Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-05-01
CRIME,

GEO. HAMMER, who killed Lars Olsen
at Menasha, Wis, was found guilty of
manslaughter on the 25th.
MILWAUKEE adyices of the 25tn state
that Alex. Cohen, who was reported as
having suicided, has decamped, taking
with him $4,000 to $4,000. secured on
forged paper and as agent of several in
surance companies.
A New York dispatch Of the 25th
gives an account of a Frenchman by
the name of Deffrage, who, owing to
jealousy of his wife administered pois-
on to himself, son four years old and
daughter two years old. The father
and son died, but the daughter will re-
cover.
A ST.. PAUL dispatch of April
26th says Mrs Torence Ferghen.
dlsslpated woman, attempt
ed to kill herself and whole family, con-
sisting of husband and three children,
with arsenic administered in tea. She
died to-day but the rest escaped the
poisoning.
AT San Francisco on the Goth Henry
Smith, a colored night watchman of the
mint, was arrested and charged with
stealing. About $4,000 in gold bull
lion, small melting furnace and
about $4,000 worth of gold ingots, were
found buried III the prisoners garden,
and $4,000 Of coin on the premises.
His thefts have extended over a period
of three years.
A LINCOLN, Neb., dispatch under date
of April 25th, says that Richards. the
bloody butcher to be hung at Menden,
Saturday, has lost all his bravado. Sher-
if kiernie, of Kearney county, is here
to take him up tomorrow. Richards
has exhibited the most remarkable bra
vado since bis arrest, until last weok.
| Now he is utterly unnamed, and ap-
pearances are that he will have to be
carried upon the scafold. He cries
like a child, cannot sleep, and has eat
en- nothing since Tuesday. He is a
most pitiable object, and, after commit
ting ten murders, is ready to kneel and
beg for mercy, Notwithstanding his re-
peated boasts that he would meet his
fate without 1inching.
AT Lebanon, Pa, on the 26th closed
Of Charles Drews, Frank Steichler, Hen
ry Wise, Josiah Hummel, Israel Brandt,
George Zechman,-charged with the
murder of Raber. They were given a
hearing in last Frebruary, and, the evi-
dence being strong against the prison
ers, they were bound over to court for
trial. The testimony given by the wit
nesses brought out the fact that the
whole affair was startling conspiracy.
Here are the facts: Zechman, Brandt,
Hummel, and Wise insured old Raber
in the following companies for their
benefit: Home Mutual of Lebanon,
$1,000; Hartford of Hartford, Conn,
$2,000; Mutual of Reading, 50 900; Key
stone of Allentown, $1,000; New Era of
Philadelphia. 81, 900; The Peoples Ben
eft of Ohio, 1000. They paid the pre-
miums for some time, but, being wood
choppers, and out of employment, they
entered into an arrangement to put old
Raber out of the way, and for this pur
pose they hired Drews and Steichler,
promising to pay them 81 800 to do the
| lob. AS there would be another premi-
um due on the politics on the 10th of
December, and for which they had not
funds to pay, it was decided he must be
killed before that day, and this was car
/ r16u OUT 10 IU0 ItIltI. DF6WS duu
Steichler did the killing. The whole
party of six were found guilty and will
be hung.
A CHICAGO dispatch of the 23d states
that while Edwin Booth was giving the
sollloquy in the last act of Richard III.
at McVicker's theatre, tonight, shot
was fired at him by man in the left
hand upper gallery. Booth sat still till
after about three seconds, q second shot
was fired, when he rose and started to-
ward the left wing of the stage, pointing
out as he went the would-be assassin.
The latter was at once seized, and but
for the intervention of the officers would
have been roughly handled. He states
his name as Mart Gray, that he is %
years old,a dry-goods clerk of st. Louis;
that be has been years preparing to
do this deed and is surprised that he
failed; that his failure to kill Booth is
the only part OF the attempt
which he regrets, Gray says
Booth wronged friend of
his one time and he has been resolved