Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-04-07
John Klingenberg Confesses as to the Murder
of Hatberg and Hoffman.
Sailor the A. j. West, Arrested on Arrival of
Ship from Mexico, Tells the Story of the
Murder of John Hoffman and Chas.
Hatberg. He Killed Hatberg
at Order of Goh1.

With the arrival of the schooner
A. j. West, from Santa Rosalia Mex
! leo, Monday afternoon, was forged
the final link in the chain of evil
dence that brands William GOhl as
a cOld-blooded murderer and lead
er of gang of murderous thugs
who bloody work is responsible for
the "flOater fleet" of a couple OF
years ago, which gave Aberdeen such
an unenviable reputation all over the
| Pacific coast
| William GOhl was arrested on Feb
ruary 3, for the murder of Chas. Hat
| berg. whose body was found the day
| before on the bottom of the bay, near
| the mouth of Indian creek, weighted
down by 25-pound anchor, and
| has since been in the county Jail
| under charge of murder in the
first degree. Hatberg and John HOff-
man were recognized as tools of GOhl
in his criminal exploits, and made
their headquarters in shack on In
dian creek. Both were missing since
December "a, and Gohl was suspect
ed of having made away with them
lest they squeal on his crimes.
| Acting on information given by a
! well known businessman of Aber-
deem, who had gained the confidence
of some of the Gohl gang. and whose
name is suppressed for obvious rea-
sons, a search was made and the body
of Hatberg recovered, and GOhl ar
rested. He stoutly asserted his in
nOcence, and undertook to pose as a
martyr, being prosecuted for his de-
votion to the Sailors Union, of which
he was the Aberdeen agent. Ever
since the authorities have been
searching for the body of Hoffman
without success.
Sheriff Payette has had detectives
investigating the rumors that were
afloat as to the murders committed
by this gang, and trying to locate
the body of Hoffman ever since. In
this the sheriff's office were great
ly aided by the businessman refer
red to, and through him a sailor
named John Klingenberg, who had
sailed for Santa ROsalia, Mexico, on
the schooner A. j. West, few days
after the murder of Hatberg and
Hoffman, was connected with the
crimes, and w. b. Mack, manager
! of the S. e. Slade Lumber Co., wir-
ed Santa ROsalia for Captain Smith
to bring Klingenberg back to Aber
deem on his return voyage.
Deputy Sheriff Matthews has been
stationed at Westport for two weeks
awaiting the arrival of the A. j.
West, and when that vessel entered
the harbor Monday the deputy fol-
lowed her up to the quarantine sta
tion at Hoquiam in a launch, board
ed the schooner and placed King
enberg under arrest. Acting under
the telegram from Manager Mack,
which Captain Smith found await
ing him at Santa Rosalia, he had re-
fused the request of Klingenberg to
be discharged at that port and re-
fused to allow him ashore.
Klingenberg was taken ashore at
Hoquiam, to the Grayport hotel,
where, by previous arrangement
made by Sheriff Payette, he was met
| by the Aberdeen businessman above
referred to, and finally concluded to
make full confession, in which he
admitted that he murdered Hatberg
on the order of GOhl, and that Gohl
had killed Hoffman. He was fully
aware of the consequences of his
crime. but was desperate, and ap-
peared to suffer all the pangs of a