Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-21

Kaiser, Jr, who is under sentence of
death for the murder of his wife, was
to-day called by the commonwealth as
witness against James A. 'Clemmer.
VINO is on trial here charged with hay-
ing Deen an accOmplice in the crime.
Inc prosecution decided Yesterday to
resort TO the unusual proceeding of
placing a condemned murderer on the
witness stand to testify against his al
legged accomplice.
Kaiser, in answer to question.
stated ne met by appointment Clemmer
and Miss Dekalb, who has figured SEN
sationally in the case as the ''myster-
lOus woman in black" on the day of
the murder at the railroad station in
Norristown.
What arrangements did you make
for killing your wife,"
There were all kinds of arrange
ments made before this. Clemmer sug-
gested that | should take my wife drlv-
ing and he would follow us and shoot
both Of us. Lizzie DeKalb was there
too and took part in this drama About
4:3O p. m. we went out, my wife and |.
Clemmer got his team and followed us.
l was in the wagon when he shot us.
AS Kaiser said this he broke into
tears and his voice faltered as he told
how Clemmer walked up and shot his
wife and then himself. There was no
screams" he said. Il go out of the
carriage and walked towards the bridge.
| took my clothes off and Clemmer hav-
ing failed to take my stud, | took it off
and threw it away, but Clemmer prom
+o1-o ~ nd bat
book
What did Lizzie DeKalb do?"
She had agreed at the station that
she should turn the horse around,
which she and Clemmer drove and keep
all passers by from coming up to us
until after the shooting was done,
which | suppose she did. She did not
come near us after the murder. Upon
the suggestion of one of the counsel for
the commonwealth Kaiser. told the fol-
lowing story:
Il met Clemmer and after a while he
said it would be G. good plan to have
nv wife's life insured and then make
away with her. He kept this up con-
tinually and so persistently that l nm
ally consented. l did not have the
power or will to resist his arguments
and we got the policy.
"Clemmer then suggested four diner
ent ways in which she should be Killed.
In one of them my VIE was 10 20
with Miss DeKalb. Clemmef was 70
meet them in some lonely place ana
shoot her and Lizzie like he dld me.
Once Lizzie was to go to meet sup
posed brother and next they We're 70
90 ont for chestnuts. The third time
thew were to go fishing, but the fourth
one was when he did shoot her.
Gle always told Lizzie and that
there was no harm in it for either she
or as he was to do the deed, and IN
this wav persuaded us to take part III
the murder"
Kaiser then identified his watch and
The pistol which was shown him, ne
said, belonged to Clemmer.
Judge Weand gave permission TO
Clemmer to retire for a consultation
with his attorneys. After being out OF
the room for ten minutes, he returned
and his face was as pale as death. On
cross-examination, Clemmer's counsel
asked Kaiser if he did not expect 10
have his death sentence commuted TO
Imprisonment for life for telling the
story he had just related.
"Do YOU see this?" said Kaiser,
holding up the Bible, well, have
come here with the firm determination
of telling all the truth, as the Al
mighty God is my judge, and | Will
say only that Clemmer did kill her
'Did YOU not say when you were
arrested that robbers committed the
crime?"
Eyes, but I swore falsely. Clemmer
came up and demanded our money and
yaluables. | handed him my pocket
book and my watch. My wife was
lust taking her watch off and was
leaning over to remove the chain when
Clemmer pointed the pistol at her She
said: please don't shoot me- and
then he fired.
Il agreed to let him shoot me in the
arm. although | first agreed to let him
shoot me in the head. | was afraid
he would kill me also"
WAS Miss DeKalb present when you
arranged to take your wife out for
driver"
Eyes. she heard all about the plans
and went with Clemmer in the buggy
afterwards"
After further unimportant test3-
mOny KAISER was ordered Dack 10 JAN
and District Attorney Strassburger
said: "The Commonwealth rests"
The Commonwealth here rested its
case. and after a recess the defense
opened Clemmer's counsel went over
the prisoners life from his birth and
declared that the prisoners position
to-day was the result of meeting with
Lizzie DeKalb. When he met her, he
began to take a downward road and
deserted his wife and family. Before
that he had led an upright life. Get
ting down to the murder. counsel said
he would be able to prove an alibi, not
only for Clemmer, but for Lizzie De-
Kalb as well. and that they were else
where when the murder was commit
ted. During the afternoon the defense
called a number of witnesses. but the
testimony was fragmentary and did not
seem to prove conclusively that Glenn
mer was elsewhere. None could swear
positively that CIemrIer was not on
the road on which the murder was
committed on that night but confined
their statements to the fact that none
of them saw him there Court then adj
journed until tomorrow, when Glenn
mer will take the stand District At
torney Strassburger tonight said that