St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-10
MRS, SMITHS STORY,
The Alleged Murderess Of
Hoppe Appears on the
Witness Stand.
She Reeites the Tragic Details
in a Cyclonie Sort Of
Way.
On Self-Defense Appears to
Hinge the Hope Of Her
Able Attorney.
Hennig Also Makes His Ap-
pearance as a Witness
in the Case.

The Hoppe murder trial is drawing to
close. The evidence is about ended,
and the fate of Annie M. Smith. the
murderesS, will be left with the jury for
decision today. The defense was pre-
sented to the jury yesterday, including
the statement to the jury by MIR. Erwin
and the testimony of the defendant, the
colored woman. the statement OF Hen
mig and other witnesses. The state
began with rebuttal testimony last
evening, and will call couple more wit
nesSeS this morning to extend the testi-
mony 10 refute the evidence of the de-
Tense as to good character The state
made out strong case. and no effort is
spared to refute all points of the de-
Tense, including that of sef-defense.
The court room and galleries were
thronged yesterday, and crowds gath
ereu around the doors and windows in
hopes of seeing OF hearing somewhat of
the interesting details. Parts of the
proceedings yesterday were dramatic
and exciting to even the case1hardened
habitues of the criminal court. The
woman who is on trial for her life was
moved to tears when Mr.. Erwin was
making his opening. address to the jury.
and again when telling of the homicide
from the witness stand. Hennig, who is
jointly indicted as accessory to the kill
ing, was also moved to tears on the wit
ness stand, but only for moment. That
was when Mr.. Erwin asked as to his
wife, whom he learned but few days
ago had died in the Rochester asylum.
where she has been all inmate for many
years. Hennig
Told the Full Truth
about the shooting of Hoppe by the col
ored woman in dramatic manner. The
address of Mr.. Erwin when outlining
the defense was eloquent and as enter
tanning as panorama Of battlefield.
Mr.. Erwin spoke Of the powers and dn-
ties of the jury and the advantages it
has over the single individual in detect
ing the truth or falsity of charge and
the testimony adduced. He declared
tnat there are few murders In this coun-
try when compared with homicidas, and
marked out the difference. he admitted
that homicide had occurred, but de-
MED that his client had committed muir
der, as charged in the indictment.
There was no mUrderouS intent on the
part of the woman in shooting Hoppe
She found Hennig and Hoppe i'll a fight
and fired the shot. Mrs. Smith was the
housekeeper of Hennig and believed
she was justified in defending herself
and him. Mr.. Erwin asked close atten-
ton to the testimony of the witnesses.
He also outlined the defense in his mas
terly way. y
Mrs. Smith was Overrunnlng Wltilller
story, and, when called to the witness
stand, she lifted the valve and poured
out the sentences i'll d volumlnouS NAH
her, notwithstanding the efforts of colln-
sci to direct her intoa specific recital OF
the desired facts. The substantial parts
of her story are that she went to keep
house for Hennlg i'll West st. Paul
ten years ago. He then had intiamatory
rheumatism, and she nursed him with
great care for Il year. de had been the
foreman for BaZille q Partridge and
had brought on the rheumatism by tax
ing care of his wife, who had been an
invalid and sent to the insane asylum.
The witness kept house, for nm
eight years in West st. raul,
for which she received $50 per month
She then wanted to go to Washington
city, her former home, but Hennlg adj
vised her to stay in st. Paul. He took
the money she mad saved and bought
the piece of land at Bass lake for her
from A. K. Barnum, and advanced her
the money TO build house Oh 1T. MI.
Hennig went there TO live and allowed
her Sl2 month for keeping house for
him, besides her board. This money
was to be applied to paying for the
property. which was purchased i'll her
name. She detailed how she raised
| chickens and ducks and sold them. how
thew were stolen from the chicken
| house, that was locked with ten-penny
nail. She spoke in detail OF the garden
| ing. The signs and warnings had been
| put up to keep treSpaSSerS Off the prop
| erty. Her
Story of the Shooting
| and the incidents of July 4 was told at
| length and with a detail that covered
every incident OF the day, from early
morning until after she surrendered
! herself to Justice Boyd. She-began this
| part with relating her expectations of a
number of visitors on that day. She
was cooking and preparing for the eX-
| pected visitors, when she heard the dog
barking. Upon going to the porch she
saw Mr.. Hennig in a fight with man
on the edge of the lake. The man
| threatened to kill Hennig. She went
down and pushed the man away. She
| went to the house then and got her
| revolver. The man then threatened her,
and threw beer bottle that missed her.
| and was mashed by striking against the
! barn. She said that Hoppe called her a
Niger and other obscene names, and
several times threatened to make the
| lake red with her blood. She said that
Hoppe put his hand in his hip pocket
when he threatened her. She did not
intend to hit the man when she shot at
! him. bat intended to shoot over his
shoulder to scare him. She thought
Hoppe was going to shoot Hennig, and
believed people would say that she had
killed Hennig. She protested her IN
nocence of any purpose to kill, and shed
tears while reciting the shooting scene.
On croSS-eXaminatiOn the woman In
sisted that Hennlg and Hoppe were
having fight at close quarters when
she shot; that Hoppe had hit Hening
with his fist, knocking him backward
and had taken him by the throat. In
answer to other questions by County
Attorney O'Brien, she said:
| ran between them and pushed
Hoppe, and he fell over into the lake.
[ ran to the house, and when | came
back Hennig was lying there and
Hoppe was doing something with the
fish pole. l stood on the bank, and Mr.
Hennig was putting water on his
hands. and | said, Are you hurt, Mr.
i Hennig?" and l said to Hoppe
you've killed him, killed him." Then
Hoppe threw the bottle at me, and
said: You mean hight, do you?' ane