Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-17
KARL HAU'S TRIAL
ON At KARLSRUHE
Former District Man ArTaigned
for Murder.
1ttt ALLEGED CONFESSION
Prisoner Made Progressing Appear
ance in Court.
CHATTED WITH HIS COUNSEL
Examined Three Hours by Presiding
Judge-Pleaded Not Guilty to
Killing Mother-in-Law.
CHATTED WITH HIS COUNSEL

KARLSRUHE Germany. July 1.-THE
trial of Karl Iiau charged with the muir
der of his mother-in-law, Frau Molitor. in
Baden Baden the evening of November,
q. 1906 began in this city today
Hau was at one time professor OF Roman
law in George Washington University,
Washington. II. c. He practiced law in
Washington up TO the time of his going
abroad with his family about year ago.
After the alleged murder he fed TO Lon
don, where he taken into custody.
Later he was returned to Germany, and
rs many people claimed he was insane the
question of his mental condition was thor
Cughly investigated. with the result that he
was formally declared to be IN his right
mind.
Mrs. Hau committed suicide by drown
ing in June of this year leaving fare
we'll letter. in which she said she could
no longer bear the sorrow of living apart
from her husband
1t was once reported that Hau had con-
fessed TO the murder of Frau Molitor, but
this was later denied
Hau entered the courtroom today ten
minutes before the session opened. He
was accompanied by his counsel. DR.. Dietz,
and two gendarmcs. One of these officers
sat Immediately behind the prisoner dur
ing the entire session. the muzzle of his
rifle showing above the back of the seat
occupied by the prisoner.
Looked Well in Court.
Hau made preposSess.nC appearance.
He was dressed in well-fftting Prince
Albert coat and light trousers His hair
was neatly dressed. His beardless face is
broad, he has massive brow and his eye
brows are strongly arched. Today his lips
were often tightly compress; but it could
be seen that his mouth is very mobile. His
eyes are luStTous and large. His general
appearance was that of young clergyman
OF unusual ability and force for his twenty
six years.
While Hau chatted cheerfully with his
CounS the newspaper men present crowd
ed around the green table fronting the
judges bench 10 inspect the gruesome eX-
hibit of Frau Molitor's heart in a glass
vessel filled with alcohol. There is gap
ing wound in the center
The selection of a jury from veniTe of
twenty-eight men. of which each side could
reject seven. occupied only ten minutes.
Afterward list of more than seventy wit
nesses and ten experts TO be called was
read.
Pleaded Not Guilty.
The presiding jurge examined Hau for
tree hours. The prisoner pleaded not
guilty to the charge against him. but he
admitted having been in Baden-Baden the
night the tragedy occurred.
The examination took a wide range in
Guiding Hau's life in Washington and his
visits to Constantinope in an unsuccessful
effort to negotiate concessions from the
porte fOr certain American firms
Hau admitted that while returning from
Turkey IN october he stopped in Vienna
and collected 5000 a letter of credit.
and that he had subsequently written from
Frankfort-on-theM Main TO his London bank
er. saying this letter of credit had been lost
lie denied however, that he had tried TO
get a renewal Of this letter of credit
Hau then visited his mother-in-iaw in
Baden Baden for a week and then went to
Paris accompanied by his wife and his
sister-ln-law, Olga Moiijor.
Prisoner Shown Telegram.
The judge here showed the prisoner a.
telegram sent from Paris signed Olga"
asking her mother TO come TO Paris imme-
diately, and which was not sent bv Olga
Jiau refused to say whether lie had written
this telegram or not.
Here tine judge reminded him Of what tho
experts were to affirm ia This counection
and warned aim of tac risk hc Incurred i'm
making deniais. Hau also declined to say
whether or not h hai mad a Disagreement
in Paris with his wife owing to her iea}n,s,
OF her sister Olga.
The judge then called Hau's attention
to the fact that his arrival in London
on his WAY to the United states a.. had
received It telegram w ,ai'i:s him 10 the
continent and selecting BERN as d meet
Ing place with an unidentified person.
Hau had shown this telegram TO his wife
TO justify his trip, aud ne admitted having
sent the message himself. A letter from
Mrs. IIau to her mother was then read
showing that Hdu had Impressed upon her
the necessity of absolute silence regarding
his tIlp back 10 he continent.
Admitted Disguise Story.
IIau then admitted % having had a wig
and false beard made by the barber of a
Well-known hotel in London, and that the
explanation Of this procedure previously
giSen-that he was going as spy to Tur-
key and needed the wig and beard to pro-
tect him against attempts at assassination
was incorrect He said today he threw
the Wig and beard from the car window
after leaving Charlng Cross, and that his
only object IN using them had been to leave
London unrecognized. lie admitted, how
ever, TO having had a second false beard
made at Frankfort on-the- Main
lie had a business conference in Frankfort
but he refused to say with whom. lie adj
mitted going 10 karlsruhe November g. the
day OF the murder, wearing a false beard
He said he left his two vases In the bag
gage room there. Asked why he did not
take his baggage to Baden Baden Hau
made an ambiguous answer about catching
the right train for London. and upon re-
peated inquiry he said he had no definite
plan in doing this. The Judge reminded
Iau that many persons at the karlsruhe
station had noticed that he wore "A false
beard, and that he evidently was seeking
to evade observation.
Refused the Information.
When the judge brought the investiga-
tion down to the incident at Baden Baden
Hau announced his intention 10 give no in
forma ton whatever concerning what hap
pened there lie refused to say why he had
telephOncd Frau Mpitcr to come to the
railroad station. Asked whether or not he
had heard the shot fred which caused Frau
Molitor's death he refused TO answer He
also refused to say whether ne carried a
pistol. He admitted having left Baden
Baden by the 6:lj train and that he ar
rived al karlsruhe without his false beard
He explained that he had thrown it out vi