The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-16
STORY OF HIS CRIME.
His Act Gives Satisfaction in the
Community.
REGRETTHATlT WAsN0T SOONER.
His Body Will be Brought to Rich
mond for Dcsscction-It is Proba-
BILE that the Autopsy will
Reveal Some Interesting
Facts His Skull
Was Depressed.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA, Jan. 15-Spe-
hial.-Louis August, the human monster.
who was on Saturday convicted of the
horrible murder Of Annie Benedict, and
who was to-day TO have been sentenced
10 eighteen years in the penitentiary for
his crime, was this morning found dead
in his cell in the Elizabeth City county
Jail, hanging from one Of the bars Of the
apartment, towel tightly noosed about
his neck. Tho man had been dead for
hours.
Before hanging himself, he had dis
Sobcd and folded his clothing neatly upon
bench. He had then fastened the towel
about his neck, tying the other end to
The bar. The next step was the last.
He simply permitted himself to collapse,
and, his feet still touching the floor,
allowed himself to be strangled to death.
PUBLIC SENTIMENTS
The news of the suicide spDcad quickly,
and by the time the corcners jury reach
ed the scene. five or six hundred people
had gathered at the Jail.
The sentiment was one Of universal
satisfaction, the only regret expressed
self before putting the State to the eS-
Qense o. tedious trial.
Five minutes after the verdict was
announced Saturday, August had said
that he would kill himself before he
would go to tho penitentiary. He kept
his word. and no one was sorry, it be-
ing deemed that the murderer had, I'M
consciously. perhaps, melted out to him
self that justice which most men be-
lieve he should have received at the
hands of the jury that tried him. :.
FOR DISSECTION.
The body will be sent to Richmond for
dissection.
1t is believed, for one thing, that he
autopsy will reveal some interesting
facts. It will explain. for instance, how
far the mans conduct was affected by
the depression of the skull which ex-
lists at the base of his brain
Concerning the past life of this man.
little or nothing is known. According
to his own Statement, he came to this
country some ten years ago from Neither
lands, where he left a father and mother
and. sister. lie landed in New York,
and presently went west. working in the
mines in several States. Arizona among
them He drifted to Johnstown., Pa.
and there in an explosion, his skull was
cracked by a rock. making the depression
referred TO-.
Nhether ne was normal man before
This accident. is not known, but the
presumption is that he was. He de-
clared that he had never committed a
crime Prior to that, though his attorneys
told him that if it could be shown that
he had committed a number of similar.
crimes. the fact would be a point in his
favor, inasmuch as it would go to prove
That he was crazy on the subject OF
Staying fast women.
i A3.cllEt Seclar rcd also that tl-,,,., W.
insanity in his family and never had been.
SO far as he knew.
CLAIMED IGNORANCE.
As 10 the deed for which he was tried
August claimed to know nothing about
81. He said that on the night of the MUIR
der he was in Phoebus drinking. The
first he remembered was waking I'D with
in the fort enclosure and finding himself
lying on the ground in front OF the fort
row" He got III, and went to his room.
When he found that his hands and cloth
ing were covered with blood. he was
scared almost to death. He washed his
hands and changed his clothing. then Went
on duty. He was arrested.
What followed his arrest-i!i the state
naent of August-was an evident lie. he
said that one night some one came to his
cell window and in a low voice told him
that he could clear the whole matter up.
The glrostly stranger, according TO the
prisoner, told him that on the night in
question the real murderer found August
lying drunk near the house in which the
woman was killed. He dragged August
in, took his knife and left it III the room.
srneared his clothing with blood and then
put him out. The story was SO f1irnsS and
impossible that not even the attorneys for
1h. prisoner paid any attention to it,
though the man chung to it to the last.
KILLED OTHER WOMEN.
There Is no doubt fl the minds Of those
who were connected with the case that
August was the murderer of Minnie Far
go. as we'll as Annie Benedict. 1t was
also in evidence in the preliminary inves-
tigation, when he was arrested for his
former case thrt he had attempted TO Kill
another 1nulatfo woman, of PhoehuS and
had been prevented from stiangling her
: . death only by the prompt arrival of as
eisiance.
Indeed. ii, is reasonable to suppose that
If the dark BOOK of this strange fiend S
past could be ol.ened. upon its pages
would be found written the bloody record
Of other horrible AID inhuman crimes.
In this creature, the lowest depths of
human derravity seem To have been
sounded He was brother to the babbcon-
soulless Frankenstein. yet wi.hal. in
tho g,ist OF a rational and ordinary.
human being. There was nothing about
his appearance to betray the terrible
:.ature that writhed within him. His
features we're regular. his eyes. clear; his
intelligence. average; his manner, ordi-
nary.
Imagination can conceive no more artfnl
disguise. In Eden, the devil took the form
OF a serpent. In this case. he assumed the
form Of an Notwithstanding nan.
49, -
piclcff Ga mn Auxiliary
4 called meeting OF Pickett Camp Aux
tltary was held Monday afternoon 10 arr