Year: 1866

! attempted Wife- Murder by United State


Internal Rerehate Officer Shocking De


tails Of Cruelty.


We mentioned in last evenings news that
| Jacob Sloughdecker, a United States inter


nal revenue officer, was examined before the


Mayor on the charge of assaulting his wife


with intent tocommitmurder. Jacob Slough
| decker is quite young man, and his wife


was pretty young woman. They are both
/ Germans, have a child about six years old.


During their residence In New Orleans, pre-


vious to coming to Mobile, the domestic cir


Gle of the Sloughdecker family was very tur-


bulent ard on one occasion the husband had
his wife brought before the courts of that
city ON the charge of adultery, which result
ed in their. separation. They subsequently


turned up in Mobile, since which time they


have repeatedly been before the Mayor 5
court and justices of the peace for difficulties


growing out Of their relationship as husband


and wife.


About five or six weeks ago Sloughdecker


had another quarrel with his wife, and took


the child away from her. She caused his


arrest on the charge with intent to KILL and


had him put under bond of FIVE hundred dol
lars to keep the peace.


A few nights ago Sloughdecker went down
to the Frascatl, and met his wife there In
company with young MIN. On the day fol-
lowing he addressed her note requesting an
interview with her on Friday night at his
room in Dauphin street. At the hour des-
ignated, Mrs. Sloughdecker wentto the room,
but did not meet her husband. She walked
out and shortly afterward met him on the
public square. This was about nine O'Clock
at night. He greeted her with pleasant
smile, and asked her to take walk with
him. They started through the square, com
ing out at the gate leading up St. Joseph
street; The wife says that he hugged and
kissed her during the walk, and never seem
ed to talk so sweet to her as on this occasion.
He told her that he had made up his mind
to bury the past and unite once more with
her in eternal love. Healso promised to give
her money and send her on visit to his rel
atives, for the benefit of her health.


The wife kept on, and made several efforts
to get her husband to return, but fearing no
danger with him, she walked out to a bridge,
between the depot and the Magnolia yard,
which is quite secluded and lonely Here
the husband suddenly turned on his helpless
wife, and made the horrible announcement
that she had taken her last step or this side
Of the grave He accused her of adultery,
and told her that he would dispatch her in
stantly if she gave any alarm. The horror
stricken wife went on her knees, and in the
terrible silence Of that lonely spot, declared
before her God that it was false, and begged
him to name his authority He drew pis-
tol and commanded her to confess it before
he killed her. The wife implOred him to
spare her life, and in her desperation grasp
ed his arm, when he dropped the pistol and
drew large knife He attempted to stab
her with it, but again her arm was strength
ened by Providence, and the wel-directed
efforts of the would be murderer were thwar-
ted.


Finding that both knife and pistol had
failed him, he caught his young wife by the
hair of the head and tried to choke her to
death, at the same time running his thumb
into her right eye and gouging it in shock
ing manner. The unfortunate wop,an fouoht
with de. peration for herlife, p ID her screams
alarmed the fendish husband. TTpon look
ing up from his yictirI, he beheld a stump.
or some specter which confronted him in his
mind S imagination, and ran off. leaving the
PROSTATE f5rm Of his half-strangled wife on
the bridge


prs. .5Ioughdecker continued her state
merv, that after her husband had made sew
cral efforts to shoot and stab her he tore
whole handfuls of hair out of her head, and
this hair was afterward found on the spot,
together with her net, shoes and some little
trinkets. He was terriby enraged, and be-
came infuriated after he had failed in direct
ing the knife to her heart To the nearest
recollection of the wife this desperate strug-
gle for life on the bridge took place at about
eleven O'Clock. Mrs. Sloughdecker' right
eye is horribly gouged, and she is suffering
intensely from it. Her neck is covered with
flesh wounds made by his finger nails while
choking her, and her body bears some severe
marks of violence Several witnesses testi-
fed to hearing her screams on the bridge,
but they arrived too late to see the parties.


The Court held Sloughdecker in bonds OF
81 900 to answer at the City Court the charge
of assault with the intent to commit murder
Mobile Register, JulyI