The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-02-28
A RoRRunEE MURDER.
Al old German Lady Drutaiiy MIR.
deFcd nc Her MOne Near Oregon
city,

From the Portland papers we learl
that Oregon City was thrown into
terrible state of excitement Frida,
night by the intelligence arriving tha
an old lady, the wife of Mr.. JOIN
Hager, residing four miles from town
had been discovered at her home, bru
tally murdered. The coroner, jury oi
six men, and number of citizens
hastened to the place as quickly as pos
sible and found the report only too true
Upon the floor of the house the body
of Mrs. Hager was found in pool OF
blood and the life current still trickling
from the CHASTITY wounds Her skull
was split open and from the gaping
wound the brains protruded, pre-
senting a sickening spectacle The
daughter of the murdered woman made
the discovery when she came home from
Oregon City in the evening, and at
once gave the alarm. On Saturday
morning the coroner held an inquest
over the body, and circumstances
seemed to prove as follows: Mrs.
Hager had been washing the dinner
dishes as two had been placed on the
shelf, the rest still remaining in the
dish water. The murderer entered the
kitchen door, picking up hatchet as
on thsporch outside the door upon which
kindling wood was split Mrs. II. had
left the dish pan and had reached the
middle of the room and was standing
face to face with the villain when he
struck her a terrible blow on the left
side of the head with the Keen edge of
the hatchet, severing the ear entirely
and cutting cash about four and half
inches long, cleaving to the skull. The
poor woman threw her hands to her
head, which covered them with blood,
and, turning, started to flee. The
murderer seized her, when a brief
struggle ensued, Mrs. Hager scizins
him by the collar. With head averted
so as not to see the gleam OF the de
instrument of doath, it again
,leaved the flesh on the opposite side of
her head, inhicting similar wound to
he first, the blade striking the jaw.
bone, crashing through the skull With
his she gave fearful surge, and tear
ng the collar from the villains neck,
ell to the floor on her face, throwing
he collar as she did so under table in /
corner of the ROOM To make the
york doubly sure, the villain again
truck the dying woman blow in the
ieck, severing the vertebrse and almost
opping the head from the body. This
atisiied him, when the work of plum
er began. He passed directly into
he old folks bed chamber, bcsmearing
COR knobs, sheets and pillow cases
nth his bloody hands, where lac ran
acked everything In a cigar box
-hich was slowed away in large dry
pods box, he found between ten and iif-
.en dollars in silver. lie then visited
her rooms, and at last came to the
lughter's Her trunk was broken
zen and things strewn about the floor,
ID bonnet box in which lady's
Id watch chain was kept with other
tile articles, was torn to pieces, and :
e chain taken. Finding nothing
ore, he returned to the kitchen Of
.ath, picked up- the hatchet, washed
e blood from the blade and handle
ID tossed it out upon the porch, where I
was found still wet. Again viewing h
5 work, he left the house and went il
rectly through the timber, striking u
e railroad, from whence he continued. :,
On Monday an old German named =.
seph Groeder was arrested near Can =
by Sheriff Pilsbury on suspicion of >
ing the murderer of Mrs. Hager. C.
e was seen near Hager's farm about n
on on the day of the murder. Gro st
er has worked for Hager and is well al
Iuainted with the family. While in g
lversation with Groeder, hc informed =
, reporter that he did not go to the sd
use on the day Of the murder, but W
1t he came directly uP the road and d,
mt on to Candy. n,