Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-11-26
WAUSAU AND MERRILL,
The Houston Murder Trial and
Its Remarkable Develop
mentS.

Wausau, Wis, Nov. 21.-[Special.l-
The absorbing center of interest at Wau-
sau this week is the Houston murder
trial. Aside from it's features which
appear frG,n day to day in the telegraph
reports. there is much in this case to
interest one who cares to spend the time
to view it from it's sociological side-to
look at it both anthropologically and
psych0log icaliy-for it is full OF meat in
both these lines. Here is case involv-
ing people who for the most part cannot
read. and SO far as they can who do not.
That The entire outfit is fearfully de-
ticient IN moral perception is beyond
question.
The court is confronted at the outset
with the man Jacobs. who confesses not
only to participation i'll the murder, but
to having sustained immoral relations
with his own daughter from the time she
was IA years of age until long after her
marriage. at the age of seventeen. The
man Jacobs is densely ignorant-sO lg-
norart that It even serves to palllate to
some extent the unspeakable vileness of
bis personality.
On the other hand, the daughter, whose
hoy husband was the victim of the muir
der. presents a distinctly anomalous feat
IRE of the case. In the first place she
has neither the physical marks of the.
degenerate nor the general bearing of the
moral deficient, and yet she has been
brought mp in an atmosphere of what
the world deems vice, and crime has been
he" normal surrounding. She is now 20
years OF age, has been twice wife and
!: widow through murder, and four times
sh" has been compelled under oath to
rchcarso story. of her own shame,
vi ch. had she the slightest shadow of
moral perception, would have torn her
heart to its very roots. Yet she is of
modest. frank, demeanOr, Womanly i'll
carriage and appearance, honest of coun-
teuancc and speaks with grammatical ac
cmacy. seldom met on the witness stand.
IN spite Of the moral cesspOol from which
she comes into the view of the world,
the woman bears the earmarks of good
breeding. And where they could have
come from it would be hard to determine,
even in the realm of speculation.
been rather quiet during the week.
though. IS they say in the commercial
column. future activity is promised
Merrill has had rather the best of it So
cialIy. Monday Miss Thielman enter
tanned in honor of her birthday. Mr.
and Mrs. Young were subjected to a
very Pleasant surprise party Monday
night III which. by clever ruse Mrs.
Young was made an ostensible partici-
pant IN another surprise party, which
never came. For when the party called
fur Mr. and Ms. No;Ing they staid.
ing party was organized which went out
into tho country for dance which was
none the less merry because slightly I'M
conventional. Wednesday afternoon
Mrs. j. Z. Weiss entertained the Ladies'
Whist club. Merrill will have charity
ball Thanksgiving evening. preceded by
Il promenade concert.
IN Wausau considerable social activity
is projected, but the past week has been
quiet. The Ladies' Musical society will
give musical December 8 at the resi-
dence of Mrs. Walter Alexander, which
viii serve to give financial aid to the Re
lief and Aid society.
The y. NJ. c. A. will have a poster ex-
hibt Monday night, the first which has
ever been given in the Wisconsin valley.
\ collection of about 400, posters owned
i'll Wausau will be exhibited. Saturday
night the society young men give an in
formal hop at Elks hall. meant to be in
Il measure complimentary to the ladies
who rlNp the laap-year marty last week