Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-18
HAUSER TELLS
STORY OF LIFE
Man Convicted Of Murder Of Smith
Gives Details Of Career Since
His Boyhood in Wichita.
SAYS WIFE DIDN'T GIVE HIN UP

arthur HauSer, convicted by
jury Of the murder OF w. II. Smith,
in a two-hour interview in his cell
in the county jail last night. told
the story OF his life. 1t began at
Wichita. Kan. where he went with
his parents at the age Of &c years,
continued through ten years of
honest labor. and his entrance into
crime in Denver five years ago and
concluded with his arrival in Omaha
on October I. 1915.
He denied the murder OF MIR.
Smith and declared the jury had
convicted him on account OF the
evil reputation given him as the re-
suit OF other crimes fastened on
him, but said Judge English had
fairly conducted the trial.
WouI Re Model Prisoner.
Hauser was cheerful exec; when he
talked Of the verdict. lie spoke hopefully
Of the prospects of new trial and of an
appeal. but declared II he vent TO tho
penitcnuary he would be a model pris-
oner Although he was on his guard
against making damaging admissions. he
talked with apparent frankness OF safe"
subjects. His language was grammatlc-
ally correct.
Tells Life story.
give us tho story OF your life. Hauser.'
the man was urged. Leave out what
you don't want TO tell and give us a
straight story OF the rest"
a a.
think TO remember u all. IN begin at
Wichita" he continued. obligingly. when
was l6 years old. went there with my
folks l went to work for the wichita
Transfer company as driver, and
worked for them seven years. They've
got me wrong Il they think never
worked.
Il got married when was just past
90 years old and my wife Is as good a
woman as lives. / have four children,
three OF them older than the baby you
saw In court. They took the older chill
dren away from my wife to try to get her
to turn me in"
Denies wife Gave Him Up.
Here Hauser entered an emphatic de
NAL OF the story that his wife gave the
information which caused his arrest last
fall in indianapolis and would receive
part OF the reward money. when asked
whether that report was true he said:
1T is not true. My wife never turned
me in. They may have got the informa-
ton by playing a trick on her. but she
didn't give mo up. wish you would be
sure and say that. She won't get any OF
the reward money and wouldn't take It.
Lived In Los Angeles.
when we left Wichita" Hauser con.
tinued, we had two children. The baby
girl got sick with fever and the doctors
told us to take her out to the coast Il
we could. My wife had relatives Twins
| In Los Angeles. We started out there
at once and came back. because the bah,
| got worse. Then we went again. Their
was only money enough to pay m!
wife's fare and ] beat my way. ] wa
| an honest man then,
II worked three years in Los Angeles
for the Citizens Transfer company. Tn,
child got we'll and is alive now. Abou
five years ago we went back to wichita
We stayed a while and then went e
Denver. got into trouble there and wal
sent TO the penitentiary on a robbery
charge. After thirteen months brok,
away from a road gang and went Il
Oklahoma"
How did you come TO break away
from the straight and narrow? was thu
next question put to HsuseT.
1T was bad company" he answered
Il got to assooiating with q bunch o.
petty larceny thieves. | never drank
except a little wine and beer on a few
occasions and never hung around poo
halls or saloons. But / was hard up ant
my family was hard up. Were you evel
hard up?"
The interviewer passed the opportunity
to relate his own financial difficulties
and invited Hauser to continue.
| Tells of Honest Toll.
| WELL" he said, After / broke ava!
went TO Oklahoma. worked In thu
Gushing oil fields and sent money hom
to my wife regularly. In the mesntim
my wife's mother died and my wifi
was slckly. The officials took the thre
older children away from her to try 4
make her give me up for the ColoTad,
job. / went home to Wichita In June
1914 We decided We couldn't get tn
children back and we went back to tn
oil fields. and / worked there again.
My wife didn't get any better and Il
August, 1914, we went to Seattle. worke'
there for the Seattle Transfer company
You can check this up II you want 10
and you will find my name on the pa,
roll. In the last part of November tn
weather was rainy and my wife go
worse. We went to Kansas City In DE
cember. 1914. and stayed till Easter. 1914
Then we went to Louisville. KY, an
then to my wife's relatives. who live q
the mountains in Kentucky. We stage
there until after Decoration day.
I'VE went to Oklahoma, near Tulsa
and stayed TIL September 26, 1918. w
came to Omaha october l. You know tn
rest"
Did you Kill smith,
Denies killing Smith.
Il no more killed that man than 20
did," said Hauser.
IF go to the penitentiary am soin
innocent Of that murder. The Judge wa
as fair as any Judge that ever lived an
all three OF my lawyers worked as har,
AN a.,