Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-07-15
ROTTMANs FIENDISH STORY.
Tells How He and Mrs Myres Killed Her
Husband.

ing of.May 18th. His story of the
crime is as follows:
Hoffman and Mrs. Myers loved
each other and to get rid of Myers,
murder was the only plan that sug-
. gested itself. They planned for
nearly three months how it should be
done. Finally it was agreed that Hott-
man should go to the Myers home,
2313 Terrace street, early in the
morning Of May IL. Mrs. Myers re-
tired, although she remained awake.
About 1 O'Clock Hoffman stealthily
entered the yard through the alley
and advanced to the porch.
There he knocked cautiously.
Mrs. Myers had left the key on the
outside Of the door, SO that Hoffman
could open it. without trouble. Once
inside the house, Hoffman and Mrs.
Myers moved on tiptoe to the bed
room, Hoffman carrying the heavy end
of billiard cue. Despite their eau
ton, Meyers awoke just as they en-
tered the room and, sitting up in bed,
said:
go, you're here again, are you?'
Scarcely had he uttered the words
when with all his force. Hoffman
brought the billiard cue down on his
head The blow was glancing one,
however, and Myers was only slightly
stunned. Jumping from the bed, he
grappled with Hoffman and both fell
on the bed together, breaking the
Stats.
From this position they struggle d,
oMrs.sMyers in the meantime, catch
ing up the billiard cue, until the din
ing room door was reached. Mrs.
Myers was prevented from using the
cue for fear of hitting Hoffman.
In the dining room Hoffman SUI
perior strength told and gradually
forcing Myers to :he floor, he held
his arm across his body, while Mrs.
Myers picked up the razor from the
stand and slashed her husbands
throat, in the frenzy of the moment
almost severing tbs head from the
body. Then, as Myers bled to death,
she got several vessels to catch the
blood, some of which she left in a
glass jar in the sideboard and some G
of which she emptied into the sink.
Then, after the body had stopped
bleeding, Hoffman removed his cuffs
which had become bloodstained, and
took the buttons from them. His hat
had been knocked off in the struggle
and became smeared with blood.
Then he, and Mrs. Myers cleaned up
some of the evidences of the struggle.
s Hoffman remained about an hour
after the killing, and then taking My
ers' hat he went to his own. room, the
location of which only the police
know. In the room he changed his
clothes, hiding the others, upon
which were spots of blood. These
clothes he hid away. The police dis
covered the hiding place and now
have the clothing.
After Hoffman had left Mrs. My
ers is said to have srneared blood on
the walls and stove and then washed
herself. Then, towards daylight, she
is said to have gone to the back
porch, leaving the door open, and to
have thrown herself prone. In that
position she was discovered by Mrs.
MCGOWAN, Who lived next door.
When discovered Mrs. Myers ap-
peared to be Frustrated, and told the
story of two negro burglars, which
was not believed from the start
Mrs. Meyers was arrested the day
after the murder, and was released
in a few days. She told the negro
story time after time, without the
change of word.
e The police took Hottman's cuffs as
clue, and from them wove the web
of evidence around Mrs. Myers and
Hoffman. Hoffman, like Mrs. My
ers, will be charged with first degree
murder.