(Mt. Carroll May 8, 1939 Freeport Journal Standard ) -
Intended victim is Charles Adams, 54, who formerly tenated the Henry Rausch farm one mile west of Mt. Carroll, but who this spring moved onto the Ed Eacker farm near Polsgrove. State Attorney John L Bearton stated that both Solt and Mrs. Adams had given lengthy written statements on the plot but did not reveal the contents of the statements. Adams stated Saturday that he had finished working in the field at 7:30 p.m. Friday and came to the barn to get some hay out of the mow. I climbed up the steps to the mow with a flashlight in one hand and a pitchfork in the other. When I looked in the mow I saw a man with a mask over his face holding a hammer in one hand and about 15 feet of rope in the other. Solt has admitted that he planned to stun Adams with the hammer and then hang him from a rafter in the barn making it appear that Adams committed suicide.
When Adams saw the masked man he dropped to the main floor of the barn and ran across the road to the home of his neighbors, the Curboy brothers. Accompanied by the two Curboy's who were armed, Adams came back and searched the barn, but the man was agone. Asked by the Curboys who he thought the man might be, he said it looked to me like it was George Solt.
This statement brought out the fact that Solt's car which is easily distinguished because of yelllow wheels had been seen near the Adams farm several times Friday afternoon. Adams then called Sheriff Ray R. Westfall who came to the farm accompanied by Carlos Johnston Mt. Carroll city marshall and a deputy sheriff. The sheriff and Johnston went to Solt's farm and found him in bed. A further search uncovered a blue hankerchief which he had used as a mask, a hammer, and a coil of rope in Solts car. Confronted by this evidence, Solt admited the attempt to kill Adams and after he had been brought to the county jail implicated Mrs. Adams. Solt told.... was substantiated by Mrs. Adams that he had received a letter from Mrs. Adams requesting a meeting. Friday afternoon he said he picked Mrs. Adams as she returned from her school and plans for the attempt on Adams' life were worked out.
Solt declared he did not enter into the conspiracy in order to marry Mrs. Adams nor did he expect to get any money. She told me she would make it right with me someday. Mrs. Adams also declared there had been no affair between her and Solt and that she had not intention of ..... him should the attempt fail. There was no money motive and Adams stated that he did not carry any life insurance. Solt is a widower, his wife died less than a year ago. He is the father of a baby girl.
One of the most bizarre plots in the history of Carroll County crime anals was uncovered Saturday afternoon (May 6, 1938) when a 29 year old farmer and a 37 year old rural schoolteacher confessed a conspiracy to kill the school teacher's husband. Charged with "attempt to committ bodily harm with a deadly weapon while masked" is George Solt who operates a farm near Polsgrove about 8 miles northwest of Mt. Carroll. Charged with being accessory to the fact is Mrs. Charles Adams rural school teacher in Jo Daviess County who lives with her husband his mother in Carroll County, four miles from the Solt farm. If convicted both Solt and Mrs. Ethel Adams face possible terms of from 1 - 14 years in the state penitentiary. Bonds were fixed Saturday at $2,500 each. Mrs. Adams was released when bond was posted by her father John Rausch and Solt unable to furnish bond, was remanded to the county jail.
A search of later newspaper indicated that there was considerable domestic trouble in the Adams household and that Ethel Adams was afraid her husband was going to kill her and she wanted to kill him first. Both George Solt and Ethel Adams pleaded guilty to the crime and both were assessed heavy fines and apparently released.
