The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-12
THE WAGNER AssAsSINATIoNs.
The IsIe OF Shoals Murderer ON Trial
Dsmning Evidence OF Mrs. Houtvet,
the Only Living Witness or the
Butchery.

the Only Living witness or the
Butchery.
ALFRED Me-, June IL, 1878.
Among the witnesses examined to-day at the
trial OF Wagner for the murder of Anethe M. and
Karen Christensen, was Mrs. Mary s. Houtvet, the
only witness OF the tragedy, and who fortunately
escaped being one of the victims. She is q very
Intelligent looking woman. She tcstined:-
am the wife OF John @. Houtvet and sister OF
Karen Cnristenson; | have lived five years at
home that day my husband ana Mathew Houtyet
and Ivan Christensen lett early in the morning;
the next saw OF them was the following morning
Marcn D, al len O'Clock; Karen Christensen Anetne
and were there; we went to bed at ten O'Clock /;
! slept In the western part OF the house, In the
bedroom; Ancthe and slept together and Karen
slept on lounge IN the kitchen the curtains were
up; as the night was pleasant did not haul them
Gown sne outside door Was not fastened Karen
Karen crying John scared met John scared
mel" the CLOCK iell down on the lounge and was
again.
John IS KILLING MEi JOHN IS KILLING ME-"
He commenced at her with the chairs; Jumped
up and tried to open the bedroom door, but could
not; ne Kept on striking her; tried to open the
door but could not until she fell under the table,
and the door was then opened | a great tall
man he grabbed chair; tried to pick Karen up
and take her to the bedroom; while doing so he
struck me twice; told Karen to lit the window
but she said she could not; she was on her knees
with her arms on my bed; told Anethe to take
some clothes and run ana hide away; Anetne
opened the window and jumped OUT when /
stood at the bedroom door he thumped three times
and tired to get III; finding he could not get IN
that way he ran out OF the door.
Anethe saw him and cried three times, Louis !
Louis Louis" until he struck her with Il big axe !;
] saw then that the man was LOUIS wagner; he hit
her on the head; he struck her once. ana after she
Tell he struck her twice: he went back to the
ner, jumped out and told Karen To come she said
~ am so tired cannot;' ran to the hen house
and opened the door. but saw little dog coming
and was afraid to hide there because l thought
the dog would bark; ran to the beach, meaning
to get the dory and so OF with it; heard my Sis
ter crying hld IN the rocks from the time the
moon was nearly set until half an hour after sun
rise; when he came the axe was outside OF the
door; had known Louis Wagner a year and q
half; he had boarded with me seven months.
The trial VIII probably occupy the remainder Of
the week.
About fifteen witnesses for the government were
examined to-day. Their statements, while show
ing circumstances and suspicion that strongly point
TO the prisoner as the murderer no conclusive
testimony has as yet been elected.
Frizze, Newcastle cooper, testified Met
Wagner on one OF the bridges between Newcastle
and portsmouth on the morning after thei murder;
ice, necessitng the use OF the ferry; Wagner would
not wait for the boat, but threw strlngers across
both chasms and crossed hastily,
greater part of the witnesses testify to having
met or seen Wagner after the deed had been com
mitted. all bearing witness to his suspicious APP
pearance. Witnesses came forward to state that
the remark, ~ will have money If have to murder
for It,, was made by the prisoner prior 70 the MUIR
der.
Mrs. Johnson, his boarding mistress in Ports
mouth. says he was absent from her house during
the night OF the murder, and that he re-
turned next morning about hal-past seven,
saying that he felt badly. His clothing was
caked with ice as If he had Just come from the
Mouth eighteen and a half miles. Wagner has
asserted that he could pull there IN two hours.