The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-25

was about twenty PAGES. The body was
badly decomposed, face down, wounds IN
the back of the head. She was attired IN
a calico dress. There were no tracks
about the place, and no evidence of
scuffie having taken place. The wound in
the back of the head was the only injury
that was apparent at that time. The sack
a nd stone found near the body. were sub
mitted, and were identified by the witness.
The witness stated that the body was
dressed. with the exception of bonnet.
He thought the body had been there sew
raj DAVIS. His visit was made about one
o'clock Friday afternoon. The body was
convened to the house, and DR.. Vincent
was instructed to make post mortem ex
animation The inquest was held, and the
body was given to her family. About two
weeks after the burial the body was resur-
reeted. and a second fracture on the right
side of the head was discovered. which was
sufficiently large to admit two fingers.
The skull of the murdered woman was
submitted by the coroner, and the various
wounds were explained to the jury.
The witness saw the prisoner ON the day
Of the inquest, and the prisoner then gave
his testimony and signed it. Witness had
a conversation with the prisoner about the
dead woman. Witness asked why the
prisoner did not search for the woman
when the prisoner stated that he thought
she was in the woods or in the river. Wit
ness had no conversation with the prisoner
about the murdered womans character.
He did not cut the bullet from the door of
Dora's house or see the same extracted.
The bullet was given to witness.
On the cross-examination witness stated
he did not have the bullet in his possession,
did not know the man who did take it from
the dwelling. Witness thought the second
wound in the head was made by some
blunt instrument; did not think it could
have been made by a pistol. Witness
thought the prisoner was very frank dur
ing the inquest.
DIR. DAVIDSON
of Moline was next called. He stated that
he assisted in a post mortem examination
on Dora Heilwagon's body last September.
He did not know whether any relatives
of the dead woman were present or not.
He found fractures in the back of 1.-THE
head and over the right temple; found no
evidence of injury to the body. He
thought the injuries to the head had been
caused by some instrument, requiring
great deal of force to infict them, either
of such fractures would prove fatal. The
fractures could not have
been made by pistol ball. nor
did he think the fracture on the back of
of the head could have been produced by
a fall to the ground. He thought that
the wounds had been inflicted by blunt
instrument.
The cross examination did not develop
anything new or important.
ANNIE HEILwAGoN
was next called. She stated she was the
daughter of W. Heilwagon. and knew
Dora Heilwagon. the murdered woman
who was witnesses sister in-law. The de-
ceased woman lived near the prisoner on
the bluff road between Watertown and
Hampton. Dora was first missed on Tues
day, September the 5th. The witness had
lived at the farm since the LIST of last May.
She lived with her father, neither and the
children. On Monday her father went to
work between five and six O'Clock in the
morning. He changed his clothes that
day She saw him Monday afternoon
about six o'clock.
Dora lived very close to the elder He'll
wagons house. When the prisoner returned
Monday night he was intoxicated. The
prisoner also had two cats in bag which
he brought home. He ate his supper, and
then started for Frell's residence near by.
He returned about O'Clock. He visited
Dora's house during his absence, as wit
ness saw him. Witness heard her mother,
while the prisoner was present, say to him
that Dora had said she (witness) was
low lived person. Her father started over
to Dora's but returned. The conversation
was held out in the front of the house He
said he was going to see Dora about it. |
Witness and her mother asked him to come
back, as they stated he had no right qser
there as Dora was alone. Witness went |
to bed at eleven O'Clock, and her father was
up at that time. He was in the back door |
of the house. He got up and went out the |
front gate, and then witness went to bed |
up stairs. She heard the prisoner and |
Dora talking at the latter's house.
At o'clock Tuesday morning her father |
called her to get breakfast 1t was earlier
than usual for his breakfast, but she did |
not notice the clock. He also called her |
brother, John. When witness
came down her father went away. He I
STAYED away about IS minutes Her father
got his breakfast, aud then started over in I
the corn field. Witness noticed sack
on the line, wet which was the same in
which the cats had been obtained the night
previous. Her father came home Tuesday |
night, and denied knowing anything about |
Dora's disappearance Tuesday morning
the prisoner took some tacks from the /
shoes which he had been wearing The |
prisoner had on different shirt Tuesday |
from that worn on Monday.
Witness learned that Dora was missing
On Tuesday nprning Dora's children came
over. witness went over and found the
house occupied solely by the children! the
supper dishes were still on the table and |
Ihe beds were made up, although the one
by Dora had been used, as it bore
evidence of the imprint of human body |
The prisoner did not wake and search for
Dora, and Wednesday morning he started
Town to Rock Island to look for Otto, Do
ra's husband. On the cross examination
Witness stated that she was seventeen years
IF age. On the Monday night she heard
Dora and witness father talking at
Dora's hous. Dora was laughing at that
lime, which was II o'clock at night She
lid not SO state at the coroner's inquest.
The time her father awakened her on Tues
lay morning was all guess work. Her faith
II came down ia Davenport On Wednesday
o see Otto and notify him that Dora was
Missing Dora's father, mother, brother
md the prisoner had conversation rela-
ing to Doras disappearance, and they all
hought it strange that she DORA should