The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-13
GROTEGUTH's CRIME.
The Knox County Wife Murderer Makes a
Full Confession of His Hideous Crime.
spceia, to tue Indianapolis journal.

Full Confession Of His Hide0us Crime.
Special TO tue Indianapolis Journal!
VINcENNEs Ind, June 12-Groteguth, the
wife-murderer. makes clear and cold blooded
confession of his horrible crime. The coroner
has just finished Groteguth's testimony, through
two good interpreters, and he tells straight
forward, matter-of- fact story of the desperate
deed he committed, without any embellishments
or apologies. In an interview with your CORE
spondeut he claimed that his wife cut her own
throat and injured herself by accident, and then
finished herself on purpose, but his confession, on
oath, differs much from his first statements that
his crime is all the more horrible. The especially
revolving feature Of the crime is Groteguths
age. lie is a hardened old sinner, sixty-six
years old, uncouth and decrepit in appearance
stoop-shouldered, feeble, almost white headed
with sunken eyes and cheeks, and toothless-
indicating by appearance that he would commit
almost any act than that of butchering his wife
in the manner described below. His testimony
is as follows:
Frederick Groteguth being duly sworn, on
oath says: II was born in Germany. l am be-
tween sixtyfve and sixty-six years of age Have
been resident of the United States for thirty
seven years. lived in st. Louis about a year
and balf after my arrival in this country, and
l then removed TO Widner township, Knox
county, Indiana, where have since resided. On
Thursday morning, June 4. 1885, | was engaged
in replanting corn l had no quarrel with my
wife before went to work on Thursday morn
ing. About II o'clock of the above date went
to my house to get dinner. When I arrived at
my house found my wife engaged In knitting
L do not know whether she had eaten her dinner
or not She was sitting in a chair under an
apple tree, near the summer kitchen. The din
ner table was in the summer kitchen, and my
wife followed me there. When we were in the
summer kitchen my wife told me not to touch
the bread which was on the table. Before |
went to the summer kitchen, while was in the
yard, my wife began to fuss at me for letting
pig and some chickens into the yard I then
went into the summer kitchen and began to eat
the bread which was on the table, when my wife
followed me in and began to quarrel with me
again again She told mo to drive the
but [ told her I wouldn't do it;
that she ought to keep the gate shut was
standing in the door of the summer kitchen and
she was in the yard When she told me to let
kitchen. She came in the kitchen then and told
me again to let the bread alone. She took hold
of me and took hold of her. She fell out Of
the door, and fell out with her. She fell out
on her head, and we both fell out together and
lay on the ground together. 1 got up, but she
still lay where she had fallen. 1 thought | had
my razor with me. / felt in my pocket but
did not have it. / then went over IN the kitch-
en-, in the new part of the house, and got my
razor out of my razor-b box, which box was on the
safe IN the kitchen. then went back to where
my wife lay. had my razor in my hand. My
wife still lay where she had fallen out of the
summer kitchen; went up to where my wife
lay with my razor in my hand, to cut her throat
placed the razor on the side Of her throat, she
Their placed her hand on my hand, which held
the razor. While her hand was my hand
which held the razor, her throat was cut / did
not go to get my razor to cut my wfes throat
but to cut my own throat. When got back to
where my wife was laying. and seeing her suf
fering as she was, | thought would finish her.
| think when we both fell out of the summer
kitchen together, partially choked her, as my
hand was on her throat i held her tightly by
the throat and she could not do much I came
home and found my dinner was not ready. and
my wife fused so it made me mad
and that was what caused me to get mad and
choke her and cut her throat. My wife had been
quarreling with me for so many years that got
tired and thought would end it; that matters
would grow worse and worse instead of better
After l cut my wife's throat / cut my own
throat a little before | carried my wifes body in
the house. In the same room where | carried
my wife. / cut myself four or five times more on
my throat On Tuesday. June 2, 1885, my wife
and myself had quarrel, when told her if she
didn't stop quarreling with me that | would kill
her and myself too l think / left the razor
with which did the cutting in the corner of the
old Kitchen where | was when some of the
neighbors found me. If the razor is not there /
do not know where it is. When went up to my
wife with the razor l thought she had received
injuries enough to kill her, but when placed
my hand, with the razor in it, on her throat she
reached up and placed her hand on mine, and the
razor cut her throat / think pushed the razor
hand enough to cut her throat, even if she had
not placed her hand on my hand. The razor
used was white handled razor. 1t was on ac-
count of the lll-treatment received at the hands
of my wife for week previous to her death that
had made up my mind to kill her if she did not
stop quarreling with me- The above statement
is the truth concerning the affair, and they can
cut my head off if they want to-"
This statement is signed in German by Fred
erick Groteguth, and witnessed by Henry Speck-
mann and Ernest Baker.
Coroner Cooper rendered his verdict as follows:
Deceased came to her death on the 4th day Of
June, 1885, from the effects of knife wound in
the neck. inflicted with a razor, in the hands of
Frederick Groteguth, who cut the throat of said
further find that the killing of said deceased by
said Groteguth was premeditated on his part,
and done without just cause or provocation. /
also find that at the time Of the commission of
said crime that Groteguth was of sound mind"
Imposing Funeral Ceremonies.
MONTREAL June 12-It is estimated that at
least TO- 900 people were in the church of Notre
Dame this morning. The ceremony was most inn
pressive. The dead Archbishop lay in magnii-
cent coffin, his head resting upon pillow Of satin
slightly raised, that his features were exposed
to the gaze of the faithful thousands. His
mitre, stole and cross lay at his feet The whole
was elevated upon magnificent cotafa lque,
al