The record-union., 1891-05-30
IS It TRUE?
John ZWald COnfeSSeS to Two
Murders.
4 CONSCIENCE STRICKEN MANS
STRANGE STORY.
he POiS0ns One Wife and Sm0therS
Another in the East.
NOW HE LANGUISHES IN A
COUNTY JAIL DUNGEON.
Justice Of the Peace Henry is Called Upon to
Hear an Extraordinary Statement
A Son COrObOrateS Him.

That truth is stranger than fiction has
often been demonstrated, but never in a
more strange and extraordinary manner
than it was in this city yesterday.
John Zwald, well-known and gen.
orally respected farmer, who for the past
five years has titled the soil near Suffer-
vile, has confessed that he is murderer
twice over, and has surrendered himself
into the hands of the law.
He now occupies a cell in the County
Jail, and though fully realizing the awful
predicament he is in, declares that he
would sooner face the gallows hundred
Eilnes rather than undergo the torture of a
guilty conscience.
Some believe that the man is insane,
and that his crimes are but the hallucina-
lions of diseased mind. But those who
have known Zwald intimately, believe
That he has told the truth, and besides,
his own son corroborates sufficiently
The statement of his father to warrant its
belief
A STRANGE MISSION.
Yesterday afternoon Justice of the Peace
i
street, near Sixth, writing up some legal
documents, when a cart, containing two
men-one elderly and the other young
drove up rapidly to the door and stopped.
After tying up the horse the men en-
gered the courtroom, and the elderly one
saluted the Judge, calling him by name.
Judge Henry did not recognize either
Of the men, but babe them be seated and
say what they had to say.
The older man stated that he had some
hing very important to impart, and de-
sired to talk with the Judge some place
where they would not be interrupted
Judge Henry consented and escorted
nis visitors into his private office.
''Now in the first place, Judge" said
The old man, 81 wish to ask you if this is
proper place for me to tell something
bad that has happened-to make a con-
fession.'
The Judge looked at the man rather
quizzically, but replied that he guessed ii
was all right, and that he would hear
anything that was desired to be confided
IN him.
WELL" said the old gentleman, ST will
go ahead then. My name is John Zwald,
and this is my Oldest son. What am
about to say have never told to living
soul, and l wish my son to hear it, too
The young man gazed at his father in a
startled way, but said nothing.
STARTLING STORY.
Something has been weighing upon
my mind for a long time," resumed
Zwald, who looked the picture of misery
1T is terrible thing to confess, but ]
cannot stand it any longer. 1t weighs
700 heavily upon my conscience. I have
made up my mind to tell it all and accept
The consequences = terrible, though. ]
know they will be.
Something over ten years ago lived
IN Ohio with my wife, Catherine, and oul
-our children. My wife and l had lived
happily together for many years; but she
commenced to change, and, at the time ]
speak of, became a perfect tyrant over
me. She drank heavily, and quarreled
with me constantly. She made me very
unhappy, indeed. Finally, I made uI
my mind that there had to be an end tc
1t, and determined to go away. / made
my preparations quietly, and one day
look two of the children, a boy and girl
leaving her also boy and girl-and
FLED TO MINNESOTA.
settled near little place called Anoka
with my children, and engaged in farm
ing. a few months of this sort of life
however, demonstrated to me that it was
Il difficult matter to raise children with
ont mothers care, poor though it may
De, and l concluded TO send for my wife.
L thought l could put up with her, for the
children's sake, and so wrote to her to
come TO me. After / had written the let
Ter, however / got to thinking the matter
n M I LII, N
mistake in living with her again, so sat
down and wrote another letter, telling her
not TO come.
''She paid no heed TO this second letter
though, and was soon located at Anoka
with us, bringing with her the other two
children.
The family was thus reunited, and ]
.lad great hopes that the temporary
breaking up would have a good effect
and that we could now live happily
again. But my hopes were in vain. II
was only week or so before it was the
same old story-drinking again and con-
Stantly scolding. ] got fairly beside my
self in my desperation, and one day went
INTO town and bought some arsenic.
out q dose of this in her whisky and she
drank 1t. She died within two days, and
Joy
NOT A HOAX.
Judge Henry stopped Zwald in his
StTdhSS 'oIdeiNe III tillS Juncture, TO ask
aim ii he was really in earnest.
Zwald assured the Judge that he was
thoroughly in earnest, and said that when
The fact that he had confessed became
known, sufficient corroborative evidence
would be obtainable at Anoka
Did you summon a doctor when your
wife was dying during those two DAYS ?,'
asked the Judge.
mo. / did not. We lived outside OF
own. and besides, what use had / for q
doctor when desired her to die?''
s'But, didn't you do anything to relieve
her sufferings?"
ssOh. / went to town and got some
medicine. but don't know if she took
It. After she died had her buried in the
.Anoka graveyard. There was no inves
ligation, and i don't believe there was
any suspicion at the time that l poisoned
Aer.v
Judge Henry began to realize that i
was a serious matter, and, on the ples