Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-07
Josephine CoIIett and
William NageI Both
Tell Stories.
WOMAN FAINTS IN JAIL
Under Sharp Fire of Questions
Loses Consciousness and
Stops Examination.

William Nagel and Josephine Collett,
his consort, are at the Rock Island
county jail charged with the murder
of Carl Brady on Island b. Tuesday,
May .. 1905. Nagel has admitted that
he had knowledge of the murder before
it was committed and claims that Jo-
sephine Collett killed the man. They
were brought TO Rock Island from
Muscatine Saturday night at II O'Clock
being held on the verdict of the coron-
ers jury which held the inquest at ISL
and b. Saturday afternoon.
woman Makes Accusation
Accused by Josephine Collett of the
murder of Carl Brady, before the
states attorney. Coroner Eckhart, the
sheriff. and confronted by the woman
who laid the crime to him, William
Nagel this morning refused 70 make
any statement except that he had moth
ing more TO say.
She knows she has not told the
truth about that" said Nagel On be-
ing urged to either call her testimony
false or the truth. Nagel said, She did
Kill Brady" He avoided her glances,
and when he repeated his charge that
she had committed the murder, Joseph
inc Collett tainted, and was uncon-
scious for a few minutes
II was a dramatic scene. Nagel sat
at one side of the table in the Jail of
fee with the officers and newspaper
men sitting near The woman was sit
ting i'm a chair at the end of the table,
facing the man with whom she had liv-
ed the greater part of five years, and
who accuses her of the murder which
she had a few minutes previous accus-
ed him of having committed. When
Nagel repeated. "She did Kill him. she
threw her hands TO her face and, with
a cry. swooned. She remained uncOn-
scious for some minutes. and this clos
ed the examination which States At
torney Scott conducted this morning.
Anxious "a Talk.
Shortly after II o'clock this morn
ing the woman was brought into the
office. and after an explanation that
she did not have TO make any state
ment if she did not wish 10. she said
she would tell the story truthfully. and
desired to do SO.
Her story accuses Nagel of even
more cruel crime than that which he
has charged her with in the various
voluntary statements he has made to
the officers and before the coroner's
jury. She said that some time before
the murder of Brady. she and Nagel
went down the river. and had boat
stolen from them. They were living
on Geneva island at that time She
said she was starving on the island,
and that Nagel would not take her TO
Muscatine to get provisions. and that
she could not row boat. The rest Of
her story of this terrible crime is sub
stantially as follows. eliminating minor
explanations:
"Nagel and | never were married
though | have known him about five
years. and have lived with him on and
off nearly all of that time. We lived
together on Island Il since April or
May Wden we went 10 Island B. Carl
Brady had possession of the boat
where we have lived recently. The
night of the crime we went To the isl
and an hour before dark, in boat. 4
tall man. from Fairport took us TO the
Island. Brady was in the potato field
anu Nt HdAAtA dh ilpuA tStOtS nc NelAAS
VIII told Brady he wanted TO get
some things-coTn meal. lard and veg
etables. They talked awhile and VIII
asked Brady to let him take his BRA
dy'sl boat 10 so back TO Geneva island.
"Brady's reply was. No. | don't want
to let you have the boat
When asked angrily by Nagel why
he would not let him take the boat,
Brady said. Il don't like your looks
Il urged Will TO go back, but he
said:
No, am not going back tonight
Il was on the porch. and VIII tod
me not To open my mouth or he'd kill
me. He was quarTeling with Brady.
and he swore at him several times. He
shut the screen door and hooked it.
leaving me on the porch. He pulled
the other door partly shut. | could not
see what was going on. but | could
hear. and VIII told me afterwards He
tells me everything. He Killed a man
once at Memphis. Tenn. and has kill
ed several other men. he has told ME.
Took Foul Advantage
CAS- Brady was putting some wood
in the stove. Will swore and called him
a name. He shot Brady once. and
while Brady was struggling be was