The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-16
He FLED TO AMERICA
In an Hour of Jealous Insanity
He Slew His Wife.

sing. where he is serving life sentence
/ for the murder of his young and talented
wife on an isolated claim in sandhills of
I southern Blaine county, Oklahoma. 1t
/ was the end of a romance, frequent
among families of nobility across the
| seas wherein the army officer had mar
| ried the woman of his choice despite
/ the protests of his family and fed TO
| America with her. Always attentive to
| her, but ever jealous, he finally muir
! dered her in the most cruel manner, be-
| cause as he declared then, he feared her
too close relationship with a German
neighbor. That his fears were imaginary
! and that the woman was faithful to
her marital VOW is the unanimous testi-
mony of the neghbors of the Mas fam
| lily prior to the murder.
Mas killed his wife on December 5,
$685. and was tried on October of the
following year at Watonga, the county
seat of Blaine county. His plea was in
sanity. He was constantly imagining
that his people were trying to accom-
plish his death; he claimed they had
put poison in his food, had tried to hyp-
-
bloodhounds on his track. Imagining
also that his mother believed him dead,
he was INSTANTLY sending her kilograms
to the effect that he was still alive 1t
is important. too, to note that within
year prior to the murder of his wife
he had revisited his German home and
had sent money back to that country to
purchase shares in a Moscow loan asso-
citation of some character.
In the spring, preceding his trial, Mas
had been declared insane by the county
examining board. but when tried the YER
dict of the jury was that he was sane,
and the only wonder at that time was
that he did not receive the death SEN
tence instead of life term. The most
prominent attorneys in the territory were
secured to defend him and his German
relatives furnished the money to with
stand every matter in connection with
the defense The murder of his wife was
most brutal. She had evidently just fin
ished her breakfast when she was at
tackled by her husband, who used a dou-
ble-barreled shotgun to accomplish his
purpose. She had fallen as she passed
from the kitchen into the bed room and
two days afterward her body was found
lying weltering in her own blood. There
were fatal wounds in her right side and
in her head. One load of shot had torn
away a part of her right ear, as the
shot entered her head, and tore out an
eye in dislodging itself. There Were
pieces of her flesh scattered about the
rooms, some laying underneath the dining
table, all of them torn away with the
. shot or arried away by rats that had
mutiated her body after her murder.
There were streaks of blood where it
had run from her wounds and there
were footprints in blood, made by her
husband as he escaped from the house
after killing her. There were blood spots
everywhere. The sight completely I'M
nerved the neighbors, who were called
later to the scene by the reports of the
murder.
Immediately after killing his wife Mas
FASTENED to FL Reno. thrty-five miles,
and surrendered to the sheriff Of Cana
dian county, telling the officer of the
awful deed he had committed He talked
crazy all the time, declared there were
dogs after him and threatened to shoot
any person who would attempt to lynch
him for the deed he had committed. He
carried the gun with which he killed his
wife with him to prison. having in his
pockets enough shells, loaded. to stand
of a company OF men. The day of the
murder was bitter cold, but he made the
entire trip to FL Reno overland in his
shirt sleeves He completely exhausted
his team with which he started and en-
ployed a farmer TO take him into Ell
Reno.
Later Mas was transferred to the
county Jail at Watonga, where he re-
manned until removed 10 the penitentiary
TO begin his life sentence. At numerous
times there have been members Of his
family in Germany here attempting TO
effect his release from the prison, but
they have always failed. The German
cansul at ST. Louis was interested IN
the case and has had much correspond
ence with Oklahoma officials regarding
Mas. There was also much correspond
ence at one time with United States con-
sui at Berlin who sent for use in the
tria letters written by Mas and his
wife % relatives in Germany. He has
been asked to furnish much information
regarding the family in that country
The prison officials shortly after Mas
was entered as life terrner believed
him insane and he has Occupied a place
in the insanity ward during the greater
portion OF his Incarceration The friends
OF Mas have attempted 70 secure his
release on the insanity plea IN order
that he might he removed 20 Germany
for treatment in government hospitals
Oklahoma officials however were &C
quainted with the details Of the horrible
wife murder and 1t has been ditscult to
convince them that Mas IS insane Three
Oklahoma governors have refused 20 ap-1
prove his removal from the penitsntiary
on any ground.
But 1t nov appears that Mas. finally
viii get out Of the peniteatiary Okla
honla being a territory has no penitan-
tiary and the convicts are kept in the
Kansas prison under contract This con
tract was renewed only last week IN
the new agreement Kansas Inserted
clause. to which Oklahoma had 20 cor
sent 10 the effect that hereafter when
an Oklahoma prisoner is declared insane
by Kansas examining bard. the pris-
orer must be returned 10 the county n
Oklahoma from which he was convicted
and sentenced A Kansas board held
Mas insane ard Governor Ferguson says
that under the ne~ oootrzet;x coadi-
tons the prisoner must be returned 70
Blaine county. uhich. by TIE way. ts the
governors home county. This removal