The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-08-08

|
were talking about him, though no one
was accusing him. IL was too patent a
fact that his wife killed the girl to
attach suspicion TO him just
because he was In the house. But Wise
did not seem to be uneasy about any
thing. He did not exhibit any emo
tion. When he appeared to give his
testimony he was calm. He was dress
ed ina blue shirt and blue overalls.
He explained that he had not had time
to make better front since he pulled
on his overalls to go down stairs for
breakfast. Wise said In answer to a
question by the News-D Democrat man
that he is day laborer. He said he
had no regular employment. His sit
uation is wherever any work Is to be
done. The people say he is rather
easy-going and Indifferent. There
were no tears In his eyes when he told
his story to the coroner. There were
none when he went to the house with
the coroner and the News-Democrat
man to get clothes to put on his dead
wife and step-daughter, who were be-
ing prepared for burial. II he felt a
great grief he is q past master at sup
pressing it,. His tears did not flow
when he told OF the finding OF the body
OF little Ruth. He told his story In a
straightforward manner. He does not
hear as we'll as he used to when he
went courting Kate Byerly in the hap
py days of yore, and the coroner had to
speak in loud tones. Wise's father
was present when be gave his testi.
mony. In answer to the questions of
the coroner the head of the household
in which the tragedy occurred said:
VI am resident of Greentown and
have lived here all my life. 1 have
been married to Mrs. Kate Swartz two
years, having been married to her
the 11th day of March, 1897. I went to
bed about IL o'clock Saturday night.
When went to bed no one was in the
house but my wife and the girl, Ruth
Swartz, my wife's daughter from her
former marriage. Ruth was Is years
had not retired but had laid down to
rest. My wife was sitting right in the
room with her. My wife was mad. She
said it looked as II no one wanted
to do anything about the case we had
there about the girl Ruth being in
trouble. 1 knew the girl was in trou-
BILE for my wife told me so. My wife
had given her something for her
trouble. She had given her tea and
something else in bottle. do not
know what 1t was, but my wife told me
it was an oil. 1 do not know whether
the bottle was labeled. My wife went
up stairs with me. The girl was to
sleep downstairs. She usually slept
up stairs. She slept alone up stairs on
other occasions. My wife and went
to bed but my wife did not undress. I
told her to take off her clothes and be
comfortable as she could sleep better
with her clothes off. She said she did
not feel like sleeping. She said to me,
Il pity Ruth, the little devil, and still
don't pity her. She .said IF no one
wants to attend to Ruth I will.
When she was saying this she did not
talk as If she were going to do her any
harm. DR.. Hanson had been in the |
house at o'clock and 1 heard my wife |
ask him to operate on Ruth. He re-
fused to do it. He left about 10 o'clock. |
After she had said that she would at
tend to Ruth my wife said that she |
would see that no man had her and |
that no one would get her by getting |
her in trouble. She said she was too |
young to get married and that she |
would not make good wife as she was
too lazy. When I went to sleep she |
was still lying on the bed with her
on. l went to sleep about II |
o'clock. / know nothing more till |
got up in the morning. l did not hear
my wife get up. l got awake about S
o'clock. l found that my wife was not
in bed. got up right away and put
on my clothes and went down stairs,
thinking my wife was getting break
fast. She was an early riser. I had
to go through the room where
the girl was lying. She was on the
bed and l thought she was asleep.
There was lamp in the room but it
was turned down low. The blinds
were down. When l went into the
kitchen my wife was not there aud
there were no signs that she had been
getting breakfast. went back into
the room and turned up the light.
Then | noticed that there was some-
thing dark on the white pillow. Then
| saw that the girl had her throat cut.
l then made up my mind that this was
what Kate meant when she said that
no one would get Ruth. put on my
shoes and came right down to DR..
Hanson's and told him about it. DR..
Hanson went to the house with me. We
saw razor laying on the table and
picked it up and said that that was
what she did it with. He said to lay
it back and leave things just as they
were. The doctor took the key with
him after had locked the house and
had gone out. did not find note or
letter. | didn't look for any. DR..
Hanson and l went to the house of
Amos Myers, the undertaken, who is
my brother-in-law. DR.. Hanson and
Mr.. Myers went to my fathers house
ana L went over to my sisters, Mrs.
Charlie Myers. saw syringe laying
on the porch, on a chair, and told my
sister about it. She said it belonged
to her and that my wife had narrowed
1t. My sister did not know 1t had beer
returned till found it this morning. /
saw some tracks in front OF my
fathers house after 1 went
over there later in the morning