St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-01

Gets Ten Years at Saltwater for
the Terrible Crime.

80 OEltAlCs
Hermann Dickman pleaded guilty of
incest before Judge Kerr yesterday and
was given the maximum sentence, ten
years at hard labor in the penilentiary
at Saltwater. He is now fiftv-four
years old. and that means in his feeble
condition of health a life sentence.
There is still another indictment against
him for assault upon his thlrteen-year-
old daughter that supposes a sentence
OF not less than twenty. nor more than
thirty years. This will be held over his
head while undergoing the other SEN
tence. The court room was cleared
while the plea of guilty was taken and
the sentence pronounced, as the circuln-
stances were too rev olting for the ears
of the public. Attorney Henry Johns
stated that he had become in possession
of facts that convinced him of the guilt
Of Dickman, and he did not feel justi-
moral. mental and physical condition of
the old man as being much below
normal. and left the mar at the mercy
OF the court to Impose sentence.
County Attorney Butler outlined the
character of the facts in the case. He
stated that Dickman had come to this
country from Germany in 1884. He had
a family OF seven children. His wife
died in 1889. and in the fall of that year
he was married to Lizzie Koettgering, a
widow with five children. In 1892 there
was a family row growing out of the
conduct of the old man, and his second
wife left him. A few weeks ago the
conduct of the old man became known
to his son Henry, who shot him danger
ously and the old man laid in the hos
pital for some time.
Judge Kerr then directed Deputy
Sheriff John c. Hardy to interpret some
questions and the sentence to the old
man. In response to inquiries it was
learned that his name is Herman Henry
Dickman. He was born in Germany. is
fifty-four years old and a carpenter by
trade.
In passing sentence Judge Kerr said,
1.-THE crime to which you have pleaded
guilty is SO revolving in its character
that l can hardly trust myself to speak
diSpaSSiOnately about it. You are too
old to send to a reformatory. 1t would
be idle to speak of reformation in YOU
case. In passing sentence, 1 take into
consideration that there is another i'll
dictment for an otfenSe with another
younger daughter. AS Judge of this
court. l have simply this to say: l owe
it to the community and to your family
to place you where you canno again
commit such a crime. The sentence of
the court is that you be confined at hard
labor in the penitentiary at Saltwater
for the period of len years."
The old man seemed satisfied that he
had gotten off with no longer term. He
showed consideration for his son, who
is under Indictment for shooting him
when he learned of his conduct, and at
his request Mr.. Johns told the court
that he expressed a'desire that the boy
be not punished for the shooting as he
believed the boy did right.
Mrs. Dickmau had been waiting in
the ante-room under the care of a ply
sician during the sentence of her hus-
band, and after this was over it was
learned that she had tainted. She was
revived and conveyed to her home. The
two daughters who were intended as
witnesses in the case were in court dur
ing the early morning but were sent out
before the plea of guilty was taken.