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A Horrible Murder

A Horrible Murder image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
October
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

lt beconies our palnful duty to record one of the most cruel and brutal murdore of whU-h iL has ever been the mtslbrtune o onr city to bo the theatre. Early Mondaj iñorolng It iras spread throiigh the coraimmity that :i morder had boen commiiird in the fancy goods storo of Mrs. IIENBIETta Waonbb, No. 1 Washington street. As early as or 7 o'clock iu the morulng a ci'ovvd had gathered arouiid, anxiously awalting tin: cumiiig of au olllcial to the store, that the exteut of the deed mlght 'ik kaowD. At ihe ivar of the store was the sleeptng apurtment of the family. and as the door was opeued uto the room a slghl met our eyea whlch bi Big irs descrlptlon, There, ó pon i!i Hoor, lay Nv.-. Waqner, Wlth her hcttd pounded and cut In a ghastly manner, a pool of blood surrouiKtlug her, and her ulght elothes be spatieled wlth the Riimu, wiiile a Httle to one side laji the weapoa - nhatchet - w!ii:li li:ul doue th terrible work. White gazinj upoo tliis awlui sjiuc;:u'n' a gorgllllg sound was r.ard to cooiB ïVom t lie bed,aud offleer Lkokakd, raluiug ilie corsrlngr, exp ised u view the forua ofilis. U'.u.eu's Httle sou o.-cak, bout three yearsold, wlth his head pounded iu a likn miimer si!i the same instrument ofdealh, bul .till alive, havlog laid there and wallowed In its own blood for over eight hours. The little one was Immediatuly retnovod auJ cired for, but Burvived ouly a short time. T:ie uuuutural wretoh who oommltted thla most Inhuman doublé morder was IIk.vkv Waonbb, Uio iin.sb utl oí the mur : womaii, iiül stejifttther of tHe chiM, a persoo ai) ' 2 í ot 38 years of age, rath r sligUt u forin and builü - witli h&rdly tHo look of a mordercraboat b!ia - and a paintét by trade. Tiie (uuily had bcn resU duuUi of Lhis (.'oiinU'jj' bui ii)oui titrtw year) juul of Aik! Arbor afu''e tUe flrst pf July last, nud tliu coiiple wet man-iid SOOU :Utor oomlttg liero Sliu was fonueriy tha wffe uf Waonku'3 brotUer ii Qermaoy, but nol living tiappily w:iii Uim, sie liad como lo this couuU'y wltli lief little sou, who met a coiiiiinm falc witli bis muthor. tíiie luid experleuced considerable troublc In domesUc affaire, witU her aecood dioico, and at tfic tisno o!' the murüer h.e wa nmler l)oiids, wé uiklList.au 1, 'o keep the peace. After coromittiog Lhe deed the ni.ui went to the jail and asked to stfty all night, which lie was pennitted tn do, but, not teiU Ing what he had dotiè, hè wis ulloweil to i.i-s out ftain in the laoriiug. (Jojulng up lowo, ittct his bVotlier, wiio i berb, aal Rld blm what Ue had dono, delivercd up tlie kcy to the Btore and re. nest cd Ut.-u it bandéd t Mr. 11ütth;ii, the owner, aad went back tojail. Not belng a dfittktng mal), bis aclious cauuot be as crlbed to intoxicatjon, and it is evldeully the result oí a fkiy temper, over vvh!ch lic had Qut4ke proper control. Some attribnta the direct canse to Italousy, aud athera to Huaucial allairs, each persoH liavlog a diffurekt story to teil. Upan belng íntervic.vrd bj tiio correspondent of tlio frea Press, he. tohl the folio .vin:,' story : "I havo had soiho troubie with niy wïfe, and wo have had sov.-ral quarrcls. Uncu wheu I acclileutallj threw none water on tiic boy, shc canie at mo and c&ught me by the liaii', callcd me a dog, aal told me to leave the house and oever be seen there aguin. ííotwitlistaiirtins all tlicse differ esees, lhave always loveel my wift very dearly. Por the past two or thcee d.iys we havo llved n l happliy; shc aever seeined to love me .sa nmeh. Last njgbt sho went to bed,] don'i kaewat vhatUne. 1 said to her, gotd lúht, anU wout to the bed to kiss her, when she spit in tuy face and kickuil at nio, Baylug 'Go away, yon aro u cra.y man, nnd 1 cau't live vvitii a crazy man ' I s.iii! to hor, ' Give mo my moncy umi Í w:li i;).' Slie s.iid uotliin; to lilis. I theu went uiiil got the inouey and stari'oil to leave, wiion slio gaid, ' J will out yon in pitees before jou go with that inouey.' l'h r. made nic vory angry, and I look thu Imtchet from the wood-box, and wont lo ward her. 6he juinped at mo aud i me a h.ï, aud toM me to leave ihe house I kepl brandishlng the hatchet to Vi_ her. Sho and the cMld bth crie.l Ure and m u nier, and as she clutched me by the throat 1 hit her accldentully. Sho feil rigbt dn.vn a.i I .úd : ' O, my,1 aud üi'oan cd. When I saw wü.n I had doue, that s!io ;is iiiin go she coulil never get well, I thoughti would put un cid to lar life, and struck her several ti:nus. A.fter thls I reineuaber uothiug. 