Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-07
IDR| BA|a||NG POINT
Des noinss Jobbsrs and Manufact-
ursrs Have Complaints as to
Freight Rates
Will Have Hearing Fefore Com.
merce Commission Want Bas.
ing Point in Iowa.
Claim Made That Missouri Cities
Have Advantages in Matter
Of Rates.

= ~ d Z
Waterloo, Nov. The trial Of the
case Of Jerome w. Hoot, charged with
attempted murder Of his wife, begins
lin the district court this week. "A spe-
cial venire OF forty jurymen has been
summoned, but 1t is thought this list
will be exhausted before a body of
twelve men can be selected to proceed
with the trial.
4 The case against Hoot is one OF the
most sensational ever brought to trial
In this county. The specific charge
against him is that he attempted the
murder OF his wife thru the agency OF
| an Internal machine ingeniously con-
lstructed and loaded with five pounds
of dynamite, which was received by
Mrs. Hoot in the guise OF present.
On Oct. %, 1899, Mrs. Hoot had de-
3llivered at her home in this city by a
letter carrier a letter addressed to her
husband and p0stmarked Chicago.
Hoot had not been at home for several
4 months, and as the letter was adj
A dressed to the street and number
where his wife was living, Mrs Hoot
asserted the wifely privilege of break
4 ing the SEAL She found but q short
note enclosed written apparently in a
feminine hand and containing this
message:
Jerome, Dear: I return to you by
express today all your presents to me.
You Will know why. Goodbye
TAB"
4 The strange epistle aroused Mrs.
Y Hoots curiosity and she was endeav-
z oring to study out it's significance when
1.-THE express agon drove to her home.
land the messenger brought in a pack
age. neatly wrapped and addressed in
1.-THE same writing as in the letter to her
husband. She attempted to open the
package, and after removing the wrap
Iping paper discovered it to be a pref
lilly stained cabinet constructed with
q handles at each end. 1t was about
twelve inches long, FIVE inches deep
s land eight inches wide. After gazing at
Z the box long and curiousy Mrs. Hoot
took hold OF the little copper handles
J and started to pull it open. 1t had
!. lopeneG like q telescope about an inch
i when the woman was startled by 9
sudden explosion like the swapping of a
!. leap and the next instant there came
Il from the interior of the box q puff OF
Il smoke which partially filed the room
s ISuddenly the belief dawned upon hel
lthat the box was from her husband
: land that he had constructed an infer.
: nal machine for her especial benefit
!. lhoping to thus get rid of her and OBJ
2 [taln her small property and some lif,
: INSURANCE which She was carrying il
{ his name.
II She Immediately consulted an attOr
ney, leaving the partially opened DO,
!. Lon the table where she had started L
: tinvestigate it's contents. The attorney
!. after hearing her story accompanied
I her to the police station and an Officer
was sent to t ne house and took posses
sion Of the death-dealing machine. Thu
B box was placed inside of a metal boz
!, lat the city hall for safe keeping, ant
the next day the police accompanies
Z by Mrs. Hoot's attorney and one or t,v,
!, lnewspapers men carried to the rive
: bank near the center OF the city to tes
! It's contents The box was placed OF
J. "a ledge of rocks near the waters edg
la string attached to one OF the handle
and then, after the men had secrets
Z themselves at some distance from III
!, newspaper men. peering over the edg
of the embankment saw the tw
:. halves of the. box separate, then ther
J. came a puff OF flame, followed almos
= Instantly by an explosion which brok
$ window lights in nearby houses, shoe
= buildings for blocks around an
s startled the whole town. So territi
: was the explosion that great hol
IN
= lay and the sound was heard five mile
. from the city.
. 1t was a death dealing machine whic
: would have completely destroyed Mr.
Hoot,s home, probably killing all tn
81, inmates of the house and would hay
left no evidence aa to the nature of tn
e disaster Immediately after the ties
y had been made. Mrs. Hoot swore out
warrant forthe arrest of her HUSBAND
charging him With assault with inter
= to commit murder. and the search tc
s. the man was begun.
p Then the story of Mrs. Hoot's mart;
u troubles came out. She had met he
= husband but year previous. She Wa
J.flthen a Mre. Nettie Schwab, a divorce
le woman. a friendship sprung UP bs
.e tween the two. and they We're sscretl
re married at kansas City about Chris
r. mas time, 1898. Mrs. Hoot told her al
torney that on the night of their MAJ
T. rage her husband began plotting to g,
lie hold of what property she possss'ss,
IS land because she refused to deed ii ovs
A Ito him she asserted that he attempts
u to kill her with chloroform. She wos
l. |up during the night and found HAND
ID lkerchief soaked with the drug lying Q
il her face. The next day she found
e bottle Of chloroform in a small han
,e satchel which her husband carried. 81