Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-15
A Woman to be Hanged.

UTICA, ~. L. OcC. O.--blTS. DfuZ,
who murdered her husband with the
aid of her son, daughter and nephew,
in Warren, Herkimer County. last
December. and cut up and burned the
remains, was to-day sentenced by
Judge Williams, to be executed on
Wednesday, November %. The fol-
lowing is an account Of the murder:
Early in January of the present
year rumors respecting the mysterious
disappearance of William Druz, a
farmer of moderate means, living
about three miles from Richfeld
Springs, began to circulate Soon
these rumors developed into hints of
foul play. and one of the neighbors
was heard to say that it was his be-
lief that Druz had been murdered and
his body burned in order to destroy
trace of the crime. A Mr. Eckler,
and others of the neighbors, it APP
pears, noticed on December Is a
heavy black smoke arising from Druz
house, while the air was impregnated
with a foul odor, this state of affairs
lasting about two hours. Owing to
the seemingly earnest efforts made by
Mrs. Druz and her daughter to discov-
er the missing mans Whereabouts the
reports of foul play were not generally
credited. Living with the Druz family
was lad named Frank Gates, neph-
ew of Mrs. Druz, aged IA years. Mrs
Eckler and Chas. Pott, a neighbor,
questioned the lad respecting the
smoke and foul oder noticed Dec Is,
and eventually the lad bacame confused
and was frightened into confession.
The matter was finally brought to the
notice of District Attorney A. B.
Steel, Of Herkimer. who reached the
scene of the murder January II and
Immediately took charge of the pro-
eeedings. Coroner Nellis impaneled a
jury on the following day, The re-
mains, which were found in a swamp
not far from the house, were an almost
fndistinguishable mass of dirt, ashes
ekarred bones frozen together, it being
subsequently discovered that the flesh,
after being boiled and burned off the
bones, had been given to the hogs
The boy, Frank Gates, upon being ex-
amined stated that he lived in Warren
with his aunt, Mrs Druz, and the
killing of Druz, her husband, was done
December Is, and that Mrs. Druz and
her daughter had, during the previous
summer, tried to hire him to shoot
VIM. Druz. On the day of the MUIR
der, according to the boys statements,
VIM. Druz asked him to get up and
build the fire, which he did, Mrs.
Druz and her daughter Mary also
arising at the same time. After break
fast Mrs Druz sent George, her son,
out of the house, and then calling the
boy, she handed him revolver and
told him to shoot Druz or she would
shoot him. The boy said that he then
fired at Druz and the woman, snatching
the pistol from him fred at her hus-
band until it was empty. She then
took the axe and pounded him over
the head, afterwards decapitating the
body The boy and George Druz
were then compelled to build a large
FIRE in both stoves and were afterwards
set on watch at the windows while the
body was being burned. The boy
stated the next morning all he saw of
Druz's body was large bone, and
even that was eventually placed in the
stove by the daughter Mary The
ashes and few remains were then put
into a bag and tin box, and thrown
into neighboring swamp, the axe and
pistol being consigned to pond where
they were afterwards found. The in.
quest was closed January Is, the jury
finding that YIN. Druz was shot anC
killed by Rosanna, his wife, aged 4C
years, and that Mary, the daughter.
aged 20, George w s. Druz, the son,
aged 10, and Frank Gates, the nephew
aged Il, were feloniously present, anC
gave aid and comfort to the woman
Mrs. Druz has not roomed with he
husband for ten wears.