The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-24
WIFE IS BRUTALLY
"
MURDERED WHILE
HUSBAND SLEEPS
Henry johnson, Aged %, Who.
Is Under Suspicion, Declared
to Re Demented.

Marathon, Ia, Feb. 23-Murdered
with an ak while about her household
duties this morning at Z o'clock and
her body mutilated' with blows from
the same weapon, Mrs. Hazel Roberts
aged % years. beautiful wife of Guy
Roberts, a substantial farmer living
three miles from this place. lies dead
at their home. three small children
are motherless and Henry Johnson.
the hired man. is held here in jail
charged with the CHASTITY crime.
Details Of the awful butchery are
not complete. but the shocking ac-
between tears and sohs, is replete with
all the horror that cold blooded MUIR
der a assume.
Accused Remembers Nothing.
The hearing of Henry johnson.
charged with the murder Of Mrs. Rob-
erts, Is In progress here this afternoon
1t develops that shortly after
O'Clock this morning he appeared at his
brothers home. having driven from the
Roberts home where he kept his own
horse and buggy, and was in q nervous
condition and had not breakfasted, andS
after urging went in and ate a little.N
after which he asked his brother to go
with him to the home OF his parents
south Of here. With the arrival Of the
sheriff he was arrested and brought to,
town. He claims hat he can remember
nothing of what may have occurred
this morning. He was a trusted an
ploye about the Roberts premises and,
was considered a good man. industri-
nus n it had not been noticed that he.
was wrong in his mind. He has had
two previous attacks OF insanity, both
coming on suddenly. and there seems
little doubt that he is now demented.
Crime Is Discovered.
Guy Roberts. the husband. was up
Eith one OF the children who has
measles during the night n slept this
morning in the room upstairs after
Hazel. the wife, had arisen and n
to the back room to make ready for
the usual Monday washing. When the
husband coming down stairs an hour
after his wife. and missing her from the
front part OF the house. wen to the
kitchen the sight that he o upon
froze him with horror.
Lying on the floor before hin was
the wife who but a half hour before
had left his side in health and Joy, her
head cleft with a blow from the sharp
edge of an AZ. her body covered with
cuts and bruises. her clothing torn n
covered with blood which also stood
in pools on the floor. Three bright
children unaware OF the awful crime
which had made them motherless.
were in another part OF the house, and
SAAC Au0OdAlA was lOICCu " Oc 6OIC us
%coverer OF the victim Of the fiendish'
crime which had deprived him OF the
beautiful and Joyous companion who
had shared with him the ambitions for
home and family.
Standing for a moment which ten
him seemed a life time. the husband,
threw himself own by the side Of the
murdered woman CRYING: "Oh. Hazel
speak to mel" The lips still warm gave
back no answer: there was no move
4 went n . thu h1foHyr 49, ~ Ah~ a.
wife; but The smell OF human blood
yet warm upon the floor, aroused the
man to q sense OF what had happened,
and he rushed from h house and
gave the alarm which was promptly
responded to by neighbours.
At first there was no suspicion upor
which to hang a conclusion, but search
was made, the ak was found, tracks
'eading from h outer kitchen door
were discovered n within a couple
OF hours from the Time the murder
was committed at Z o'clock a. m., Henry
Johnson, the hired man, was lodged in
Jail at Marathon. charged with having
committed the crime. johnson is a
young a aged 20 or % years, and
has worked in his locality for a con-
that at one time he was insane, and it
Is thought that he may have committed
this murder while suffering from a
second attack OF mental arrangement.
Struck Her From Back.
The present theory is that with the
ingenious strategem peculiar to some
d%elnented persons he stealthily crept
up behind Mrs: Roberts while she was
absorbed in her household duties,
struck her a blow on the head with the
sharp edge OF h AK. Telling her to
the floor, after which in frenzied rage
he finished the CHASTITY job by cutting
n pounding her body with the for
1 m u Me q 1J1 v,~~ -@A l.
leave the place, but all the circum-
stances point to his guilt.
Guy Roberts and his family have
long been prominent in this locality.
Mrs. Roberts was a Miss Hazel Davis
before her marriage and her parents
live at Webb, his state. Mr.. Roberts,
has a brother. H. c. Roberts, who ia
county recorder for Buena Vista county
and lives at Storm Lake. All mem
bers OF the family are highly respecteda
together with the brother HI. G. Rob
erts, arrived here at noon and h in
ve%stigating the crime.
Business In Marathon 10 practically
suspended, excitement runs high, and
there is no other topic of conversation
tered the Roberts family.
Where this morning there was a hap
py home with father, mother and three
care free children. the scene il all
cnaneeo. Inc rather sits part Of the
tiine dazed about to the point of insen-
he starts up with cries for his wife. cal
ling to her by all the pet names which
love can command. At other times he
raves over the foul crime which haA
deprived him of his loved one, his lit
tie ones Of their mother and would
lead a posse to h capture of the guilty
miscreant, whether 1t be the hired man
or some other f1end ~incarante who
could. bring himself to the commission
Of such a heinous crime. Friends are
minsitering to the family ana the i'm
mediate evidences OF the crime have
been obliterated from the room in which
the tragedy occurred. In the meantime,
the citizens of the tow are diliRent
in helping to ferret out the criminal.
but there is no talk Of violence toward
the man in custody, as the thought pre-
walls that II he Is the perpetrator he il
not fully responsible.
E-.H