Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-01
WANTS TO BE HANGED.
Knauf, the Witch Man, Hakes' Reve-
lations in the Faulk Murder.
HIS LIFE SHADOwED BY 4 CLOUD.
Mothers Use His Name to Scare Their
Fretful Babes Asleep
HE NOW ASKS TO BE TRIED FOB MURDER

Gray hairs bowed down by sorrow are
ever sorrowful sight, but when to sorrow
is added the sting of being despised, hated
and feared as pestilence it is overburden-
ing. Such is the condition of George
Knauf He is q sturdy, well-bufft man,
with broad, honest face, and his long,
white hair hangs loosely about his massive
head. He has almost reached his allotted
three score years and ten, but
instead of enjoying the glories of
life's sunset, he is but left
the dry, hard hulls of existence He lives
under cloud which has shut out all hope,
all beauty and all pleasure from life. Now
he but waits for the end, but rather than
hasten it himself because of the stain it
would leave on its memory and on the very
children who have set him adrift on the
world, he prefers to bear it while life lasts.
Yet so heavy has it become that yesterday
he asked Coroner McDowell-to commit him
on charge of murder He declares he Is
innocent, but says he is willing to be
hanged, in fact, he hopes for such a release
from present miseries. 80. - ..
All people will remember the famous
Faulk murder at Laurel station on the Ft.
Wayne road on the afternoon of January
%, 1891. William Faulk, farmer sup
posed to be insane, shot and killed his wife,
Mary Ann Faulk, on the Wilson farm. 1t
was claimed then that Faulk had become
crazy through the teachings of a. old Ger
man named George Knauf, who told him
he should kill his wife if he wanted to save
the world. Knauf was held for time and
then discharged. r... ..
Faulk Acquitted Because Insane.
On Jnly 81, William Faulk was found
not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
and was sent to Dixmont. Since, then the
stain has rested on George Knouff. 1t has
made him penniless and an outcast His
children have driven him from home.
Everywhere he goes he is regarded as o
witch. -, ....
Yesterday when he told the Coroner his
pititul story his eyes at times filled with
tears He said, though he was innocent,
he had not had happy moment since
the murder was committed. Boys
throw stones at him and call him the man
with the switch book" and even as he
walks along the streets the mothers draw in
their children lest if he touched them they
should fall in sickness. Even the youngsters
run from him for fear he would cast on them
an 'evil eye" In the country districts
where he is known, the child that frets and
crys is scared to sleep with the threat that
the Switch man, Knauf, will catch them.
When turned out by his children he was
sent to the County Home, but even there
the inmates abused him, he says, and called
him the devil, and not one would touch the
old Gornap Rih1a hot ha for faor
evil would come upon them. Were George
Knauf leper he could not be more of an
outcast. -.
When he walked into the Coroner's
Office he said: 81 want to give myself up
and be tried and have it proved whether 1
made William Falk kill his wife. If they
prove 1 did want to be hanged. do not
want to live. 1 have been so miserable
that 1 could have killed myself feel
that way now."
Lives OILY for His Childrcn's Sake.
II would have done it long ago, but the
people would have said, 'he was devil and
a witch. He knew he was murderer and
he killed himself NY children even will
not let me come to their homes and do not
support me, yet would not have it said
their father killed himself / cannot live
the way do now. No one will give me
work, and l have only cent left
No." he continued, as he fingered in his
pocket, 81 have 2 cents, but have not had
anything to eat to-day. I am not witch.
allied citizen of this country for 36 years
'William Faulk was not insane," he con-
tinued, when he killed his wife He killed
her for jealousy. He was jealous of Emery
Gibbons, the hired man. 1t was him he
intended to kill. He shot her because she
assisted Gibbons to escape. Both Faulk
and Gibbons drank great deal, and when
ever Faulk was away Gibbons was
always with Mrs Faulk. Gibbons
and Faulk used to play cards for whisky.
Mrs. Faulk always sat beside Gibbons and
Gibbons won she would laugh at
her husband and make fun of
him. Sometimes he got angry; On the
afternoon of the murder Faulk and Gibbons
were cutting fodder They had been drink
ing that morning. William Wilson also
knew they had been in the habit of drink
ing Faulk grew angry and struck the
horses. Then picking up piece of board
he struck a terrible blow at Gibbons, hea d.
Gibbons lodged and ran up the hill
Faux Intended to Kill Gibbons
'fFaulk than ran quickly to the porch,
where the gun always stood, and, picking it
up, jumped onto the roof of the chicken
house, that he might get better shot at
Gibbons. Just then Mrs. Faulk called out:
Run, Emery, run! He's going to shoot
you
"When Faulk heard this, instead of
shooting at Gibbons, he wheeled clear
around and emptied the shotgun into his
wife. He was not crazy then and is not
crazy now. Yet the story was given out
then that had talked to him ON religion
and had induced him to kill his wife
That is not SO, but il has followed
me and 1 now want to be tried for
murder. If guilty, want to be hanged.
If innocent, 1 want the law to protect me
against these insults. am ready to offer
myself TOR trial Mrs. Faulk's brother,
Jacob Kettenbough, does not believe Faulle
Is insane, and refused to testify that he be-
lieved he was" + ..
Then the old man returned to talking
about the way he was prosecuted, and said
that at the county home, when he read his
Bible. the inmates would point to, him and
say he had Switch book" and was talking
with the devil. The Coroner has not yet
decided what to do with the case.
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