Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-09-18
STRANGE CASE OF AGGIE MYERS;
STORY OF A WIFE'S AWFUL CRIME

could not be read. He carefully
washed the blood away, and there
came out in bold relief the name of
merchant in Higginsville, Mo. To
a clever detective the rest was easy.
With the hat and shirt he went to
Higginsville, called upon the mer-
chant and showed him the hat and
shirt.
Il suppose sold that hat and the
shirt, too. have some here exactly
like them," said the merchant, and he
took down box of shirts exactly like
the one. found in the Myers home.
For nearly two hours the merchant
walked up and down behind his coun-
ter, his chin in his hand trying to
think to whom he had sold that hat
and shirt, the detective waiting for
the result. At last the merchant ex-
claimed:
Frank Hoffman! l sold him that
shirt and hail"
And who is Frank Hottman?"
asked the detective.
He was a young man here who
went away just month ago. sold
him those things the day before he
left
The detective found that Mrs. Ny
ers had visited Hoffman in Higgins
vile shortly before the murder The
records of the post Office showed that
a registered letter had been received
by Hoffman in Higginsville from
Mrs. Myers in Kansas City two days
before the murder.
How Hoffman Was Found.
The next thing to do was to find
Frank Hoffman. His parents said he
had gone away to look for work short
ly before the murder of Clarence Ny
ers in Kansas City. The detective
thought it likely that Hoffman would
write to his folks. The postmaster
promised to hold any letter that
might come to the Hoffman family,
and to notify the detective, who re-
turned to Kansas City and waited.
Within week letter came from
Walla Walla, Wash. The postmaster
sent for the detective. Together they
| opened the letter. 1t was from Holt.
man, who was living there under an
| assumed name. Armed with requisi-
ton papers the detective went to
Walla Walla and arrested Hoffman.
"How did you find out where
was?" was the first question Hoffman
asked the detective.
1--WE discovered you through Mrs.
| Myers" said the detective. "She has
confessed all and is in Jail in Kan.
sas City. She says that you were in
| love with her and that you sneaked
into the house with your face black
ened like negro and that you muir.
| dered her husband so she would be
free to marry you"
"She puts it all on me, does she?''
asked Hoffman.
yes she will turn states evidence
and hang you and go free herself
answered the detective.
She's a liar; she did it herself"
Hoffman exclaimed, and then he told
the whole horrible story. The truth
of every detail Of it has been proven
since by circumstances.
4 The confession of Hoffman Is a
4 document in human ferocity scarcely
equaled in criminal annals. He told
of his early dship for the slain
man, the development of love be,
tween him and the wife and how to,
| gether they planned the removal OF
the innocent barrier to that love. Had
not Myers awakened as Hoffman
crept upon him, armed with a billiard
cue, the wife might have been but q
| tacit accessory to the murder. AS il
transpired she became the more
guilty, for on seeing her husband
struggling for his life she disregard
ed his cries for assistance and merci
lessly attacked him first with a bee
Stat, then with pair of scissors, ant
finally and successfully with his OWL
razor.
Her Remarkable Nerve.
She then turned up the flame of tn,
lamp. She gave Hoffman one of hel
husbands clean shirts and pair @
cuffs from drawer, and her hus
bands hat. He wore these away, ant
was wearing them when the detec
tives arrested him in Washington
He washed the blood from his hands
She gave him $40 and he slipped ou
into the night leaving her alone il
the house with all its ghastliness.
That is the one almost incompre
hensible thing about this whole hor
rible affair. 1t is difficult to believ,
that a frail woman of 20 would sta!
there alone from midnight until day
light. But she did. And she prohabl.
worked hard most of the time. Sh,
washed the blood from her arms ant
feet, burned her bloody nightdres
and put on fresh one, and was thel
ready to be discovered.
Hoffman was tried first and con
yicted. He made no defense. Thel
she was tried, and Hoffman testifie,
against her and told the whole stor.
from the witness stand. She test
fed, too, in her own behalf, and sal
Hoffman was liar.
She contends to this day that sh
is innocent. IF I am to be hange
will have no confession to make
rye told the whole truth" she sale
eff they hang me will have one cor
ISOLATION: I will know that I will 500
meet NV husband in heaven"
Governor Heads Congress.
Boise, Idaho Sept. Gov. Chan
berlain, of Oregon, was Thursda
| ~