The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-20
Mrs. Hegener. Who Killed . Man
in 81. Paul, Now Wants .
Divorce
Her Husband Drove Her to Shoot
Her 6landerer In Gold
Blood,
Now She Will Not Live with Him-He
Was Cruel and Drunk for Two
Years


IN asking for single blessedness she alleges
that her husband has been guilty Of extreme
cruelty and habitusl drunkenness for two
years.
An attempt has been made to conduct
these proceedings without attracting pub
lie attention, but the notoriety which tho
plaintiff has gained adds interest to the
case which revives sensation enacted in
st. Paul few years ago, wherein Mrs. Heg-
enor took an important part, being tho he
roine in the case. She shot man dead in
the streets Of st. Paul. Though the woman
was acquitted Of the charge Of murder,
she has ever since been at
intervals the subject Of newspaper talk.
She came to Helena about one year ago
from Minneapolis with John Engel. Il was
reported in st. Paul that she had eloped
with Engel. Shortly after her arrival from
st. Paul the telegraph wires announced that
"Bertha Hegener, the fair enchantresH, who
shot John Murphy about three years ago
for slandering her honor, is said to have
eloped with John lngle. boarder in the
Hegenor household, who became onamored
Of her charms Mrs. Hegener is = woman
OF more than ordinary beauty and is never
without admirers"
But it seems that Miss Hegener had ar
rived in Helena three months before that
date. She reached here last November and
the state whe she began the suit for divorce.
She did come out here with Engel, but de-
MED that she eloped. Engel was infatu-
ated with the woman and watched her
every moment with insane jealousy and on
more than one occasion he engaged in
fights on her account. They lived in the
less Engel was with her, and she frequent
~ received threshings from him for not
doing as he bid. She seemed to stand
in fear of him. Some few months
ago he beat her, when she would have moth
ing more to do with him. They had main.
by her friends that she and Engel would be
married when she obtained q divorce. Mrs.
Hegener has been living in Helena ever
since. She 10 woman of beautiful face
and figure and always had hosts of admirers.
A noticeable feature has been the piercing
alone attracted more than ordinary atten-
ton on the streets. She is supposed to be
employed taking care of dodgers rooms for
Mrs. Captain Howard, with whom she has
lived for some months. r. was her evident
intention on coming to Montana to obtain
her to sue for divorce. At the time the
story of her elopement was brought out, she
stoutly denied it and laid the blame for it
to her husband. She said at the time:
"My husband is at the bottom Of that dis
patch. + sounds just q though he had
the man. The facts are that have re-
peatedly refused to live with him under any
circumstances. We were married in 1882
and lived happily for only short time.
he drank and ran with other women all the
time. He had nice barber shop in Min
neapolis, but let his business die by his
conduct. did everything possible to as
slst him. even went 80 far as to scrub out
the barber shop twice a week and do the
Washing for the shop in order that he could
up every cent he made and left me to sup
port myself and the two children as best !
could. All this time I was working, and
making what could, while he was drink
ing and spending all he made and part
of my earnings:
to make my life miserable this last story is
the worst. decided to leave him six
months ago. I was compelled to. He
would not support myself or the children
and We had not change of clothing. Three
months before coming here told my
friends was coming and made no secret of
it: ! happened to come on the same train
with the 1ngle boys, and their friends and
mine were at the depot to see ~ depart.
Ny husband was there, too, and knows that
the only reason came WAS because was
toM my chance Of getting work would be
better II Helena than in Milwaukee. whore
Mrs. Hegener declared positively that she
would not live with him, although her
husband has frequently urged her to 20
back to him. he making all sorts of prom
ises. Should she obtain the divorce she
will go back to her people in Milwaukee.
woman's life was the killing in Barber
Murphy, a story which created great stir
at the time. BY appointment Mrs. Hegener
met Murphy one evening in front Of the
Union house. at the corner Of 6ibley and
Third streets in st. Paul, and shot him
through the head. killing him instantly.
because Of public sentiment. Then HeRe-
ner and his wife returned to Minneapolis to
live, Hegener running barber shop on
Fourth avenue. The reason for the muir
der waa that Murphy had claimed intimacy
reached the husbands ears.
Speaking TO reporter Of the killing Mrs.
for all that trouble. Every night he would |
come home drunk and tell me something |
that Murphy had said about mo. He would |
taunt me constantly with some slanderous
report he said he had heard from Murphy, |
and kept it mp until was crazed. He knew |
that ANYTHING he heard against my virtue |
was false because he knew every hour In |
the day whore wls. He finally said that |
il / did mot shoot Murphy no would out my
throat. Driven to desperation by his tales |
Of Murphy's talk, shot Murphy. Then
came the trial in which was acquitted. All |
through the trial shielded him az best |
could and took everything upon myself, be-
cause really did not caro- how the trial |
ended. His treatment had hardened me to |
any fate the court might decide."
Mrs. Hegener has lived rather quietly |
here, but whenever abe ia seen ON the street |
somebody 10 sure to say: There's the |
woman that killed . man in st. Paul" |
Il is probable that her husband may contest |
her suit for divorce.
SILK and WOODEN hosiery mado to order. |
Knitting Factory, ais South Main street.
lsdies black underwear, guaranteed All wool