The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-26
EVIDENCE.
The Developments in the
Murder Trial.
The Victims Husband on the
Witness Stand.
JOHN HErLwAeoN

JOHN HE'LL WAGON
a young son of the defendant was the first
witness this morning. On cross examina-
ton he testified that on Tuesday evening
his father was in state resembling vinous
excitement, in short he was boiling full.
That evening a conversation required be-
tween his father and mother about Dora
that was reverse of amicable. The mother
intimated that the relations between her
leige lord and Dora were not exactly CON
sistant with proper marital relation. The
defendant got up in a huff and went toward
Dora's house. He was cross examined at
length as to the cutting of the corn, but
nothing was elected more than that corn
was cut and he helped do it. Pig pens were
the next subject under discussion and after
considerable mental effort on the part of
counsel the difference between clean and
dirty pig pen were made clear.
OTTO HEnwAGoN
Doras husband was next placed upon the
stand. He first heard of her death on Friday
morning while in Davenport. His father
came to him that morning before he went
to work AMI told him his wife was not well
and and he was expected home. They
came over to Rock Island and had few
drinks and afterwards went to saloon on
Moline Ave. There the defeedant told him
that she had run away. Inahe afternoon
just before train time he then told him his
wife was dead.
From there they went to Moline and
between there and Watertown they met a
man who told them that his wife was
found, the defendant asked him il she was
dead, and the man said, "of course she is
dead" After they arrived home they were
both put in jail and held until the inquest,
when the witness was released and went
home. He and his brothers examined one
of the shocks of corn and underneath found
the print of feet, among them woman's.
On cross-examination the witness stated
ness), had had some trouble with his wife,
the murdered woman. Witness struck his
wife at one time, but did not remember
having told Frell's of.that affair He once
said that Florentine Heilwagon was too
familiar with his (witness's) wife, but
claimed he never made any accusations
against his wife to his mother. In regard
to the imprint in the ground he testified
that when he first examined the shock in
the morning; he did not see it, but after
wards he and some neighbors
saw it on asecond examination.
He was asked whether or not his
father said to him in Davenport that his
wife was missing; that he had better go
home with him and if he did not the
Sheriff would be after him, to all them he
answered no.
DOCTOR VINCENT,
was the next witness, he with Coroner
Morris had examined Dora's body The
body when brough from the field was in
an advanced state of decomposition.
fed him that she had come to her
death from injuries on her head received
from a blunt instrument The skull
of Dora was put in his hand and he point
ed out the location of the wounds. There
were no marks about the chest that showed
violence. At the second ex-
animation the abdomen was ex-
posed but nothing found, and the head
These fractures were made by some blunt
instrument, but he would not say what
kind, hammer or stone could have
done it. No cross examination.
AUGUST GIERHARDT
is a carpenter he had first heard of Doras
on Tuesday evening; he
had worked with the defendant all that
day; but Wednesday Heilwagon was not
at work. Tuesday the defendant had
of being sick. On cross exams
nation he testified that Wednesday morn
ing Heilwagon told him he was going to
hunt for Dora.
EMANUEL KLAINAN,
the father of Dora, was put on the stand,
and being German with no knowledge of
English, the sevices of an interpreter were
called in The witness identified the body
buried as that of his daughter, the wife of
Otto Heilwagon.
THIS AFTERNOON.
The first witness called this afternoon
was II. G. Twining, constable of Hampton
He visited the scene OF the murder and
noticed blood On the fence between the
two corn fields, south of Dora's dwelling
Annie Heilwagon, the daughter of the
prisoner, was recalled, and testified to the
that occurred on the morn
ing after the murder. The prisoner, that
morning. after leaving home, started for
work in westerly direction.
l.. E. Station. of Charlotte, Iowa, testi- |
led that he was detective and also a |
farmer. Witness saw the defendant at
he depot in Davenport. on Thursday. the |
9Th of last September, during the after