The Washington times., 1919-03-03

over the prospective oil claim at
| Tshibukli, and DR.. Hau, out of pocket
and discomfited, had to make his way
| back to Germany.
The Haus visited for some time
with the MolitOrs in Baden-Baden
| before they set out again, ostensfoty
at least, for America. 1t developed
| later that Hau had on this visit vain
/ ly besought his mother-in-laW TOT
more money. 1t seems this excellent
and forenanded lady not only retusen
/ more cash but demanded information
as to her daughters dowry. The pro-
/ fessor said ii was intact with
, Washington trust company. Inc
! mother-in-law appears to nave
/ doubted. She sent a cabled inquiry
/ to Washington and was Informed that
DR.. Hau had withdrawn all OF the
money. Apparently a family schlsm
resulted.
/ Returned To Bad Footing.
Thus, late in 1906. the RELATIONSHIP
tween DR.. Hau and his wifes Fam
! lily had returned to as bad footing
| as that whereon they stood in lVOO'
/ at the time Of the elopement Ihe
| professor and his wife left the ma
| ternal roof, and the wife proceeded
| to London, where she put up at the
! Cecil and awaited her husband some
days afterward, about November D.
| 1906. the doctor arrived, not many
| hours ahead of the news that Frau
/ Molitor had been shot through the
heart In Baden-Baden. She had been
] summoned to the local postoffice
! by telephone to receive in person an
| important package. walking along
a residential street in the dusk win
an unmarried daughter, Olga Moh-
| tor, she had been shot from behlno
by a bearded man, who disappeared
in the shadows and escaped.
Arrested In London.
The next day DR.. Karl Hau was ar
rested on information from Germany
and held in London to await extradi-
] tion. After some delays he, was re-
turned to Baden, -incarcerated in the
] Jail at Karlsruhe, the capital Of the
duchy, and prepared for trial.
1 Some months later the trial Of DR..
Hau developed into one Of the most
remarkable homicide actions in dec
ades. The progress of the case was
| watched from America, from England,
from France and Turkey. since each
| of these countries had connection
| with the mans history. Hau had, in
fact, become an American citizen,
! fact Of whose protective benefits he
declined to avail himself. In Ger
j many the trial was a sensation Of
/ genuine magnitude, leading to sharp
| local division OF sentiment and even
to riots.
CIrcumstantiaI Evidence.
The case of the prosecution was
clear-cut structure Of circumstances.
The motive was established through
! Frau MoIitor's wealth. her penuriOus
treatment Of the son-in-law, his
waste OF his wife's dover, his ex-
travagant tastes and his loose hand
ling Of money. It was shown that
the death of the widow was calculated
to cause a division Of the estate
among half a dozen children, thus
bringing about 100000 to Mrs. Lena
Hau. Hau's appeals to the widow for
4 funds in the course Of his recent visit
to Baden-Baden were proved.
It was shown that the large watch
dog belonging to Frau Molitor had
been poisoned a day or two before
the woman's death. Also, hoax tele-
gram had been sent a few days
earlier, apprising the mother Of her
daughters perilous illness in Paris.
It was the contention OF the state
that this telegram had been sent by
Hau in the hope that the shock Of
the news would kill his mother-in-
law, that lady having long suffered
from organic heart trouble. The fact
that the daughter was not in Paris
and was not i'll, REINFORCED by a vague
Identification Of Hau as the sender OF
the telegram, seemed to establish
some such motive.
Didn't Die of Heart Attack.
But Frau Molitor had not died OF
heart attack. The state contended that
the son-in-law had then realized the
need Of open murder. It was shown
that he had been in Baden-Baden at
the time of the murder and had fed
| from the town Immediately after
ward, leaving part of his baggage be-
II hind. It was also demonstrated that
he had brought a false beard and
| wig of a local barber, and another
II similar set Of Disgusting hair from
II one in Frankfort. Finally II was
| brought out that Hau had bought
| gray overcoat like the one worn by
the assassin. He admitted that he
had bought such a coat and had after
ward thrown il overheard In crossing
the English Channel
In the face Of this uncontroVerted
evidence the conviction Of the man
appeared certain. Yet large part OF
Germany had its doubts OF the result,
and in Karlsruhe the mob appeared to
be strongly sympathetic with DR..
Hau.
Put Up Subtle Defense.
The mans defense was subtle and
MachIavellian. No one but a fellow
Of fine mental powers and marvellous
seIf-controI could have put up so splen-
did a fight against such insuperable
circumstantialities. Hau admitted, In
view of the certain proof, that he had
been in Baden-Daden and that he had
bought and worn the disguise de-
scribed, but he denied categorically
all the circumstances Of the shooting
He said his wife had stood to benefit
to the extent OF only about $l7,5OO
by the death OF. her mother, whose
estate was greatly Overvalued. He
pointed out that he had won place
for himself in America and that his
prospects there were good, intimating
that he must have been mad to COM
NIT murder under such circumstances.
Oils sanity had previously been at
tested by the clinic at Freiburg. his
own university
Explained His Disguise.
Hau's master subtlety. however,
was his explanation Of his disguised