Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-18
MOTHER PREFERS
MURDER CHARGE
JOHN HANUSHEK HAS PRELIMI-
NARY HEARING
ACCUSED OF PUTTING FORMAL
DEHYDE IN COFFEE
Hayward Son Listens UnconcernedIy
While Story of His Escapades
Is Narrated by Heart
Broken Mother

Charged with attempting to murder
his mother by putting formaldehyde in
pot of coffee John Hanushek, Is years
old, was given his preliminary hearing
before Police Judge Chambers yester-
day afternoon and bound over to await
action of the superior court.
Bail was fixed in the sum of $4,000
and after the hearing Hanushek was
sent to the county Jail, in default of
bail.
The court room was packed with
persons desirous of witnessing the
spectacle of a mother as the chief
witness against her only son. When
Mrs. Ida Hanushek took the witness
stand, the drawn lines of her face and
the hair tinged with gray showed
mutely the nervous strain she has un-
dergone since February 4, when she
drank the coffee mixed with the deadly
potion, which her son is said to have
confessed to having mixed.
After giving her name and age, Mrs.
HanuShek looked at her son in the
prisoners dock and broke down. She
wept bitterly for several minutes, then
recovered her self-control, and in a
low voice told her story.
Son Always Wayward
She said her son had always been
wayward, and his escapades finally re-
tier reform school.
Shortly after his commitment her
husband died. leaving her alone to
operate the small farm and dairy in
| Colegrove. Unable to attend to six
COWS and the other work, she sue
ceeded in having her son released from
Whittier six months ago, the stlpula-
tion being that he remain at home and
work on the farm.
For a few weeks. she said, all went
| WELL Then John became uneasy and
| said he could not live on the farm and
came to Los Angeles and obtained
work in a butcher shop.
He kept his position but short
| time, as he would not arise mornings
| in time to be at his work.
! She engaged hired man to assist
| her in the farm work. On the morning
| of February she asked her son to help
her do the work, but he refused to
leave his bed. With the hired man.
she said, the work was done and
breakfast prepared. She cleaned all
the dishes, leaving only the coffee pot
| When she returned to the house
| shortly before 9 o'clock she again
warmed the coffee, and noticed a
| strange odor while the coffee was boil
=, ing. She drank half a cup of the liquid
before she noticed the peculiar taste.
AS she slipped the coffee again, she
saw her son peering through window
with a strange look on his face that
frightened her.
A few minute later she became i'll,
and while on the way to neighbor's
to obtain medicine she fell by the road
side, unconscious.
A physician was summoned, who
diagnosed the case as poisoning, but
after several hours she was pronounced
out of danger.
~, 70 har hOT11o she found
bottle that had been half-filled with
a formaldehyde solution, empty, and
John disappeared and was not seen
for five days.
Boy Threatens Mother
On his return he was charged with
putting the poison in the coffee. He
denied 1t, and with the remark: 'If
you don't want me here, I'll leave, but
| I will make short work of you both, y
| addressed to his mother and the hired
man, young Hanushek left the house.
The following day note was deliv-
| cred to Mrs. Hanushek by Mexican
boy, who said John had given it to him
| to deliver It stated, you will hear
from me before twenty-four hours.
The next day he was arrested while
going toward his mothers home. DR.
| r, M. Miller, a chemist, testified to
| analyzing the rest of the contents OF
the coffee pot and finding traces OF
| formaldehyde.
Police officers who made the arrest
| stated Hanushek confessed to the at
| tempted murder after his arrest, CIV
| ing no reason except revenge.
| Mrs. Hanushek told Judge Cham
bers she believed the boy was of un-
| sound mind.
When held for the superior court the
prisoner showed no evidence of emp
| fion. and without speaking to his
mother, accompanied a detective to the
| county iail.