1 secmed to sec my w fe :i:y oyea a.l the timo. I clon't re inoinbor strlklng the boy at all. I oiily nbtr putting out the llgiit and loc';Ing the door. 1 went out in the strooi, lm: couM not g duywliere wheio 1 (lid oot seo my .vifo jnst as [ struck her, lyin : i fore my eyes. I carne down to the jail, hij oou'd not sleep or eat. 1 dou't tuow waai I shall do." lu the alternoon Coroner Pbbe held an ï ii ti ii es t-, ánd tlio foljowing teutimony wis broaght out, which we n've to our ivadera and let thein draw tholr own conclusious : 'l'iioin i L iard tcstlfled: I was ca lied u pon ftbout 7 o'elock thls morniuj; to up k Mrs. Waijuer's store, that Wagner luiit-killcd li:s w;li'. I CaiBfl to the lioiláe, wonl n, and l'oiuul the body Of the Woman lyiiiK on the Hoor on the side. 1 lonnd tini-nilil after 1 had been there some ten min . was ftlll alive Dr. Cbeerer was Ihe flrt ihysi;;ian there. He said the cliild could Hut live. . i1.'. Vi';i;ii,i' was dea I. I bíw she had boon hit with somethlugon the tiead. -V h&lchet as lying ou the tloor. Mr. Schlotterbcck testinei : Wagner and h:.s brother cttme t.) my house a bout O oclocfc this morning. They brought :( a kcy, and I took il lo Mr. Ilett cii. I went into.the iMtUeUug With Mr. Leooard. Mr. Wagner told me be did not intond to kUI hls wife; that when lic struck her sne daspe 1 her bands, cricd put, " Oh, mj I am killed.,' auil feil to the flour. Mary Miiey testiöed i tas partner of the Oecc ksedi Wo went Into business Juin lat, Mr. Wagner carne here to soo hor o. ten before llioy won; niarrlod. llo called hiuiM'ir hor brother in-law. They werc married July Tih ; thoy lived togi ther in the back part of tho store ; they used goraetlmes to have trouble with each other. Ab.nn. two wooks aitor tlioy wero married thev commeuced havtug trouble. Üe was JealODs of her. At one time when they had trouble she threatened to throw the lamp at him. After Ihis ililllcuily he went away, but caine back in abont a wook. Jlo c her bad ïiann-s.ancl said slio had nevcr beél married to bis brother. 1 saw thew Satur day ; ho said liis ol.l woman was spuuky : be .vas at my house last night, aud lelt there aboot half i'ist, 7 o'elock. He seemi d exclted. He said he loVed liis wilc aud thoaght overythlng ol her, but that she lied to him and wa cross; i.iat heli-ad willed her all his property, lncludnij mouev yet tocóme froiu öermany, bul thni slie did nol treat him wel!. He sald she was not his brother'i wl'e, and never had been roarried to or divereed from him. isy was the Bral canse oí their trouble. llo made threata tast ulght. He tol4 we uot lo come to the store in Ihe mornUig, for ahe was too unwelltogoto Detroli to day ; he said she told him last1 wook that. siie did not caro il ho did leave, that sIk.' had all his money. August Wagner tstilied : I am a broth er ot ihe busbond of the deceased. There uas gitat trouble betweeu the deo and my brother about thls child. Bhe bi ö Lic prostitu.te of üi.v i''.iiot. br th 'X Lo 'i-i maiiy lor l'oiir or livo jcars. lic icd tosaythey married; Tbey.bdeveral ehiiiJii ii. My kiest brother wro the deceased that he believei thls chitd was Hio child ot lus OW11 brother. I saw my this morning. II.1 tóld me he had killed his wlfc anJ lliat Ue stuid at the yx'ü last nlgUt ; that sliu tolU liini -!i would kill hlra with a kuift or polgou kim that she had all the inoney and he mus i ir s:iid he vas vexed mul tuok tii hatchet only t (ngbten her, but that bUe lamped tow&rd hlm and the hatchet stniek bcr. Hu sukl that he struck al the chlU ill.SO. Tho surgoons tostlfiod tMat thrro werc slx wounds on the heod. The largest wis ubout two loches and ; hall la-leogth, and tiie brain was prolnuliiii; lïom the wound, all havlua döabUess been caased by ihe blunl end of the halcliot. Bhe u-as pvobably struck wliile sittiug on tlio cúe .of the bed. The jury brought in a verdict tbatshe c line to her cleaili at the hands oI'1Ii;.uy WaSSBRí lid 'liso reUiriii'cl the BMne vi ;■■ dict as to the clilld - V.(:i-:ii v:is bronghl ln'lcire Jiistice iKS Wi ihM'sday, and llstened to the two luformatlona for inurrter preferred ugatngt liim. He wal ved exainlnatlou and was COUimlttetl to jail tor trial at the ïuxt term i' the Circuit Cuurt. Ii la Btated that he has eipployefl counsel and will cndeavor topla"y tin: iusnoity dode. 15ut tlile wlll ue ra'her diUlcuit, wethlnk, in the ace of Dr. Lewitt'ü testiinoDy tiiat he is saoe.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus