John Borowski - Panzram at Leavenworth

In my life time I have murdered 21 human beings. I have committed thousands of burglaries, robberies, larcenys, arsons and last but not least I have committed sodomy on more than 1,000 male human beings. For all of these things I am not the least bit sorry. I have no conscience so that does not worry me. I dont believe in Man, God nor devil. I hate the whole damned human race including myself.

Carl Panzram, writing his life story to his friend, Washington D.C. corrections officerHenry Lesser.

PANZRAM AT LEAVENWORTH

By John Borowski

Waterfront Productions

PANZRAM AT LEAVENWORTH

Copyright 2020 by John Borowski.

johnborowski.com

All rights reserved.

Published By:

Waterfront Productions

Chicago, IL

U.S.A.

ISBN

978-0-9976140-7-7

Book Consultants: Ken LaMaster and Joel Goodman

Images/Documents courtesy of: Mark Gado, Joel Goodman, Ken LaMaster, and San Diego State University.

Natalie Ballard

Jason Cohen

Stephen Giannangelo

Ian Hanslope

Richelle Hildebrand

Steven Isaacs

Kristen Kurek

Wanda Richmond

Cynthia Townsend

Merry VanRyn

Special Thanks:

Fredy Rocha

Dimas Estrada

Lou Rusconi

Andrew Dodge

Renick Wooley

Herlaka Rose

Robert Ray

Angel Eyedealism - angeleyecon.com

Jay Gray/The STDs - facebook.com/J.Gray666 - facebook.com/The-STDs-123061337744352

Amanda Howard - amandahoward.com.au

Josh Cullen -Etsy.com/shop/heythisguydoesart

THE CARL PANZRAM PAPERS - SDSU

Carl Panzram Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Library and Information Access, San Diego State University. The collection was donated by Henry Lesser.

Dedicated to Henry Lesser, who brought Carl Panzrams story to the world.

JOHN BOROWSKIS FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM

OTHER FILMS BY JOHN BOROWSKI AVAILABLE VIA STREAMING

SERIAL KILLER CULTURE TV - The Web Series

A TV Show by filmmaker John Borowski

Serial Killer Culture TV is a continuing episodic true crime TV series featuring intimate interviews with those involved in the culture of serial killers and true crime. Included are collectors, artists, survivors, authors, forensic psychologists, museums, universities, and more.

CONTENTS

A MOST UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP

ARRIVAL AT LEAVENWORTH

THE PRISON LAUNDRY

THE MURDER OF WARNKE

SEGREGATION AND THE BIRDMAN

PHILOSOPHY AND PESSIMISM

THE TRIAL

EXECUTION DAY

AFTERWORD

INTRODUCTION

In 2012 my film, Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance was released. Spanning five years, the film took me on a journey of production, filming at several prisons, traveling to numerous American states, losing foot-age on a crashed hard drive, and a move back to my hometown of Chicago from Los Angeles. The subtitle of the film is taken from Panzrams own writings where he called himself the spirit of hatred and vengeance personified while writhing in pain at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY. He is correct in his self-assessment. But I always felt Panzram was an enigma, as he seemed to wear different masks, becoming many archetypes such as the jester, philosopher, intellect, strong-man, teacher, muse, and many more. One thing is for certain: Panzrams life story is extremely important to study.

While researching for my film, I read the book, Killer: A Journal of Murder, the only book, at the time, devot-ed completely to Panzrams life story. Killer is filled with many explanations about the historical details surrounding Panzrams life. But I was interested in further details about Panzrams time at Leavenworth.

I see myself as a detective, searching for clues to locate documents, photographs, and information. Similar to a detective, I am on the search for the truth. Can the truths be discovered about a case from the early twentieth century so long after the case has ended? Perhaps the ultimate truths may not be able to find. The primary witnesses are long gone. But, all of the information can be shared, people can make up their own minds about the ultimate truth of a case. When I research my projects, I begin by reading the books which are available on the case. I have discovered that, over time, new information may come to light which other past authors may not have access to. As I researched deeper into the case of Panzram, I met Joel Goodman and Mark Gado. Joel had met corrections officer Henry Lesser and had Lessers research items. Mark was going to write a book on Panzram which he abandoned before giving me his research materials to use in my film. (Mark was a first responder on 9/11 and he passed away in 2018 from cancer from the effects of his rescue efforts at the World Trade Center.) As I began piecing together the truths of Panzrams life, many aspects did not make sense. Digging deeper into the case, I was careful to study Panzrams actual handwritten autobiography and letters, which are housed at the San Diego State University Special Collections Department. So, with the help of the research materials which I collected and were loaned/donated to me, I investigated deeper and discovered different versions of the events of Panzrams life, especially his time at Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas.

One huge piece of the puzzle which I uncovered was Panzrams federal file. The information in the file about Panzrams time at Leavenworth USP was contrary to the information I had read in my researches. As Panzrams incarceration at Leavenworth continued, it seemed the sensationalism of the case took precedence over the possible truths of what occurred at the Penitentiary from February 1, 1929 to September 5, 1930. As I researched, it became apparent that no other author/book had possession of Panzrams federal file, or at least no author or book ever referenced the information I discovered in the file. Another piece of the puzzle which helped clarify Panzrams reasons for murdering Warnke, and Panzrams execution, was the book, The House of Whispering Hate by Charles Wharton.

After completing and releasing my film on Panzram, I always had the intention of releasing a book containing the documents from Panzrams time at Leavenworth. The documents contained in this book tell many stories including the historical importance of a intimate relationship between a corrections officer and an inmate as well as the changes regarding corporal punishment in federal penitentiaries. Just as Carl Panzram did not want to be found insane, I wanted to clarify whatever I could as to the truths about the incidents which occurred while Panzram was at Leavenworth USP.

When reading the documents, pay careful attention to the following: 1) The reason(s) why Panzram murdered Warnke and 2) Panzrams famous last words as he is executed. I have included every official account of Warnkes murder and Panzrams execution including other witness accounts and several newspaper articles. It is very interesting that numerous reports paint entirely different pictures of Panzrams execution and his so called last words. It was my goal to find where Panzrams last words, quoted in the book