Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-19
TESTIMONY
DAMAGING
PROFESSOR HAu AGREES TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS
WITNESS SAW NERVOUS MAN
WITH FALSE BEARD
Former Teacher In George Washing
ton University on Trial for
Alleged Murder of His
Mother-in-LaW

ny AbSOCldteu IEeSSs
KARLSRUHE, Germany, July 1S-Con-
siderable progress was made today at the
trial Of Karl Hau, the former professor
in George Washington university, who is
charged with the murder of his wife's
mother, Frau Molitor, at Baden Baden.
Hau who was closely Intercepted by
the presiding judge, finally yielded to
persuasion and consented to answer some
of the questions on which yesterday he
kept silence.
The testimony at the afternoon session
was considered damaging to the prison
er's case.
Dora Metzger, who conducts confec-
tionery shop in Baden Baden, testified
that on the day of the tragedy, between
the hours of 3 and in the afternoon.
she walked with an escort in the vicinity
of the Melitor villa.
She noticed there tall man wearing
a black beard which she and her escort
regarded as false.
His peculiar behavior attracted their
attention.
He stood watching the house for
quarter of an hour and seemed agitatcd.
She thought at the time that the man
medltated suicide or had something i'm
portant on his mind.
Did Not Identify Hau
The witness was unable to say whether
or not the man was Hau, but she de-
clared that the collara of his coat was
turned up, as other witnesses had de-
scribed.
Upon hearing of the murder of Mrs
Melitor she said she remarked it could
only have been committed by that man.
Otto Bechter barber of Frankfort,
testified to making a beard for Hau, who
I,ol a1 %hof ha NOR tod IN cttrY
his relatives, whom he had not seen in
five years.
Hau put on the beard in his shop on
the night of November and started in
the direction of the railway station car
rying his valises.
A porter of the name of Henschler of
a Frankfort hotel recognized on the wit
ness stand a telegram which Hau gave
him.
Henschler read the telegram at the time
and was struck by the request contained
therein to keep Hau's secret. He thought
the man was some disreputable book
maker.
Walter Heard Dispute
At the evening session the court took
up the affidavits of Paris witnesses.
A waiter in the Hotel Regina sworel
that he heard a lively dispute between
Mr.. and Mrs. Hau on the day that the
telegram was sent to Frau Melitor.
The Judge asked Hau if Olga was the
cause of this quarrel, and Hau leaned
forward evidently intending to answer,
and then suddenly said he would refuse
to answer
The judge warned the prisoner that he
had better answer the question; there
upon Hau said that the dispute was the
first instance when his wife reproached
him with being too intimate with her
sister, Olga. He, however, Gained her,
he said, removing her fear.
Olga Melitor, recalled, testified that
Mrs. Hau gave her a similar version of
the affair on her return to Baden Baden,
adding that Hau had fully allayed her
fears Hau, continuing his testimony,
said this dispute was the cause of his
come to Paris Immediately.
Olga was i'll and the reason for this
action was that he wanted to get Olga
away as soon as possible.
Admits Excitement
The judge pointed out the weakness of
this explanation, since Hau had pre-
viously arranged the date of Olga's de"
-parture only two days distant. Hau re-
piled he was so excited he did the first
thing that suggested itself to his mind
A number of Haus fellow students at
Freiburg university testified to Hau's I'M
common intellectual ability, but also as
to his moral delinquencies toward women.
Several of them swore that Hau did
not want to marry Lena Melitor after
their elopement
A teacher named Stau, a friend of the
Hau family, swore that Mr. Hau, ST.,
said that his son Karl declared he had
never thought of marrying Lena.