Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-12-12


stood awaiting its victim.
HaywardS conviction for the muir
der OF Miss Catherine Sing, near here
is all instance in which criminal jus
tice was administered with dispatch
and certainty The crime was COM
mitted the night of Dec. 3, 1891. One
week atterward Claus BliXt, a ianitor,
confessed that he murdered Miss Cling
at Hayward's instigation. The indict-
ments were found in January The
trial commenced toward the close OF
the month. and lasted forty-seven
days. Conviction resulted, and on
Nov. 90 the supreme court affirmed
the finding.
Harry Hayward was a gambler and
all-around sport, with general ac-
QuaintanCe in the fast circles of the
principal western cites. He had good
social standing. and visited in reput
able families. His father and mother
were respectable people, the father be
ing in the real estate business. He had
q VI uNlltl, @ANi llNN NtNI u W li'N w
actly sound mind, with whom he was.
not on strictly amicahle terms. He
was the object of warm paternal If
lection and had many friends,
Claus l.. BliNt, who confessed that
he committed the murder, was ianitor
of the Ozark apartment building,
owned by the father of Hayward. in
which Miss Cling occupied rooms for
popular dressmaking establishment,
She was 81 years a blond, handsome
and stately. She had some shady bus
mess transactions with Hayward in
the way of lending money. but he tes-
titled that their personal relations
were pure He persuaded her to in
sure her life for $4,000 for his bens-
fit, as security for borrowed money
RliXt alleged that the murder had
been discussed and planned at sew
eral conferences between Hayward
and himself. Tho night it was COM
mitted Miss Cling rode alone in
buggy from leading hotel \ short
distance away she overlook Hayward
on the street, and he rode i'll the bug
gy until they met BliXt, Hayward
then got out and BliXt got in, driving
to a lonely spot a couple of miles
away, where he shot the woman. left
her dead by the roadside and aban
doned the horse and buggy.
Hayward returned to town and
showed himself in several public
places as the basis for an alibi. He
even took some prominent lawyers
daughter to the theater that night and
seemed to enjoy the play greatly. The
hCrse wandered to the stable alone
with the bloody buggy. BliXt re-
turned to the Ozark building The
mangled body was found before it had
become cold
There was difficulty in proving a suf-
icient motive for the murder. But the
financial transactions of Hayward and
Miss Cling partly supplied the needed
testimony Hayward was revealed on
the trial as man familiar with the
darkest crimes, and previous murders
were suspected. During the trial he
maintained a demeanor of the most
revolving carelessness and even
gayety. Even if wholly innocent OF
completely in the murder, his aC-
quaintanceship with the murdered wo
man would have impelled him to man
fest some regret for her fate, some
rage against her murderer. if he were
not possessed of a cold and brutal
heart 1t is probable that the almost
unbelievable testimony against Hay
ward gained in force by his own deb
onaire demeanor when on trial for the
murder of his closest friend.
The case was a curiosity in criminal
annals. The promptitude with which
it was pressed to 4 verdict reflects
great credit on the administration of
criminal law in this state. If half the
testimony adduced against him is true
Harry Hayward is what the dime
novels used to call "a fiend in human
form" During his incarceration Hay
ward made a sensational attempt 10
escape and 1880 was found secretel
on his person. His father was worth
UPWARDS of 100000 when the suit be
gan, but much of it has melted away
in his sons defense Miss Cling was
buried at her childhood's home in
York state"