The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-27
APLUCKY BANK CASHIER.
HAND TO.HAND STRUGGLE WITH
A BURGLAR.
A Jealous Wife's ReVenge-COW-
aroly ssassinaiiOn-MIr-
derer hanged.

RENSSELAER,. IND, February 20
Wiebrcn Warena was hanged here
this morning for muir Ter. A large
crowd gath rcd in the town 10 witness
the execution, apd 10 VAS conducted
in the presence Of over 1000 people,
some OF whph were permitted 10 see
Wartena whiie he lay in his bunk
previous % the hour fixed. Wartena
was escorted Ia the scafold at II 40
O'Clock, aud when on the trap deliv-
cred a wiiN haangue, partly in broken
English aid parity in Holland Dutch,
declaring iiis innocence of the crime
charged him, and calling upon God to
have mercy on his accusers. At ii 30
o'clock the trap was sprung and the
body was allowed TO hang until 1925
o'clock p. H., when it was cut down
His neck was broken by the fall. None
of his relatives were present. Yes
terday Wartena was baptized in the
Catholic faith.
The crime for which Wartena was
hanged was committed on the 10Th
of October, 1884, Wartena came to
this country from Holland few years
ago, and located near French Land
ing, On the Kankakee river. He pro-
cured food for himself, wife and four
81 nren 10y fishing in the river and
d .lg odd jobs for neighbors. One of
thJ se neighhors was John Dregar, who
owned asmal farm and some cattle.
Dfeger lost his wife, but kept his
house in che same condition as during
his wife's lifetime, and assisted War
tena, and sometimes boarded with
him. On the Goth of October, 1884,
one Brainard found the body of a
man floating in the river. He imme-
diately procured assistance, and the
body was taken from the river; two
ilrOn pump-heads were found tied to
[ the body, but they were not of suffi-
cient weight to prevent the body,
when decomposition sets in, from ris-
ing, or the crime might have forever
remained n mystery. Wartena per-
suaded Dregcr to go to the river with
him for fish. While there he watched
his opportunity and felled Dreger to
the earth with blow with the butt
end of gun. The gun was broken
by the force OF the blow, in such
manner as to leave long, sharp point
extending from the breach, and with
that a deep hole in the neck was
made. The iron pump-heads were
then securely fastened TO the body and
it was thrown into the river War
tena, Immediately after the murder,
took possession of all of Dreger's
property, even his deceased wife's
clothing, and claimed that he had
bought all the property for 1875, pay
ing for it with a check which he had
received from the old country. I'm
mediately after the discovery and
identification of the body, Wartena
was arrested, and on November 4,
1894, he made complete confession,
and gave as his reasons that he was
poor, and that his family were desti-
tute and that he desired TO get food
for them. AT the January term of
the Jasper Circuit Court he entered
plea of guilty, and Judge Ward as
sessed the punishment at death, but
upon appeal the Supreme Court re.
versed the case on the ground that the
Judge should have called jury to de
termine the punishment. AT the Oc-
tober term, 1885, he filed plea of in
sanity, but the jury found him to be
of sound mind and guilty of murder
in the first degree, and assessed his
punishment Mt death.