Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-12-29
MRS. CLUTE'S SLAYER.
Albert Hoff, Russian, Held for
San Francisco's Latest
Murder.

San Francisco, CAL, Dec. 22.-The
mystery attending the brutal murder of
Mrs. Mary G. Clute, who had relatives in
Wisconsin, in a Guerrero street fiat has
apparently been solved. After a severe
struggle she was beaten to death with an
iron coupling pin, which crushed her
skull, and the police are satisfied that the
man who used the deadly weapon is now
IN custody.
He is Russian known as Albert Hoff,
but his full name, as written by himself,
is Albert Frederick George Verensse-
nockockhoff. He says that he was born
IN Baden in 1880, but he does not appear
to be so years of age. He had been en-
ployed by Mrs. Clute to help her move
and to make over some mattresses.
Knowing that he had been assisting in
the work of preparing Mrs. Clute's new
ly-rented fiat for occupancy, and being
satisfied that the carpet layers, Foley and
jackson, who had been there on the same
day, were innocent of the crime, the
police were on the lookout for Hoff
Greatly to the surprise of Chief Lees,
the suspected man walked into the po-
lice station and told a story regarding
his visit to the Clute fat which at first
seemed plausible. Clever cross-examina-
ton, however, soon involved the Rus
sian IN maze of contradictions, and he
was placed under arrest as a suspect.
pu0PASAol1 dS ~ HIS SullL was soon
changed to certainty. for he was positive
~ identified by Mrs L. A. Legg, who
occupies the fiat directly under the rooms
Wnere the murder was committed as the
man she and her invalid father-in-law
saw leaving the house after they had
Deen alarmed by Mrs. Clute's dying calls
Tor help. Mrs. Legg asserts that she can
not be mistaken. While the aged Mr..
LegS was trying to summon the neigh
DORIS, she took her husbands revolver and
went upstairs. Here she saw IIoff. got
a good look at him and saw him leave
the place after the carpet-layers had
gone. ana just subsequent to the COM
mission OF the awful crime. He has also
been identified by Foley as the man who
was IN the house when he and jackson
left A'o4A
further strong circumstantial evidence
mat he is the murderer is furnished by
me me iact that he is left-handed and that
ms lett hand is badly cut. The fange
OF the coupling pin with which Mrs.
cute was killed is sharp and ragged,
ana held IN a tight grasp, could easily
nave caused the wound which he saws
was made by tack. The police sur
geon, however says it could not have
oeen produced except by some heavy in
Strument
There was evidence of severe strug-
gle, put no indication that the assassin
accomplished his evident purpose. That
robbery was not his motive is shown by
the large amount of money found in the
rooms. Hoff, who still maintains his in
nocence, is a socialist and an anarchist
and Is reputed to be connected with the
nihilists. No faith is put in his state
ment that he is 81 years old The eX-
PLANTATION. OF his going to the police of
nee on his own vOlition is found in the
tact that the other men on whom sus-
plclon at first rested did the same and
their statements were accepted by the Of
fcers as satisfactory.
Mrs Mary Clute was the daughter Of
the late Mr.. and Mrs. Ruttles of Wat
sonville, Cal. Mr.. and Mrs. Ruttles died
within few weeks of each other about
nine months ago. Mrs CIute attended
them during their fatal illness and re-
manned until a month or so after their
death. Mrs. Clute's husband, who is q
tended the funeral. 1t was variously ru-
mored at the time of Ruttles' death that
he was worth about $4,000 and that if
was bequeathed to Mrs. Mary CIute,
their daughter. Shortly after she went
to San Francisco to reside. She was in
Watsonville about four weeks ago irving
to make some arrangement to rent her
property, which is situated on Main
street in Jacksonville. She had no chill
dren.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clute lived in Salt Lake
City in the sos Mr. Clute at first enoa opd
well known among the business men of
the city. At the city election in January.
1890, he was elected to the office of asses
sor and collector, which position he held
until the expiration of his time two years
later. He then embarked in the mercan-
tile business with several associates. under
the firm name of the Driver Mercantile
company.
Early in 1892, however. Mr.. Clute's
successor discovered $4,000 shortage in
his accounts, and the repayment of the
sum to the city practically ruined him
financially. Later the Driver Mercantile
company made an assignment, and in
1893 Mr.. Clute went to California. The
shortage in Clute's accounts resulted. ac-
cording to his claim, from az error in ad-
dition and as the amount was promptly
repaid criminal proceedings were not in
stituted.
Mrs. Clute was very well known in
Salt Lake and up to the time of her de-
pariure from the city was more or less
identified with the social, charitable and
literary life of the city.
CEVyn DCrxunrN DvCrY AnnC0NC