The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-09-12
Result of the Preliminary
Examination on Saturday.
VIM. HeiIwagner held for the
Mysterious Crime.
An Interview with the old Man
on yesterday.


mystery as ever, although the preliminary
examination of Otto Heilwagner and vii
liam Heilwagner, husband and faith
er-in-law of the deceased, result
ed in the holding of the lat
ter without bail. The old man was conse-
/ quently brought to this city and placed in
Jail where he will await the investigation
before the Grand jury
/ THE TESTIMONY.
| upon which William Heilwagner was held
is said to have been wholly circumstantial
i as during the preliminary examination last
| Saturday afternoon before Justice Wells
4 there was some conflict of evidence as to
the old mans whereabouts on Tuesday
morning. His wife affirming that he left
home on Tuesday morning at 6 o'clock, to
visit Cox shaft where he was engaged in
some capacity Another witness John De-
vinney stated that on that morning he saw
the accused coming from the shaft and go
ing towards his home. The meeting oc-
CURED at 6.15 o'clock.
A witness by the name of
Corners, testified that he passed
the home of Otto Heilwagner last Monday
night on horseback He heard loud words
| in the house, but could not distinguish
what was said, owing to the fact that the
conversation was carried on in the German
| language After going on some distance
he heard a pistol shot, which frightened
his horse. He thought that the sound pro-
eeeded from the neighborhood of the He'll
wagner house, but for some unknown
reason he failed to return and ascertain the
cause OF the unusual noise.
NEGLIGENCE.
As before stated the remains of the
murdered woman, when found last Friday,
were in sad state of decomposition, show
ing that death had occurred several days
before the body was discovered
1t was asserted that the back portion OF
the skull was fractured, as if with some
blunt instrument. The discovery of a
stone in a sack in the immediate vicinity
the injury on the head was effected with
the stone. A second hole near the other
wound was also discovered, but as yet no
post mortem examination has been
made, and there is no absolute knowledge
as to the cause of death. 1t may have
resulted from the pistol wound, or 1t may
have been caused by the blow on the back
portion of the head. Until the exact cause
of death is aseertained the work of secur-
lug the murderer will be rendered more
difficulty than should Of necessity attach
itself to the case.
The body has been buried, but the coun-
ty authorities should see to it that the re-
mains are exhumed, and careful post
mortem held without delay
THE OLD MANS STORY.
William Heilwagner, the father in-law
of the murdered woman, was held for the
murder, while Otto, the husband, was re-
leased for lack of damaging testimony.
The accused in now confined in the county
Jail, and was visited Saturday by an ARGUS
man, who subjected the prisoner to an in
terview concerning his knowledge of the
mysterious affair. The prisoner is Ger
man, of not unpleasant appearance. Heis
rather heavy set, and is dressed in good,
substantial clothes. He wears chin beard,
and is SO years of age. He felt no
reluctance in giving his statement
for publication, and acted and
proclaimed his innocence in a straightfor
ward way. He talks. in broken English,
but is able to understand all questions and
possesses sufficient diction to express him
self in an Ineligible manner
HIS RESIDENCE.
In reply to questions, the old man said
that he had resided in Hampton township |
since last May, and that he first met his |
daughter in-law the murdered woman at
that time. He lived near Quincy, Adams |
county, in Burton township, where he still |
owns small farm He lived in Rock |
Island county about ten years ago, but
moved down to Quincy and never returned |
until last May. His wife and five children |
live with him at Hampton. His son and |
wife lived near them, but the two families |
had never occupied the same house.
HIS DENIAL.
did you ever have any trouble with /
your son or his wife of any character9'
Never" replied the old man; 81 never |
had quarrel with either of them since /
came back from Quincy. don't know |
who killed her, as knew nothing about it I
until her body was found last Friday
The prisoner gave the following account
of himself during the early part of the
week when the murder was supposed to
have been committed Last Monday morn
ing he worked at the coal shaft of the Cox
mine. In the afternoon he went to Hamp-
ton to secure his pension and returned
about o'clock He then had his supper,
and never left his yard during the evening.
He stopped man by the name OF Frells
who was to deliver two tons of hay. The
price was fixed that night the prisoner
standing in his yard while Frells was out
in the road in his wagon. He retired be-
tween and 10 o'clock, and Tuesday morn
ing went to the coal shaft as usual. He
did not visit his sons house or hear any |,
noise from that quarter Monday night.
When he returned from work Tuesday, he