The San Francisco call., 1896-02-26

In answer to a question as to what
prompted him to kill his wife he said
'Well, she called me a bad name, and |
shot her" He denied that the deed was
prompted by jealousy, and repeated that
1t was simply because she called him a
''black dog"
'sShe was my second wife" said Claus
sen, land / married her five years ago,
about a year and half after the death Of
my first wife. She was chambermaid in
the Russ House, where l was working at
my trade as baker, and we became at
tached TO each other and got married.
was then 33 years of age, and she. was a
year older.
MY three children, two boys and girl,
are by my first wife, and better children
never lived. She was always kind to them.
as kind as if they had been her own. 1
will say that much for ner.
For the past six months we had not
lived happily together and six days ago
she left me. This afternoon l called at u
Everett street to engage a room and met
her there by accident. We had some
words and she called me names and / shot
her.
81 have been working at Engelberg' 8
bakery on kearny street recently, but have
worked i'll bakeries in different parts of the
city"
Claussen's sister, Mrs. Mary Christen-
sen, wife of master mariner, who
lives on Dolores street, called at the
City Prison last night to see him. They
conversed together for q few minutes, and
she seemed deeply affected. She has had
Claussen's s daughter Lena living with her
since Friday, and she will take the two
boys home with her this morning. They
were asleep in Matron Gillmore's room
when she called, and she thought it better
not to disturb them. The three children
are: Willie, IL years OF age; Louis 8, and
| Leua, 7.
1t was learned that Caussen was in
sanely jealous of his wife, and when he
was under the influence of liquor, which
was very frequent, his jealousy became in
famed ano he abused his wife. Three OF
four months ago she had him arrested fol
threats against life, but the charge wa.
dismissed as he promised to behave him
| self.
On Friday he was drunk and he drove
a friend on Powell street. the two boys re-
mained with their father and the little CIR
went to the house of her aunt.
Yesterday afternoon Willie went tG
Powell street to see his stepmother. and
not finding her there he went to - Ever
EFT street. He was there talking with hel
when Claussen and the boy Louis called
.Claussen went out, and when he returned
he told the two boys to 60 down to the
kitchen and fix themselves up, as he wa.
to take them out with him. When they
left the room to go to the kitchen Mrs
Claussen was dressing her hair in front o.
the mirror, and in a minute or two later
the boys heard the shots. Such is the
story told by Willie.
The murdered woman was, prior to hel
marriage, Miss Elizabeth Shaw. She
was born in Ireland thirty nine years ago
of English parents. If the statements O
her friends are true, she had always beer
hard-working woman, and for many
months had been forced to suffer much
cruelty at the hands of her husband, par
ticularly when he was intoxicated. Their,
was less motive evident and the crime wa
committed in a more cold-blooded anc
4 heartiess manner than any of the man,
murders that have lately shocked thi
City