Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-11-18
CONFESSES THE MURDER.
Mrs. Mack Gives In Court Details
of Horrible Crime.
Sensational Development in Gulden-
suppe Cause.-The Woman Appears
as states Witness Against
Martin Thorn.

New York, Nov. 11.-There was an ex-
traordinary turn of affairs Wednesday in
the Thorn murder trial in Long Island City.
Mrs Augusta Mack, who was indicted to-
Rether with her erstwhile paramour, Mar
tin Thorn, for the murder of her former
lover William Guldensuppe, for whom she
deserted her legal husband, appeared In
the role of a state witness against Thorn,
to the CONSERVATION of the latter's law
yers. The report was current Tuesday
night that Mrs. Mack had decided upon
this course and when Emanuel Friend, her
counsel, arrived in the courtroom Wednes-
day morning he confirmed it and added that
she would be put on the stand as soon as
court opened During all this time Martin
Thorn was below in a cell at the back of
the courthouse without the slightest warm
ing of his impending danger. AS soon as he
arrived in the courtroom he was informed
by his counsel of the action Mrs. Mack had
taken, and just for a moment his face
flushed and with brows contracted and lips
compressed he showed for the first time
since his arrest that he was in any way
perturbed He soon regained his COM
posure, however, and while he leaned for
ward and spoke to his lawyers Mrs. Mack
entered the courtroom. The woman passed
close to Thorn on her way to the district
attorneys table, but while he carefully
kept track of her every movement she
avoided looking at him.
The WOman's Confession.
Under the examination of Judge Weller,
Mrs. Mack began the recital Of her story,
up to the time when she had left her hus-
band and was living with Guldensuppe at
439 North avenue. Guldensuppe was known
there as her husband. Thorn came there
to board. Thorn and Guldensuppe had
fight and Guldensuppe whipped Thorn.
Guldensuppe kicked Thorn downstairs.
Thorn pulled revolver and fired one shot
at Guldensuppe, but did not hit him. Thorn
made repeated threats that he would kill
Guldensuppe. They hired the Woodside
house and Thorn then told her (Mrs. Nack)
to bring Guldensuppe there and he would
kill him. She had to do what Martin told
her to do. Gradually the lawyer led the
witness up to the morning of Friday, June
rs, the day before the crime was committed.
She said she and Guldensuppe left New
York between nine and ten o'clock that
morning, and after they had crossed the
ferry they boarded a trolley car, which
left them at Woodside cottage. II had the
key to the house." she said, land told
Guldensuppe to enter and examine the
house while 1 went into the yard. He went
upstairs and I heard shot. Martin Thorn
came running down, and when we met he
said: I've shot him; he's dead He was
very excited, and was half dead" said the
self-confessed murderess. breathlessly.
Disposing of the Corpse.
In relating what had been done with the
Mack said that when she went back to the
cottage at five o'clock Thorn had every
thing tied up in parcels, some of them in
the oilcloth that she had purchased in Long
Island City. When they were ready to leave
the cottage she took one parcel and Thorn
another. Hers contained Guldensuppe's
clothing, and in Thorn's parcel was the
dead mans head, which he had incased In
plaster paris In the washtub of the cottage.
They went directly to a ferry-which one
O. m m mr. oh yya ont m ha frnn
of the boat and Thorn stayed on the rear.
Soon after the boat was in midstream
Thorn rejoined her and said that he had
thrown the head overheard. On reaching
New York she went to her house, where
she burned the parcel containing the cloth
ing. The woman then told in detail how
the other packages were deposited In the
river and the Ogden woods, near High
Bridge.
During her direct examination Mrs Mack
broke down and cried, but this had no effect
on the prisoner, and, if anything, he seemed
to enjoy her discontinue as the d-time
grin played around his mouth.
Attorney Weller showed Mrs. Mack four
photographs Of Guldensuppe. which she
identified. He asked:
why do you make this statement"
Mrs. Mack replied: Il don't want to have
1t on my mind"
Mr. Howe continued his cross-examina-
zion, step by step, till he had led the wit
mess to repeat her whole story as given in
her first confession. 1t did not differ ma
'terially from that brought out in the direct
examination.
A Dramatic Scene.
Mr.. Howe changed his tactics after this
and, turning suddenly, shouted at the top
OF his voice: Mrs. Mack, was 1t not you
who shot Guldensuppe?"
The woman was startled, but regained
herself in a moment and half shrieked:
mo, / did not"
SWaS IL not Won who c1t I'm the bodv 7''
was the next question.
The woman frantically yelled back de-
liant No"
Coroner Tuthill, of New York. was then
called to prove that the several portions
of human body found in the three bum
dies belonged to the same person. He
said the bones had marks of a saw. Dur
ing her examination Mrs. Mack never men,
toned a saw being in use, neither did
Gotha in his report of Thorn's alleged con-
fession to him. Other witnesses were
called whose testimony was mainly in the
tine of. Identifying the body of Gulden-
Suppe.
Trial Must Begin Again.
New York, Nov. 12-The trial of Martin
Thorn for the murder of William Gulden-
suppe, which was begun last Monday at
Long Island City, was suspended Thurs
day owing to the dangerous illness of Juror
Magnus Larson. Juror Larson was taken
Ill Wednesday and court adjourned on that
account. Physicians called to attend him
found that he was suffering from appen-
dicitis. AT the opening of court Thursday
morning 1t was announced that Larsen was
unable to attend, and an adjournment was
taken until this morning. Late in the
afternoon an operation was successfully
performed upon the sick juror, and it is
expected that he will be able to leave his
bed in two weeks. District Attorney Young
has notified the other II jurors to be present
In court and receive their discharge, and
he will then ask the court to call a new
jury. All evidence for the prosecution,
whose case was nearly completed, will have
to be introduced again, and Mrs. Mack will
be required to go on the stand and tell her
horrible story anew.
Helps Mexican Shipping.
Washington, Nov, 13-The president