Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-01

10E1N LIT lfLlJ "A
Through the efforts of Rev. Herman
Haass, pastor of the ST. Paul's Ger
man Lutheran church. of the South
Side, a Chicago prisoner charged with
wholesale bigamy, has apparently been
identified as former citizen of
Wheeling, who left this city several
years ago and has since been sus-
plicated in the death OF his wife, whom
he married here and who died few
months after the marriage.
The Chicago prisoner is thought to be
Jacob Adolph Huff, German who
came to Wheeling several years ago
and soon after married a widow named
Mrs. Adolph Hob, vrh-s possessed
some money. His wife died soon after
the marriage under somewhat suspi
cious circumstances in upper Benwood,
near the Boggs' run crossing. Huff dis
appeared in short time, and the find
ing of bundle of his clothing near the
"Back" river dam led to the belief
that he had committed suicide. HUFF
and his wife were known mostly by
German-speaking people, and the talk
OF a possible wife murder soon blew
ever, a South Side man received let
ter from Germany saying that Huff had
been hanged in Germany for murder
ing another wife under circumstances
similar to the Wheeling affair. The
letter stated that before his death Huff
confessed to the crime and had said
that no less than seven of his wives
had been murdered by him for their
mo nyY lot tN
the matter in the minds of the few
1t was not supposed that the man who
was guilty of numerous wife murders
would escape the gallows.
Recently the matter has again been
stirred up through Rev. Mr.. Haas,
who read the account of the arrest of
a polygamast in Chicago, and from tAe
thought that he might, after all. be
Huff, who was supposed to have been
hanged in Germany. Mr.. Haas sent
picture of Huff to Chicago few days
ago, and the Chicago police believe
that their man is really Huff The first
news from Chicago since Mr.. Haas
forwarded the~picture was received last
Hight by Associated Press. The dis
patch is as follows:
Chicago, October 31-A Bridewell
prisoner of many aliases and whom
two women claim as their husband,
has been identified as the original of
a picture forwarded from Wheeling,
w. Va, as the likeness of Jacob Adolph
HUFF, who is suspected of completely
in causing the death of Mrs. Jacob
Hob, to whom he was married on April
xxrhac
months later. The prisoner is known
Heveral aliases. The letter inclosing
Vi 1lGiilra Us raceiKed by the Chi
c4yy6 ponce Saturday, and was signed
by Rev. Herman Haass, of Wheeling,
Mr.. Haas said Jacob Adolph Huff /
married Mrs. Hob, widow, April Is, !
1895. Two months later the woman
died suddenly, and the day after her
burial Huff disappeared. His clothing |
and watch were found on the bank of |
the Chic river and it was thought grief |
l.ai led him to commit suicide. The !
/, -eoyery that he had drawn 5000 from |
I Is bank and pawned his wifes jew
ssgv caused the Wheeling authorities
/ ienge their minds, and an exami-
Jatinn OF the womans body was made.
II ,ras discovered, the clergyman's let
ter indicated. that she had not died
natural death. A week ago Rev.
Haas, after reading of the arrest of a
polygamist in Chicago, one OF whose
aliases was Hob, sent the picture. To-
day detectives recognized Doty as the
original of the picture.
Doty denied ever having been in
Wheeling.
He has been in the Bridewell several
weeks. Nearly month ago it was
discovered that he was wanted in Mil
waukee for bigamy. An investigation
developed that at least ten women
claimed him as their husband He was
not suspected Of murder until Rev.
Hnncn'c latter arrival