The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-15


way 70 the sidewalk her husband was upon
her.
He raised his arm and made one stroke
The seven inches of steel entered the back
below the shoulder blade and penetrated
the heart. Mrs. Pallessen fell without a
groan Death was almost instantaneous
Mrs Hengesbach turned in her flight just
in time to see the fatal thrust. Holding
her babe close in her arms, she shrieked
Police and >Help," and fled down Twen-
ty-fourth Street Pallessen overlook her
before she had gone twenty PAGES, and, as
She was in front of the home of Mrs. Mary
Clements. at 1lO7 Twenty-fourth Street. he
grabbed at the child in the woman's arms.
one thrust was aimed at little Julia, the
blade entering the neck behind the right
ear and severing the carotid artery.
Mrs. Henresbncb Attacked.
Mrs. Hengesbach was unaware that her
child had been injured until she saw blood
squirting from the ugly wound. Increasing
her speed. Mrs. Hengesbach again at
tempted to evade Pailessen. but got only as
far as the corner Of L Street. when he
again overlook her. Grasping the terror
stricken woman by the arm, Pallesseu
caused her to release her hold on the child,
which fell to the ground. the body lying
walk. Retaining his hold on Mrs Benges-
bach. Pallessen glanced casually at the
child and then turned his attention to the
woman. whose screams and entreaties filled
the air
Raising the knife above his head, Pal
lessen let il descend four times. Once
the blade entered the right arm, once the
neck, and twice the breast. Mrs. Henges-
bach fell bleeding and exhausted to the
IL H. -l...W.C
her child was dying. Pallessen then de-
livered three more blows with his knife,
all of which fell on the face of the pros
trate woman.
As Paliessen was delivering the first
four knife thrusts Robert L. Wrenn a
druggist at the corner Of Twenty-first
Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. and his
clerk S. A. Wolfe, were running toward
the murderer. At the same time Mat
thew Mahany. employed at the Weather
Bureau, and several others who were leav-
ing the office were attracted by the
screams OF the woman None saw the up
raised knife nor the prostrate forms and
supposed that Pallessen was beating the
woman with his fist. OF the several who
witnessed the blows fall only wrenn,
Wolfe. and Mahany interfered. The for
mer two picked up bricks as they ran,
while Mahany approached unarmed.
Wreln was the first to reach the side of
the PROSTATE woman.
Pallessen was bending over her prepar-
ing to strike another blow. wrenn COM
manded him to desist and exclaimed that
il another blow was struck he would fell
Pallessen with a brick. In broken Eng
lish Pallessen retorted. You will. will
you2 Well, here goes" At that he deliv-
cred the three thrusts in the face of Mrs.
Hengesbach. Wrenn struck PaIlessen with
the brick. infictiug an ugly scalp wound.
AT the same time Wolfe struck Pallessen
in the face with the brick he had pro-
cured
The blows staggered Pailessen slightly.
but. raising from his STOPPING posture, he
calmly threw the knife to the ground. re-
marking. Ny work is done"
Pallessen then started leisurely toward
his home. when he was set upon by a
crowd OF infuriated citizens Mahany
though OF slender build and not near SO
powerful as the murderer was the first to
lay hands upon him. He struggled with
Pallessen and would possibly have been
overpowered had il not been for the timely
arrival of Sergeant Judge and Policeman
Hoilinberger. who had been summoned by
youth on bicycle.
saved From an Infuriated Crowd.
The policemen passed the scene of the
a
acted. They had dispersed crowd of
boys who were making mischief and noise
in the street. They had gone a little ever
a block when they were apprised of the
murder. Returning on run, they found
Paliessen in the hands of the angry crowd.
Efforts were being made TO strike the muir
derer with sticks and stones. and ths
timely arrival of the policemen prevented
harm from being done to him. Policeman
Hollinberger took Pallessen in charg.
while Sergeant Judge and Assistant Fire
Chief Kurt, who had been instrumental
in preventing the escape of the man, look
ed after the three victims.
Pallessen was escorted to the patrol box
at the corner OF Twenty fourth aud NJ
Streets, where he was met BY the patrol
wagon. filed with a squad of policemen,
under Sergeant LYDIA. The wagonload OF
policemen had been summoned b. Wrenn
by telephone Immediately after he saved
,he life Of Mrs. Hengesbach.
When the policemen left the wagon they
picked up Mrs. Hengesbach and her child.
Both were alive and we're fastened to
Columbia Hospital. block distant There
little Julia died about FIVE minutes after
her arrival. The stab wound in her neck
had proved fatal The condition Of Mrs
Hebgeshach was seen to be serious She
was lnsing much blood. She was still con-
scious, in fact, did not lose consciousness.
To the physicians at the hospital she re-
lated the circumstances of the tragedy, a.
far as she could remember them, after her
wounds had been dressed. Later her hus-
hand called on her and was overioyed when
Tbld that all hope of his wife's life had not
vanished. He left the hospital to make ar
rangements with an undertaken to prepare
the body OF his child for burial.
PaiIcssen's HalIucinntion.
In the mean time the body of Mrs. Pal
lessen had beea removed to the morgue i'm
barge OF Morguemaster Schoenberger. and
Pallessen had been locked in a cell at No.
3 station. The murderer would say little
his crime 10 the police. Finally.
when questioned. he said blandly: Il did
il because the Father told me to-
When seen by Times reporter. Palles-
sen asked for blanket, saying he wanted
10 sleep. Il can sleep well, now that nv
work Is DONE he declared. 1t was difficult
tc get statement from the man, as he
talked In a jerky fashion and at times In
q wandering and incoherent way. HIS an
swers TO all questions were short and were
drawn from him by great effort. When
asked when 'the Father" appeared TO him
and demanded the sacrifice of his wife and
The others. Palisssen replied:
You ask the Father. He will tell you. !
You don't know the Father? Well. if you |
don't know him here you never will know 1
him in heaven. He is powerful. He could 1
strike me dead now II had not done right. /
He wanted me to kill them and / have
done it. IL he did not want me to do It |
he would kill me now. Then would go to 4
him up above or away from him to the |
place below They could only die once. /
and why no. now. when he wanted il? | +
cl,tst GO uB or down, and I know I will 20
I'd TO tii- Father. He is SO great and SO 1
grand Il you want TO know any more