Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-11-18
DAUGHTER ACCUSES
MOTHER As SLAYER

Chicago, Ill, Nov 13.-Telling a re-
voting story to the police of Chicago
yesterday, in which she laid the muir
der of her father at the door of her
own mother, who is now insane and in
Dunning hospital, Miss Clara Barden-
heier is believed to have cleared the
mystery of the tragic death of Henry
Bardenheier, a jew eler, near Madi-
son, Wisconsin, in July, three years
ago. Mr.. Bardenheier's body was
found in a clump of hazel bushes near
slaughter house. He had two bullet
wounds in his head. Mrs. Barden
heier told the Madison authorities that
her husband had gone away from home
with a strange man to have a clock
repaired. Her story was believed and
this man was supposed to have been
the murderer.
Mrs. Bardenheier with her daughter
came to Chicago to live. Recently
the mother was committed to Dunning
as insane. Inquiry regarding the muir
der was renewed, and the girl yester-
mother had discovered evidences of
infideIity on the part of her husband,
who was AZ years old and weighed
1926 pounds. BroOding over the sup
posed wrong, says the girl, her mother
lured her father to a slaughterhOuse
on farm near Madison and there shot
him behind the right ear and in the
forehead. When Miss Bardenheier
hurried up to learn what had hap
pened, her mother told her the father
had committed suicide. Confused by
the daughters questioning, the moth
er confessed the killing Of her hus-
band. Mother and daughter, to give
the impression that Bardenheier had
committed suicide, put a rope around
his neck and tried to drag the heavy
body off the floor, suspended from q
beam. They were not strong enough
and the body was then dragged into
the hazel bushes and left there, the
mother later reporting the disappear.
ance to the police.
On account of the condition of her
mind, it is unlikely the mother ever
viii be brought to trial. Nor is there
any present intention to try the daugh-
ter as an accessory after the fact.
Miss Bardenheier swooned after re
citing the details of the tragedy.
Story of Revenge and intrigue.
Revenge, jealousy, covetousness and
intrigue all enter into the situation
which has baf1ed the police for near
ly three years. The daughter was in
duced to make a statement clearing
up a tangled affair that has mystified
the police, by Detective Charles O'Don-
nell, who was assigned to the case
more than two years ago by Assist
ant Chief Of Police Schuettler A part
of the recital of the horrible affair
was the story of the daughter relative
to the Turing Of her husband and faith
er by her mother 10 the slaughter
house. The murder occurred on
Sunday afternoon, according to the
confession, Bardenheier having been
enticed to the place by his wife. The
slaughterhouse, according to the girl,
had been located by her mother sew
eral days before and the latter in
duced her husband to go to the local
ity on a pretense of taking a trip to
the country. Upon arriving at the
place the mother suggested, according
to the daughters story, that he look
over the establishment with a view
Of ascertaining if = was similar to
"slaughterhouses in Germany" Ac-
cording to the story obtained by the
police Bardenheier went ahead Of his
wife and daughter, and had barely
opened the door of the slaughtering
establishment before his wife drew a
revolver and shot him in the back of
the head. He reeled according to
the police story, and turned about fac
ing Ms. Bardenheier. The next in
slant another bullet from Mrs. Bar
denheier's pistol entered his head
above the right eye and he fell over
mortalIy wounded.