Stanton:
What would you give to see me back in Marysville?
Why don’t your wise “dicks” clean up the Lakewood murder. (apparently another case going on in Cleveland.)
Next to Chi, dear old Cleveland is the easiest burg on the map.
Well, ta-ta, I’m on my way.
Get busy.”
The letter was signed Mabel. Stanton said it is the second letter that he has received.
Mrs. Kissinger was fired for incompetence. And the prison had no other escapes until…
Velma West escaped from the same prison with three friends in 1939 in much the same manner!
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