Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-09-18
H|DEOUS MURDER
MYSTERY SOLVED
Kalamazoo Man Admits Shooting
Woman Who Refused to
Leave Him Alone.
She Tried to Entice Him Away
From His Wife He Tells
Sheriff.

Kalamazoo, Mich Sept. 17.-(Chicago
Tribune Service. )-"S Sheriff, I'm guilty.
l did it. l killed the woman
Prefacing his confession with these
words, George Sylvester Hocknoll clear
ed up the mystery surrounding the death
of Mrs Bessie Voeth, of Detroit, by
admitting he fired two bullets into the
woman's back at a lonely spot on the
Michigan Central railroad near Street
er's crossing, mile west Of tins clty,
about II o'clock on the night of Aug
ust j.
AS he shot her she had her back to
him. He told the story Of her writings
as the bullets took effect as though he
were merely relating some incident from
book.
kiss Me-" She sobbed.
"kiss me, George she sobbed; I'm
dying, | forgive you. Kiss me.
The preliminary part of his confession
differed slightly from what he has al
ready told He admits he accompanied
her in her auto as far as Jackson ~
their way back to Detroit. after his
wife had insisted that she leave kala-
mazoo.
The quarrel started at Battle Creek
when Mrs Noeth stopped the machine
put her arms around him and begged nm
to leave his wife and flee with her: lie
says they fought all the way from Mar
shall to Jackson and that at Jackson he
jumped from her car and caught the
$50 car back for Kalamazoo.
He saws he reached Kalamazoo shortly
after $50 and that he started to walk
the two and one half miles from the
station to his wife's farm. He noticed
an auto drawn up beneath clump of
trees on the side of the road. AS he
came near the machine he heard the
voice of the woman he had lett at
Jackson calling to him.
She Followed Him.
II followed YOU she said.
They were on the road in darkness.
Hocknol looked toward the Dobbin
farm run by his wife The lights Of the
house were out. The quiet was broken
by the rising voice of the woman.
George, George" she sobbed. What
does that woman in there amount 20
with YOU. Whatever she's got. Ill give
you more if yonll come with me-:
But Hocknoll was obdurate. be had
married his wife for money. he had SAID,
and he knew Mrs. Noeth only had the
paltry few hundred she had taken from
her husband. his diamond and his auto.
He was fearful her voice would awaken
his wife.
Keep quiet he said. and he led the
way down the road. as they reached the
tracks he turned on her:
you've got to go back, he said.
Lost His Reason.
II won't she said. I'll do anything,
but | won't leave you"
Hocknol said this made him lose his
head He says he pushed her away, drew
his revolver and cried in rage:
Then take this.
She was bent over sobbing, with her
hands to her face. as he shot. The first
bullet hit her and as she fell on her
knees he fired again.
He stood watching her writing for
moment and as her voice grew weaker
he bent over to hear what she was say
ing She was still talking about love.
Hocknoll said, as he told his story and
a shudder followed his remark.
'.She said she was dying and wanted
me to bring her some water
He left her on the railroad track and
walked to a nearby home to get pail
Of water. He found the pump broken.
He said he tried very hard to get water,
for he was sorry for what he had done.
las / was pumping away | heard
train coming" he said. The firebox was
open and | could see the flames Of the
engine. l thought Of her lying there on
the track. SO l started back.
When he found the mangled remains
after the train had passed he thought he
might as we'll leave them there so that
people would think she was hit by
train while driving.
Il then went home" he said
He chatted with his wife a while,
kissed her good night and went to bed