The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-07-08
q" Didn't Kill Wife"


den in those great round, def blue
eyes of Henry Hografe, accused wife
murderer, that stare by the hour
through the bars of the Wayne county
Jail? That is the problem that the
county officers are trying to solve.
Sheriff G. L. Mears and County Attor-
ney Davis are weaving a chain of ev.
idence about the stoical. apparently
dull witted prisoner which will be
used in an attempt to send him to a
murderer's grave. But all the while
the man behind the bars sits through
long vigil day by day, with no one
but himself for company. for prison.
ers in the Wayne county Jail are few
and far between.
Until last week this big German
was a hard working blacksmith in
Altoona. On May 13 his wife died, af-
ter a long illness, during which ply
stefan had never been called. The
only other person in the house was
Miss Amelia Mosemann of Hooper,
who was doing the homework. After
the funeral, Hografe went about his
toll. But last week the countryside
was startled by his arrest on the
charge of murder. 1t is alleged that
this big-eyed German, who apparently
has no other knowledge but that of
the hammer and tongs, placed enough
strychnine in medicine given to his
wife to kill twenty persons. The ar
rest was made after the woman's Wis.
cera had been examined by chemists
at Morningside college, Sioux City.
Says He Threatened Wife.
Miss Mosemann was responsible for
the charge. She told County Attorney
Davis that Hografe had threatened to
poison Mrs. Hografe.
What do Hografe's eyes hide?
Could they impart some terrible Sc
cret? the observer instinctively in
quires when he sees the man. AS in
stinctively the answer would be no.
Staring straight into yours, the wide
open blue wells surmounting stubby
prison-kept beard, gave no suggestion
of the murderer. All inquiries are an.
swered in a stoical sort Of way, yet
with a frankness about the details
leading to his arrest that is disarming.
But Sheriff Mears, County Attorney
Davis and Miss Mosemann assert that
he is a murderer. That outer appear
ance of the blond giant, that look Of
Misunderstanding, of failure to grasp
the significance of his plight, is all a
superficial veneer, due more to the
credit of the consummate actor than
this man in the blacksmith's toys, they
assert.
Hografe's Own Story.
Talking in broken German, Hografe
told his story to a newspaper man.
1t was an early hour and he was
sweeping the floor of the cell prepar.
atory to taking his accustomed place
on a stool in the corner of the days
vigil
They say l kill my wife," he re.
pile dto a question. "My wife, she
was sick, for a LANCE, lange time. /
wanted to get a doctor, but she said
no And for weeks she lie there and
then she died. | did not know she
was so sick. Amelia did not know
she was so bad. She never complain
ed much. Then they come and arrest
me after many weeks, and keep me in
Jail"
Have you secured an Attorney"
was asked.
Lawyer? No, never did anything
to want a lawyer for, did II" he an
swered.
you ask too many questions" fin
ally he asserted, with more vigor than
had heretofore been displayed. 81
wont talk to you any more"
Then he stalked back to the corner
of the cell and sat on the low stool,
with his gaze riveted on a faraway
something in the little patch of azure
sky that can be seen through the
barred window of his cell
FLEW WITH HER HUSBAND