Evening journal., 1902-02-27
HETRICK SAYS WIFE
STRUCK FIRST BLOW
SOn.in-laW Of Wilmington Man on
Trial for Murder in Trenton
Dora Hetrick Sure She Was Married to
Him Before lie Married Lstitla
Smith

Trenton. \. j., Feb. 27.-George Het-
rick, in the prisoners chair in Mercer
Court yesterday, had to listen to de-
tailed statement of his own alleged con-
fession of the killing Of aged John kraus
in this city last Thanksgiving day.
The witness was Deputy Chief Brien,
Of the Syracuse, \. Y, Police Depart
ment. 1t was in that city that Hetrick
was apprehended, after he had led the
authorities of Trenton a chase through
half a dozen States. The prisoner was
also compelled to look into the face of
one of his four wives, whom he is said
to have charged. in the presence Of
O'Bren, with having started the fatal
fight with the cigarmaker.
CHASTITY FEATURES THAT
THRILL.
The details Of the killing, according to
the story the Syracuse officer says Het-
rick told him, furnished rare food for the
crowd of hungry seekers after morbid
narratives. 1t had all the bloody, ghast-
| IN features, that thrill and cause the
curious to shudder and the witness add
ed the necessary mysteriousness. Strip
ped of its elaborateness and the impress
siyeness of the telling, the story was to
this effect:
SAYS WIFE STRUCK FIRST.
First Hetrick said to me that he and
his wife had planned a former attempt on
Kraus' life, but it failed. This time there
was no planning i was upstairs, says
Hetrick. and heard noise in the work
ing room. ON the ground floor Going
down. | saw my wife about to strike
Kraus with a block of wood. When she
struck him he fell to his knees, ano
started to crawl toward the front door.
supposed he was going to call for help
and. taking the block. | beat him ovel
the head until he died.
"'After killing him my wife and l pu
the body i'm a blanket. ! told her to wal
until | could get a rig. in which we in
tended TO carry the corpse into the coun
try. and | left the house. While | was il
a livery | saw a cOmmOtiOn in front of Z
saloon across the street, and going owe
found my wife there. l went in an'
kissed her and begged her to go ava.
with me- She refused. / realized thel
that it was all over with us both, anl
ran to the depot and bought a ticket TO
Philadelphia.
NOTHING CAN BE DONE Tt
SAVE US"
"'At Trenton Junction | changed tn
ticket for one to Bound Brook, and s
made my escape continues the cOnfes
sion. i was in several places before com
ing to Syracuse, but l want to go back {
Trenton now and make clean breast o
the whole affair. l don't intend TO put ~
any defense. know that nothing can b
done to save us. Kraus was telling m
g., Iat Of -F. .rfr n1, mo a
ter promising 10 make me a partner j
his business, he never would do it,,
There were several references TO "A
legged filthy practices on the part of tn
murdered man. but no intimation to tn
policeman so he said, of any jealous
from Hetrick.
p O'Brien's story, with objections, con
tinuous Interruptions and q length
course of cross-questioning, consumed tn
major part of today's session of tn
, court
, BIGAMOUS WIFE AS A WITNESS
Letitia Williams, who had been maj
ried to Hetrick, and lived with him, ais
testified. Her testimony was objected
at first on the ground that a wife coul
not testify against her husband. Dor
Hetrck was then put on the stand, an
swOre that she was Hetrck's wife an
that she was married to him long befor
he had married Letitia Smith, of Wi
mington. Del
Z Mrs Hetrick No. was then allowe
b TO testify. She told of quarrel Hetric
had with Kraus about some money thi
was due him for work. She saw Hetric
have club in his hand, but she did n'
sec him strike the blow that endo
kraus life The case is still on.