The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-13
A REAL HESTER PRYNNE
PAULINE HOFFMAN WITH A SCARLET
LETTER ON HER BREAST.
ExiIed from Germany While In Her
Teens, and Now Dying of Con-
sumption in ST. Louis.
St. Louis Post Dispatch.


babies and the picture of my father with
moose around his neck that is before me
night and day"
Pauline Hoffman looks forward only to
forgetfulness at the end of life, the his
tory of which, told in her simple way, with
the sobs and heart thrills which only
woman can put into such a recital is al
most beyond belief. Yet there are but too
many evidences of it's truth. The girl sat
in her bedroom at the residence of Mrs. w.
A. CASTOR 2717 Morgan street, when she
made her pathetic plea for death yesterday
afternoon. She is weakened by disease and
the nerve-racking memory of the past. Her
former beauty fingers like fitful light on
her careworn face. She has lost the power
to smile. She can only weep and gasp for
the breath that will soon leave her body
forever.
Even the fact that fortune is now COM
ing across the ocean to her holds out no
hope for the future, appeases no pang of
the past. Pauline is now poor. She will be
rich, but with her wealth win come no
happiness. She will remain miserable
woman, with no thought save of the trail of
sin and crime that has crossed her life at
SO many points she trod the road that
leads downward. She is but twenty-four
years old. Yet for seven years she has been
an outcast from her native land. On her
arm and on her chest she bears the in
delible marks that stigmatize Il German
exile.
The only tie that might bind her to earth
is fair-haired eight-year-old boy in Ger
many. lie is her son, but she can never go
to him. He does not know his mother lives.
Her name has never been mentioned to
him. 1t Is a name that even to-day causes
a Shudder to pass over those of the citizens
of the town where she was born and reared
who know the history OF the woman who
bears it.
is still regarded as the most revolving in the
criminal annals of her native town. She is
on the records there as public menace"
and the marks on her arm and chest are on
every police station blotter in Germany. If
captured she would be hanged without
trial.
Waywardness cast shadow on Paulines
life at age when most girls are busy
with their dolls She was the daughter of
a wealthy farmer, Rudolph Hoffman, of
Ludwigsburg, Germany There was witch
cry in her dark-eyed beauty, witchery
that drew many to her. She was as I'M
tanned and untamable as a wild animal and
as careless of what pangs might follow the
indulgence of passions that brooked no re-
straint. She was a mother at fourteen.
Rudolph Hoffman was a man with a high
sense of honor, but he loved his daughter,
concealed her transgression and forgave
her. The lesson was lost on the girl The
honest father had occasion to smother his
Pauline was seventeen a pair of twins
played at her knees and called her man.
ma
Rudolph Hoffman became changed man.
He spurned the daughter he had loved as
though she had been some monstrosity. The
children shared his dislike. The aversion
grew to hate. For days he broodad over
the blight on the family name.
One bright afternoon in 1890 Pauline was
in a grove near the family mansion. She
sat on the grass, and the twins Emil and
Bertha, then fifteen months old, were
rolling about in the grass at her feet.
Her father came Striding up. He was in
hunting costume and carried a shotgun He
rarely spoke to Pauline, but this day he
stopped and said gruffly: IF you are going
one of Pauline's babies on each arm he
started for the home. Pauline did not fol-
way home her father jumped out of a clump
of bushes There was the gieam of madness
in his eye.
Go home and tell your mother I killed
the babies. If you don't I'll kill you," he
said.
Pauline screamed and tried to pass her
which he had come. She felt ins.inctively
that harm had come to her babies there
and started to rush to their aid
The old man leveled his gun and fired at
the girl. A load of buckshot entered her
hand. She bears the marks to-day.
said the he girls father. Pauline ' ran to the
house, screaming and delivered her fathers
awful message. The two hurried back to
through them.
The body of little Emil was dangling at
the end of a rope, suspended from tree.
Little Bertha lay dead on the grass. A
bottle that had contained quick and dead
ly poison was at her side. Rudolph Hoff-
man. stern-visaged and immovabe, stood
leaning on his gun, rapt in contemplation
of the work. Paulines mother gave one
glance at the dead bodies of the babes,
Teeled and fell at the side of little .iertha-
dead. Rudolph Hoffman was hanged in
public month later
All the odium of the crime passed TO
Pauline as soon as her father had paid the
penalty After a solemn trial she was adj
judged public menace. In all Germany
there was no place for a woman whose wan
tOnneSs caused such a crime. She was Een-
fenced to Punishment. She was taken to
Hamburg. where the marks of an exile were
tattoeed on her. Her initials were placed
on her right arm. On her chest was placed
a letter A in bright red ink. Its signifi-
canoe was that of the letter which formed
the basis of Hawthorne's great novel,
Two German policemen remained with her
on the steamer until she reached New York.
Pauline Rad money in her own right. In
ST. Louis bank $500 was awaiting her, but
she was penniless when she landed in New
York. She worked as a servant there until
she earned money TO pay her Way to ST;
Louis. Here she drew her money. Rental
from property she owned in Germany came
to her regularly.
Her sorrow gave way to the old reckless
spirit. Generous and anxious TO bury the
memory of the past she spent her money
freely. A girl such as Pauline was then.
beautiful, fascinating ana porn coquette,
was not likely to be long without a lover
Admirers paid suit TO her. She Went 10 i've
with the most favored. Who he was or
where she lived she will not say.
The lover proved faithles';. In June. 1896.
he deserted Pauline. Again the trail of
tragedy crossed her path. She took NOR
phine to end her life, but failed. She was
taken to the Female Hospital Her ready
cash was gone and the remittances came
only once in six months.
From the hospital Pauline found her way
hill ah n
there knew she was an heirass. She was
just a poor consumptive, fallen woman.
Two months ago she went to work for
Mrs w. A. CASTOR, of 2717 Morgan street.
where she now is
Two weeks ago d letter came from Ger
many saying the property left by her
father had been sold and that her share
would be $4,000 A later letter says the
money was mailed and is now on the way
here. Pauline told her story as narrated
above to a Post-Dispatch reporter yester-
day.
She speaks English brokenly and becomes
hysterical frequently. She gave way COM
pietely while she was describing simply.
but graphically, the scene with her father
at the clump of bushes where her babes
were murdered.
See" she said, extending her right hand,
there are the marks of the bullets.
Il will show you the marks the officers
put on me when / left G ~rmany.
She opened her dress. On her chest APP
peared the scarlet "A" in a heart-shaped
scroll. On her right arm are tatooed her
initials p. H." in larg. Roman charac-
ters The letters ID. S." are on her left
arm She does not know their significance.
Mrs. CASTOR and Mrs. M. f. Otto. man