Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-13
1 5AWYEk'S CUNNING.
MANUFACTURING EVIDENCE IN 4
MURDER CASE.
The Trick by Which Eminent Counsel
Saved the Life of Mrs. Mary
Jaeger in Oregon.

Ii you had lived IN CalamuS county In
the spring of 1881, you would know all
about the famous Jaeger murder case. You
would have attended, day after day. the
trial which resulted in the acquittal of
Mary Jaeger listening to each word of tes-
timony, the mastery pleas Of the attor-
neys, the charge of Judge to jury, and
would has joined in the general feeling of
satisfaction when the verdict was an
.nouneed. Two years before, Henry Jaeger
purchased the finest farm in the Grand
Ronde valley, and had settled down to a
honeymoon which promised all the happi-
cess that one could wish. For time all
went well, but too soon the young wife
realized that her dream of marital felicity
husband in the light of his true character.
Visitors frequently found her in tears, and
ere their married life had reached its first
year, Jaeger's reputation was that of a
dissolute depraved character, among his
ofenses being the most brutal treatment of
his fair young wife. Things went from
bad to worse until after repeated separa-
lions and reconciliations, Jaeger was found
one morning dead in his bed. There was
no evidence of robbery, no sign that the
house had been entered during the night,
nor had the sleep of the servants been dis
turbed by any unusual sound.
The Coroner's jury promptly decided
that Jaeger had come to his death from a
wound inflicted by pistol in the hands
of his wife, and when Judge Brooke, the
famous criminal lawyer arrived two days
later to take charge of the case, he found
what an attorney, next to an adverse YER
dict, most dreads-popular feeling against
his fair client and an unanimous opinion
that Mary Jaeger was guilty of the murder
of her husband. Their first interview was
held at the county Jail. After greeting
him cordially, Mary said:
Judge, l rely entirely upon you.
Since my arrest not a word concerning
this matter has escaped my lips, and l am
now prepared to make full statement of
all the facts in the case, to you and you
alone"
@Mrs. Jaeger, did you kill your hus-
band p
81 did,
Estate the circumstances and the mo-
tiveS that prompted you"
''As you know, my life for months had
been hell upon earth. The evening be-
fore | shot him we had had fearful quar-
rel. He swore that he would kill me as
he would dog, and rushed down stairs
for rife. | had barely time to secure
my revolver and secrete myself under his
bed when l heard him ascending the
stairs, cursing like a mailman in his
awful rage. He searched The house for
me, and | was fully resolved to kill him
should he find me- At last he gave up
the attempt, and got into bed mutterlng
threats that made my blood run cold. We
were locked together in that room. l
realized that escape was impossible, and
that it was his life or mine. While he
slept placed the revolver close to his
head, pressing the bedclothes tightly
down to deaden the report, and fired the
shot that sert him from sleep into eter-
nifty"
"Where is the pistol?"
SIN my haste l threw it into the kitchen
fireplace. The next morning, realizing
that search would be made for it, l re-
moved the ashes, but was watched so
closely that could not destroy the only
evidence of my guilt"
you may describe the spot where the
contents of the CRATE were deposited"
Mary did so, and the Judge continued:
"Tell me who besides yourself and hus-
band, were in the house on the night that
he was killed"
"There was the hired girl, who had been
with us since our marriage, and boy of
H. The hired man slept in the barn."
Describe this man as closely as posi-
ble."
ellis name is Sam Burke. He is hard
drinker, and has been drunk ever since the
news of the-ever since that night"
When the Judge left his client plan
Of action had already suggested itself to
his fertile mind. That night he secured
the pistol and secreted it again in a hol-
low tree at some distance from the house,
carefully noting the new location. The
next day he obtained receipt given by
Burke to Jaeger for payment of wages and
took the noon tram for Portland. His
business was with the most expert chirog-
rapher in the city, and Oh his return he
carried with him, in what an expert
would swear to have been Burke's writing,
Z letter which was destined TO play a most
important part in the acqdittal of Mary
Jaeger.
During his absence Burke had gone to
distant town, and the Judge was pas
senger on the east-bound train. Having
located his man, he proceeded to have him
well primed with liquor and contrived to
place the bogus letter in one of his pockets.
1t was simple matter to have Burke ar
rested on charge of drunk and disor-
Derby" and in the search of his clothing
the letter was found and read by the Ser
geant of Police. Ten minutes later this
message flashed over the wires:
Sheriff Of Caldmus County Come at once. I'm
portant evidence Jaeger murder case.
Meantime Mr. Burke was sleeping off
the effects of his spree, all unmindful of
the pit dug for his reception, and when the
Sheriff looked in on him after reading the
letter which revolutionized the case of the
State VS.. Jaeger, he told himself that never
had criminal been more speedily or efiectu-
ally run to cover The letter read:
To Sheriff Bro1cn: You are ali rong in accusing
Mrs. Jaeger of the murder of her husband. l
can tell you where to find that pistol Look in
the hollow tree about 200 feet back OF the barn
and you'll find what's left after going through
the fire. ! am going where you can't find me
but / want you to understand you are on the
rong track If you think that woman killed him.
When the case of the State VS.. Jaeger
was called three experts swore that the
letter offered in evidence and marked ex-
hibit "A" was the writing of none other
than Samuel Burke.
Judge Brooke, in summing up the case,
made the following eloquent plea:
"There can be no doubt Burke wrote
this letter, intending to mail it after
reaching safe distance and thus effect a
tardy Justice in freeing this pure and
noble woman from the stain which has
been cast upon her fair name. Man pro-
poses, but God disposes,' and the hand of