Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
COURTROOM is CROWDED
Popular Sympathy Seems to Be With
the Prisoner.
AFFIDAvITs FROM WASHINGTON
Defendant Makes an Explanation
Rather Than See One of the Wit
nesses Punished.

KARLSRUHE, July 20.-Four days Of
legal battling over the life of Karl Hau,
the one-time professor of Roman law at
George Washington University. Washing
ton, D. c., who is charged with the muir
der Of Frau Molitor his mother-in-law. at
Baden Baden on the 9Th Of last November.
| leaves the fate of the man still hanging in
the balance.
The German public Is showing an alb
sorbing interest in the case. and the news
papers are running off and selling greatly
enlarged editions to satisfy the demand for
the latest news on the progress of the
trial
The streets outside the courtroom are
| filled continuously by large crowd among
| which may be seen at any time many we'll
dressed women. The police have been
barely able to clear a passage through the
| crowd to the entrance of the court for the
| few fortunate persons who have been able
| to secure admittance. The courtroom itself
| Is still crowded at every session. The
| fourth day of the trial has seen no diminu-
| ton in the audience. The holding of night
| sessions of the court is an evidence of the
close attention that is being paid to all
| the details of the case.
Some Public Sympathy.
Hau remains the center of attraction.
The crowd Is showing him a certain ad-
miration because of the stout fortitude with
which he bears up against the pitiless array
of facts pointing to his guilt. Neverthe-
less. the prisoner evidently is losing conf
dence. and the long strain is beginning TO
tell on his nerves. He no longer whispers
cheerfully to his counsel, Herr Dietz, and
today it was clear that his self contained
and courageous demeanor was assumed.
When he entered the courtroom this morn
ing his pallid face showed deep lines of
brooding. and he sat long with bowed head
avoiding the gaze of the audience. He
made his responses to the questions asked
by the judge in the fewest words possible
In the Telephone Booth.
AT the afternoon session the man in
charge of the Baden Baden public tele-
phone station. an official named Reinbold,
swore that man had asked for connec-
ton with the Villa Moitor on November
T.. The registry books showed the time of
this call from o:i5 to SAT pm. This was
damaging to the prisoner, because it
the scene of the murder by 600 pm. Rein
holds description of the man who called
the Villa MoltOr agrees with that given
by numerous other witnesses of Hau, but
he Was unable to identify the prisoner He
said that Hau had spoken in a very low
tone of voice. and that nothing could be
heard outside the telephone booth.
At the evening session the judge decided
to impose q fine on Lenck for refusing to
testify. Thereupon Hau arose and said
rather than see Lenck punished he decided
to make an explanation. He had returned
to the continent, he said, to see Olga, for
whom he had conceived violent passion.
He wanted to meet her before he returned
to the United States. She knew nothing
of his intention. and he had assumed a
until recognized.
Passion for Olga.
| Iiau admitted the correctness of the tes-
| tmony of all the witnesses regarding his &C
| tions in Baden Baden, and said that he
| telephoned with the sole purpose of getting
| Frau Moliter away from the house. When
| later he saw Olga leave the house with
| her mother he was so disappointed over
| the Illustration of his plan that he went
| to the station at full speed and had heard
no shot fired
The presiding judge asked Hau why he
adopted such roundabout procedure, why
he had not communicated directly with
Olga. Hau answered that he too agi-
| tated at the time to adopt clear plan Of
action.
Affidavits from Prof. Schoenfed Of
George Washington University and George
McClanahan, a lawyer of Washington.
were read Prof. Hoche of Freiburg and
Prof AschaSenburger of Cologne testified
clared that he eccentric. The court
ado, rned until Monday.