The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-06
AN INTERVIEW.
Heilwagon's Wife Visits Him
in Jail.
The Conversation as it Ac-
tuaIIy Occurred.

How are the children" was Heilwa-
CONS first question to his wife last Satur
day afternoon as she stood just outside
| the grating Of the jail door while her con
| demned husband was stationed within.
They are all pretty we'll except Mary
who is sick, !" replied the murderers wife.
II suppose you knewithat was going tt
take the rope on the gath of March, didn'
your" continued the husband.
Yes l heard about it" meekly replise
the wife.
yes said he, "on Friday Afternoon
between and O'Clock l viii be hanged.
He said this more as If he was speaking
to himself than as giving information t
any body. He was corrected, however, by
the sheriff, who told him that the hours
were and 5 o'clock in place of 8 and 8 as
he had stated. He repeated after the
sheriff the words one and five o'clock and
said well it makes mighty little difference
about two hours when / am to hang
HE TURNED ABRUPTLY
ON his wife and said, II hear you are al
afraid will get out and come up and hurt
some OF you"
His wife denied that she had ever said
OF experienced any such feeling, but the
old man continued in the same strain and
said, 81 see how it is, You want to gel
rid of me and so do the children. and now
you will have your own way about it..
He then remained quiet for some seconds
and as if carrying on thought he contin-
ued by saying: annie said she heard me
in Dora's house at II o'clock at night. She
heard me talking and Dora laughing. How
could she hear with her window down, and
not hear the pistol when a mail carrier
heard it way down the road. | tell you it
was id lie. and hang on lot of lies. >
did You HRAR THAT PIsToL?"
asked Mrs. Heilwagon.
mo, said the old man, Il did net"
Then there is another thing. Some of
these blood hunters found print under
the corn shock. Do you suppose that it
could remain on the ground after the
shock was taken down. Corn shocks are
not on air. Somebody put that print on
the ground, and somebody put that blood
on the fence Who did it? The man who
did it was Otto"
THAT is not so, and you know It,. re-
piled Mrs. Heilwagen. lotto was in Dav-
export on Monday night"
The prisoner then narrated the testimony
of Mary Heifwagon, of FreIls, and the de-
tective Stratton, and tried to prove that
their statements were not in accordance
with the facts.
PENSION PAPERS.
He then asked about his pension certifi
cate which will enable him to draw $12
He was fearful that the money would not
arrive in time for him to draw it. He then
asked abont each of his children, end stat
cd tibet he wanted the four oldest who had
testified against him TO come down and see
him He wanted to talk with them, and
see If he could not get a new trial. His
wife gave him the pension papers and also
promised to send down the children the
latter part of the present week. She then
left him, and he was escorted back to the
all corridor. The conversation had taken
place in English, the prisoner being in the
cage guarded by Turnkey Bruner, while
Mrs. Heilwagon was at the entrance, sepa-
,ated by an iron grated door from her hus-
band. The two shook hands when they
net, and when they left one another. At
me time during the interview the old man
stopped and drew his handkerchief across
lis eyes. His wife gave him at this in
'tant the consoling advice that she thought
he would come to no good end, as be was
always proving around nights, and had
never lived like an honest man. He did
lot reply and she continued and told him
hat now he ought to be satisfied as he had |
lisgraccd his wife and children, and would |
himself die an humble death
HIS BODY.
After Mrs. Heilwagen had left the Jail, |
he was approached by the sheriff whe
4sked her whether she desired to take the |
ody of her executed husband for burial
fter the body had been cut down. She
vanted to know where it would be buried
n case she neglected to take it, and who
Tould bear the expense.
The sheriff informed her that il she was
OF able to bear the expenses of burial,
ne county would defray such bills, and
le body would be placed in the paupers
cid.
10 expense, and it was consequently un-
erstood that Heilwagon's body after his
xecution< will be buried at the eounty's
Expense.