Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-23
HARDLY CREDIBLE.
Did Minnie Hoffsmith Commit
These Grimes?
NOVEL PERSECUTION OF A FARMER

NOVEL PERSECUTION OF A FARMER
His Food Poisoned, Clothing SUIT to
Pieces, House Set on Fire, Barn. Gurned
and Other Deviltry CommittedAA Girl
of Is Arrested as the Perpetrator of
All the Mischief and why She Is sus-
pected.
CLINToNvuLE, Wis.,. Sept CAN in
nocent-appearing, good-iooking German
girl, scarcely 10 years of age, has been ar
rested on warrant charging her with the
long series of crimes that have been COM
mitted at Louis Devaud's fam Minnie
Hoffsmith is her name. She has an hon
est face and to charge her with an attempt
to commit murder, arson, and malicious
mischief seems preposterous. Never was
a person prosecuted more terribly than
has been the family of Louis Devaud.
farmer in moderate circumstances who
lives nine miles southwest of this city.
Beginning of the Persecution.
The persecution began in the latter part
of July. First the choice watermelons of
his patch were destroyed and the vines
were cut. This was thought TO be the
work of some of the boys of the neigh
borhood and was looked upon as n boyish
prank. Less than week after that
hive of bees was overturned during the
night and paris green was spriukled over
the honey in cspious quantities. A few
days passed and the performance was re-
peated. Then some one gor into the Gel.
lar and put paris green in the butter and
threw ham into barrel of soft soap. A
large number of cans of fruit were opened
and poison put into them. The family
became thoroughly frightened and the
neighbors came in frequently TO discuss
ways and means of capturing the guilty
. persons
Paris Green i'm the Flour.
One day when Mrs. Devaud started mix
ing her bread she found paris green in
the flour. The next outrage was when
some one got into the house and ruined
quantity of clothing by cutting it with
scissors. A few days later the house was
set Oh fire, and while the family were put
| ting it out the barn took fire and over
& 500 worth of buildings, grain and farm
ing implements were reduced to ashes.
throughout the entire county, and tue ex-
citement ran high. The Devaud family
was driven frantic, they were afraid for
their lives and feared TO eat and drink, rs
they did not know but the well or the
food might be poisoned.
The Case Perfectly InexpiicabIe.
No cause or reason could be divined
why any one should desire to so relent-
lessly prosecute Mr.. Devaud and his fam
lily. The neighbors watched and the fam
lily watched, but the depredations contin-
ued and there was not the slightest clew
as to who WAS guilty. For thirty five
years Mr.. Devaui had lived i'll the same
house and to his knowledge he had not "A
single enemy III the county. He had never
had IA lawsuit nor quarrel of any conse
quence. Some of the neighhors became
very weary of wondering and some evil
minded person started the rumnr that
some member of Mr.. Devaud's household
was committing the depredations
Child Suspected.
Shortly after this suspicion was fastened
on Minnie Hoffsmith. Suddenly people
began to remember that the child had
| acted strangely all the while. The sheriff
and city marshal of Clintonvile were
called in and warrant WAS sworn out
and the girl was arrested Minnie is
slender child not over four feet in height,
| with clear honest face. large blue eyes.
fair hair, nose that turns up Just
enough to be pretty. aud full red lips
She has spent the greater part of her life
| among the pine-covered hills of this re
gion. Her father and mother. with nine
children, have for the last four Years
| lived in a log cabin in the timber at the
| foot of a high hill about mite from the
Devaud farm.
Cause of the Suspicion.
Mrs Devaud is firmly convinced that
little Minnie Hoffsmith is the author of
all the persecution she and her husband
have undergone, She recounted the whole
list of wrongs and said that Minnie was
the first TO discover each one. When the
persecution began notes were found
about the house written in AN almost IL
legible hand and signed johnny War
den" the name of hired man whom the
Devauds had discharged some months he
fore. One note reads as follows: "You
promise me your horse. ! shell git green
pisne In Their trought.
"JoNNY WARDEN"
Minnie Discovered Everything.
Several notes of this character were
found, said Mrs. Devaud. "and now that
it is all over | remember that Minnie
iounu theH All. one also discovered the
mess in the watermelon patch; and, in
fact, it was she who discovered all OF the
mischief She called my attention to Mr..
Devaud's clothes, to ali the fires. and
when | ran to my brothers. for help she
called my husbands attention TO the
burning barn. 4 hen Minnie has "A Grip
pied hand aud the impiin of the hand in
butter is like hers"
The Girl Denies 1t All
Minnie is out on bail now and is with
her almost heart broken father and moth
err She does not realize the enormity of
the crimes with which she is charged but
goes about the little cabin home minding
the baby and helping her mother with
the household duties singing as though
nothing had happened. Minnie is frauk
in her statements and admits TO being
present at all the occasions mentioned.
but denies that she knows anything of
their origin. nor did she or Mrs Devaud
see any suspicious persons in the vicinity
at any time.
Death of Hon. William Holman.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Sept. 23-Ex- Con
gresham Heilman died at his home in
Il - - i