Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-17
FATHERS SLAYER FREE
Coroner's Jury Orders Release
of Madeline LangIotz.
VERDICT IN NINETY SECONDS
Woman Tells of Family's Wrongs at
Brutal Parents Hands.
MURDER OF THE MOTHER
Jurors and Spectators Weep When
They Hear Girls Story-Pathetic
Court Scenes.
VERDICT IN NINETY SECONDS
MURDER OF THE MOTHER

NEW YORK. August lit took cor
oners jury one minute and half yesterday
afternoon to decide the guilt or innoc ence
of Mrs Madeline Washer Langlotz.
I'VE find" the jury reported. that Mrs
Gustav Washer came to her death from
bullet wounds inflicted by a pistol in the
hands of Gustav Washer; and we find that
Gustav Washer came to his death from a
bullet wound from a pistol in the hands of
an unknown person"
THAT means, gentlemen" said Coroner
Hamburger that this prisoner is discharged.
Young woman. you may GO
The young woman staggered to her feet
and through her tears murmured Il thank
you"
The foreman of the jury asked the cor
oner not to adjourn court Immediately. as
the jury had another matter to attend to
before Mrs Langlotz left 1t was arranged
swiftly. The jurors took up a collection and
a good-sized sum was handed to the young
widow.
The discharge of Mrs. Langlotz. who had
killed her father after he had shot her
mother in their home at 2O5S Sd avenue. on
Thursday. followed dramatic scenes in the
coroners court. After the young woman
had told her story on the stand every mem
Der OF the jury Wept.
The Family Misery.
1t was a story of fathers brutality and
family's misery for years. 1t could be
told only by one who had suffered. A
twelve year-old girl, Annie Washer. had
told the stand how her father had
wronged her when she was nine years old
The girl didn't have to tell the shocking
details of the story. thanks to Coroner
Hamburger. Assistant District Attorney Sy-
mOnds and other men in the court room
Alexander MichaelsOn. who had appeared
voluntarily counsel for Mrs. Langlotz
meant we'll undoubtedly when he said to
Annie:
Just tell the jury what your father did
to you three years ago."
Instantly there was murmur of disap-
prevail from the men in the court room
Coroner Hamburger and Coroner Acritelli
who also sat the bench said that the
jury understood and that 1t wasn't neces-
sary for the girl to tell the story. Assist
ant District Attorney Symonds expressed
the same opinion.
In taking the stand to tell Of the shoot
Ing Mrs. LanGlotz said that In the excite
ment OF the day before she had been un-
able t. tell all that had happened. She
never intended to shoot her father, she
said although he deserved 1t for the way
he had treated his family.
Armed for Defense.
1--WE kept a revolver in the front room. y
she said. The police told us how to keep
1t. for We could fire out the window when
father came around to hurt us. and in this
way. the police said. we could attract help
better than any other.
II was the first up yesterday morn
ing and l awakened mamma and little An
ME I only take coffee in the morning. but
I stirred up batter to make pancakes for
Annie. she Is SO fond Of them. Mamma
and Annie enjoyed the pancakes much
that l went out and baked more. We were
having such fun over those pancakes that
we laughed more than had for some
time. While l was making a trip to the
kitchen and returning with two cups of
coffee in MY hands l heard mamma and
little Annie scream.
II rushed in and there was my father.
He had a revolver In his hand and was
chasing mamma into a bedroom. Annie
had run into the hallway to call the neigh
bors. l rushed into the front room. where
we had employment agency. l picked
up the telephone and said to central. For
Gods sake send us help! Send the police!
LAS I was telephoninG 1 heard shot,
then another. l grabbed up the revolver.
which the police had told us to keep. and
ran back to the room. There | found
mamma on the floor. with father standing
some distance away and shooting at her.
1 grabbed mother in my left arm and lifted
her ND as high as | could. There was fire
sizzling down the front Of her dress
snuffed it out with my fingers. All this
time father was shooting at the two of US.
NO help had come and l remembered
what the police had told me. Leveling
the revolver with my right hand fred to-
ward the open window Papa was stand
ing. bracing himself against the wall and
swapping the revolver. l didn't shoot him.
If I did l didn't mean to. l just shot out
tir1n IN a nnlira
my hand wasn't steady and he got in the
way of the bullet"
No DISCRIMINATION.
She told her story in straightforward
way. So thorough was her explanation
that Assistant District Attorney Symonds
didn't cross-eXamine her. She described
how she and her mother and sister had
moved from place to place every month in
order to get away from the wrath Of her
father She told of how Washer had beat
her and her mother and tied them with a
rope and locked them in the cellar OF their
home in Germany years ago. Mrs. Wass-
ner almost died in a hospital at one time
because Washer had kicked her after an
operation for tumor.
Mrs Lang,otz showed remarkable nerve
during her ordeal on the stand. but she
broke down completely when she told of
how Washer had wronged her sister Annie
three years ago. On one occasion. Mrs.
Langlotz told the jury. 1t was necessary to
dress her mother in mans clothing and
carry her over the roof of their home in
S7th street to escape Washer. who had
sworn to kill his wife. The family had
lived in dread of Washer and they had
to put heavy locks on the doors ever
since he went away two years ago, TO re-
turn only to kick and cuff them. The only
way that Mrs. Langlotz could explain how
her father got into their rooms to interrupt
their breakfast Thursday morning was
~ frat los n
ing to the dining room. There was no
strong lock on this door and board had
been nailed across 1t. The police found the
door broken open.