The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-06-24
HORRIBLE MURDER IN HOMER
TOWNSHIP. ILL.
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune


JOLIET, H., June 11.-The citizens of
Homer township, adjoining the town of
Lockport, in this county, turned ont in
| large numbers to institute search for
the missing wife of Henry jacobs
Jacobs was arrested and placed in Jail in
this city on Wednesday last, on suspi-
cion of having murdered his wife. The
search resulted in the discovery of the
body, chopped IN several pieces, placed
in a box, and buried in cornfield on the
premises owned by Jacobs The Coro-
ner was Immediately notified, and is at
the present writing holdin. an inquest
on the body.
a correspondent on the Tribune re-
paired to the jail, and had short cover
satlOu with the prisoner, Jacobs, who is
man 81, years of age. He was born in
Saxony, aHermany, and has deyilish,
brutal est of countenance. He has
lived in he country number of years !;
was IN the employ of Norton d Co.. at
Lockport, as cooper-some eight years !;
was married to the deceased, Ophelia
Hohenhassen, by Justice of the Peace,
in Joliet, on Thanksgiving Day, 1878.
He states that at the time of their mar
riage ha had five children by another
wife. She had $3.50 in money, with
which he built an addition to his house,
as she would not associate with his fam
lily. After short season she cOmmenc-
eel to a;suse his children, and succeeded
III driving two of them from his home.
She finally drove third one away, but
this one returned, as it was entirely too
young to care for itself without his as
sistance. When he brought his children
back, she commenced to quarrel with
and al base him, winding up with an ap-
pllcation for a divorce, which was after
wards settled, and she returned to his
roof. He states that her reasons for re-
moving his children were to make place
for two children of sister of hers that
she wished to bring from Germany
He also states that about the 9Th of May
last, she became very good, and seemed
disposed to bury the past. She brought
out wine bottle filed with some strong
decoction, which she represented to him
as good whiskey, and urged him to take
a drink, but as soon as he smelled of the
stuff he became satisfied that it was not
liquor, and that there was something
wrong about it. On the Goth of May,
the day Of her disappearance, she gave
him clip of tea which she represented
was some she had made for herself dur
ing his absence. He attempted to drink
and came near being poisoned, as he
imagines, as it was a very strong decoc-
tion which fairly took his breath away
when he tasted. He was then satisfied
that she meant to poison him. He then
took the stuff to Lockport and delivered
it to DR.. Harley, druggist, whom he
states analyzed it and pronounced it
poison the woman disappeared sud
denly, he supposing that she had gone
to some friends in Chicago.
When told that the body had been
discovered, and the circumstances at
tending the discovery, he grew very sui
len, merely stating that he could not ac-
eou!s for it in any manner.
When pressed with other questions,
he suddenly grew angry, and requested
the jailer, Mr.. Arnold, to allow no one
to see him but his attorneys OF his chill
dren.
Every circumstance in connection
with the case poiats very definitely to
his guilt, and as the Grand jury is now
in session, his case will probably be dis
posed of during the present month