The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1921-08-20
SEIZE HUSBAND; PLOT TO
MURDER WIFE IS CHARGED
Negro Accomplish Also Is Arrested.

Charged with engineering a eonspir-
acy in which his wife was to have been
drowned in Lake Michigan, John NJ.
Hafner, proprietor of bakery at 39s5
Vincenncs avenue, was arraigned
Thursday morning before Judge How
ard Hayes in the Stoekyards court.
With him will appear Henry Davis,
his alleged accomplish, and Charles
Johnson, who il held as a material wit
ness and due to whom the alleged con
spiracy was made known to the police.
Both are eolored.
johnson, who claims to be- a member
of the African Methodist Episcopal
council, declares that last Monday he
was approached by Davis, who first
compIimented him upon his robust ply
sique and then told him he was Just the
man to carry out the plans of Hafner,
to whom the pair went.
Tells Details of Plot.
Hafner, Johnson says, offered him
$500 to forge the name of his wife, Mrs.
Elizabeth Hafner, SOY lakewood bOule-
ward, to suicide note" which would
bequeath to IIafner all of his wife 5 be
lOngings.
For a second 500, he declared, he
and Davis were TO force Mrs. Hafner
into an automobile, drive her to a lone
ly spot on the south shore, and drown
her in the lake.
The conspiracy, he said, further con
templated the arrangement of Mrs. Half |
ner' clothing where it would be found |
on the beach, with the "suieide note'
pinned to one of the garments.
Warns Wife Of Conspiracy.
Tuesday evening Johnson went to the
home of Mrs. Hafner and told her of |
the plot TO do away with her. The two
then visited Assistant State s Attorney
Rudolph Shapiro at the Stockyards sta
ton, but found it too late to secure a
warrant for Hafner arrest.
1t was decided, however, that Hafner
should be taken into custody through a
ruse. The plot was explained to a col
Ored policeman, who dOnned plain
clothes and went with johnson to Half
ner's bakery. Behind them were sew
eral officers who were to wait outside
until signaled to enter.
johnson left the Negro policeman
outside, and, entering, informed Hafner
that he was afraid to go ahead with
the plan, but said that he had a substi-
tute waiting who would do as he had
directed. Hafner told johnson to call
the substitute in and then went over
the plot in detail for the Iatter's benc-
fit. Davis also was present.
'Be sure and kill her so there will be
no comeback" Hafner is alleged to
have ordered.
When lIafner had completed his in
structions, the squad of police entered
and the quartet were arrested. Later
the supposed substitute" was of
course, set free.
Had Stormy Married Life.
The Hafners were married March 80, |
1921, and separated July "a when, ac-
cording TO Mrs. Hafner's bill for d.
vOrce, filed through her attorney, Israel !
Goldberg, on Aug, !, her husband beat .
her when she charged him with infidel-
ity. subsequently she was awarded tenn
porary alimony of $50 a week.
Last Thursday Mrs. Hafner caused
her husband to be arraigned before
Judge Hayes in the StOekyards court
on a charge of assault and battery, but
because of the pending divorce action,
the case was continued until Oct. II.
Formal warrants charging Hafner and
Davis with conspiracy to commit a
felony were issued and served yesterday
morning on complaint of Mrs. Hafner.