The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-11-11
WIFE LED HER HUSBAND INTO DEATH TRAP
STORY OF WOMANS
GUILT READ TO JURY
MRS. KVALGSHAUG'S CONFES-
SION REVEALS BRUTAL BUT
CRUDE PLANS LAID FOR
HUSBANDS MURDER - DE-
LIBERATELY LED HIM INTO
DEATH TRAP.

.pIOt HapHeu 10 Seuu MdIVlu hNdl-
shaug to his death, the sworn
confession of Mrs. Martina Kval-
shaug, showing her completely
with Charles B. Newcomb in th z
murder of her husband, was made
public for the first time last even.
ing when it was read in the SUI
perior court, where the woman Is
on trial for her life.
With hushed expectancy, the
crowd in the court room listened
as the details of the revolving plot
were revealed, but the woman
most concerned in the case show.
ed not the slightest feeling.
She who is held responsible for
one of the most fiendish crime:
ever perpetrated in Pierce county
does not yet seem to feel the fIll
seriousness of her offense.
Her confession, too, on the face
of it, shown that together witt
Newcomb she planned cody and
deliberately to kiln her husband
tho gOL, lIillOSI Culiullh6 III ut'
mental deductions, she made nc
preparations to guard against de
lection and arrest after her ne
farious scheme had reached Its
bloody elimination.
Woman Admits Plot.
According to the confession
both Mrs. Kvalshaug and New
comIb talked frequently of putting
Kvalshaug out of the way, but
didn't exercise the slightest eau.
tion. The woman freely admit.
the conspiracy, admits having
purchased the gun with which
she told Newcomb to send Kval-
shaug to his doom, admits having
deliberately led the latter into q
death trap when, on the night Of
May IA, she returned home with
him from a dance and walke
along a deserted street near a
patch of trees in which she knew
her lover was hiding in readiness
to commit the crime which they
had been weeks in planning.
Then to show the crudeness Of
it all, after she had whispered
to Newcomb to "give 1t to him
and her husband, the father Of
her two children, had been laid
low, their plot was at an end.
They had not enough cleverness to
cover up their trail even for TWEEN
ty-four hours.
The confession follows:
Made Voluntarily.
Martina Kvalshaug, being first
duly sworn on her oath, states
the following as the truth in re-
lation to the murder of her hus-
band:
"I make this statement volun-
tarily and of my own free will,
having been informed by A. o.
Burmeister, deputy prosecuting
attorney, that the same would be
used against me in court, and that
I might be sent to the penitenti-
airy to suffer capital punishment.
No Promise of Immunity.
81 further state that there have
been no promises of immunity
made to me, nor has force, duress,
or coersion been used.
II first met Mr.. Charles F.
Newcomb on or about the 18th
day of January, 1909, at the Co
lumbia hall at dance; two
weeks after this my husband and
went to one on Thirty-eighth
and Yakima, and ] then met
Newcomb and his wife. Nothing
in particular passed between us.
l had not yet learned to love him.
I'VE next met at the Grand
theater one afternoon about two
weeks after we met at Thirty
eighth and Yakima. I was with
him during the matinee per-
formance.
Arranged for Meeting.
"I next met him at Eagles hall
about a week after l met him at
the Grand theater; this was a
dance; we there arranged for a
date at the Davenport hotel for
about a week after this. (This
was in the latter part of Febru-
ary, 1909 We met at the Dav-
export as arranged at about 1880
p. m. We took room there and
stayed together for about one
hour.
1--WE next met at Valhalla tenn
pie at a mask ball in the fore part
of March. We danced together
and arranged for another meeting
at the Davenport hotel. We met
at the Davenport as arranged in
the afternoon about a week after
Valhalla hall, and stayed at the
Davenport about an hour in the
same room.
Then we went to the Armory
dance a short time after this.
The next time / saw him he and
his wife called on me and my hus-
band at our house. This was the
Sunday I went to the hospital.
next saw him at the hospital,
where he called on me with my
husband at that time. He then
came a few days after this to see
me alone. 1t was at this meeting
he told me of a mysterious letter
he had received and a Telegram
'9To meet him at the Tacoma ave
nue bride ct $3.50 p. M" un'
signed.
"Leary and Nervous"
He was '.eary' and nervous
and he said he wanted TO NEE
this letter writer and Telegram
sender. ! gave him $40 TO get ,
gun, but he said he didn't &
down to meet the man. The Sun
day I left the hospital, on the 4ti
day Of April, 1909. he came ther,
(continued on Page Three.).
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