Semi-weekly herald., 1912-03-25
ALLEGED MURDERERS WILL
BE TRIED ON MONDAY

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, March 23.-The
trial of Mrs. Annie Hunning and Jo-
seph Seidel, for the alleged murder of
Martin Hunning, Mrs. Hunning's hus-
band, the night of Dec. 8 last, at his
home near the town of Murphy, a
short distance south of st. Louis, is
docketed for trial next Monday in the
jefferson county circuit court at Hills
horc< 1t is reported that the defense
will move for change of venue on
the ground that it would be impossi-
bic to secure an impartial jury in the
county in which the alleged murder
occurred.
All of the principals in the case
were well known residents of Jeffer-
son county and as consequence the
killing of Hunning and the arrest OF
his widow and Seidel, her alleged low
er, attracted wide attention.
According to the jefferson county
authorities, Seidel made complete
confession of his part in the alleged
murder soon after he was lodged in
he and Mrs. Hunning planned the mur
der for six weeks before he found a
suitable opportunity to slay Hunnine.
Mrs. -Hunning, according to SeideFs
efonfession, told him that if he would
do away with Martin Hunning she
would marry him and give him all
that she and her husband possessed.
The alleged confession of Seidel, as
given out by the jefferson county au
thorities, reads in part as follows:
'On the night of Dec. 8, 1911, at
about Z o'clock, left my home car
rying my shotgun. i walked dowr
the road to Martin HunnIng's house
i went in the yard and first looked
in at the east window. Martin was
seated in rocking chair near the win
dow of the kitchen and his wife, An
ME Hunning was near him at the tele-
phone. While | was looking in at
the east window Mrs. Annie Hunning
left the telephone and Martin, her hus-
band, went to the telephone. l then
walked around to the corner of the
house to the south window. l saw
Martin Hunning standing at the tele-
phone with the receiver to his ear and
his back to me. raised the gun to
my shoulder, cooking it as I raised it,
took deliberate aim at his head and
pulled the trigger. The gun was dis
charged. / heard the crash of glass
and then turned and walked away to
my home"
After convincing Mrs. Hunning that
Seidel had confessed, the officials are
said to have procured the following
confession from her:
81 am innocent of the crime. but
Joe is not. | went to st. Louis sew
eral months ago and saw fortune
teller. She told me my husband was
going to be killed. My husband had
threatened to kill my brother because
of trouble they had had. | told Seidel
oil WnaJ naQ DeeH tolu W ino anu WI"
him | was afraid Martin would Kill
him and me. Seidel told me he would
not take any chances on it, but that
he would put Martin out of the way
AS we were eating dinner together on
the day of the killing, in our house
Joe Seidel told my husband, his broth
er, Louis Hunning and myself, that
his parents were going to st. Louis
that day. / knew then that he was
preparing to kill my husband, and
felt uneasy and va, afraid that he
would kill my husband that night"
Counsel for the defense declare they
will oppose the introduction of the
alleged confessions when the trial i.
called Monday on the ground they
were obtained under duress and by
trickery. Mrs. Hunning and Seidel
according to their lawyers, now de
clare they were badgered to despera
ton by the county authorities anc
signed papers placed before them t.
gain respite. The claim is now mad'
that they thought they were signing
merely confessions of having had in
innate relations. The Jefferson coun
ty authorities, on the other hand, ave
the confessions were made voluntaril.