Year: 1870

While the Mcfarland case drags slowly along,
ST. Louis has promptly disposed of a case of in
furiated husband according to the most approved
usage The drama opens with William PlGger,
in the character of infuriated husband, Mrs.
Plnger, the unfaithful wife, and Ernst Niemeyer
as the destroyer of marital peace. 1t differed
from the New York case in that the unfaithful-
ness was pretty clearly proven. Pleger was in
formed of the situation, but he knew too well
the part of the infuriated husband to become in
sane at once. He separated from his wife and
left her to Niemeyer. He closed his welded life
by taking his wife to dance, where he left her
with the destroyer and got drunk. After the
separation had taken place and the infuriated
husband had been 10 New York, he returned and
proposed to resume harmonious relations with
the unfaithful wife. This was not satisfactory
to the unfaithful wife, who said " she had a bet
ter man than PlGger, who had lots Of money
and would kill Pl9ger," while as for Niemeyer
another witness testified that he said " he had
bought cigars for her, and if she was going back
to PlGger he would do nothing more :or her. "
Furthermore, if Pl9ger fooled with him he
would lick him clear out of the State" This
was too much for the infurated husband. Then
he began to get insane. 1t was proven that he
was "meancholy and down-hearted." wit
ness swore " be did not act as though he was
right in his head. He said he cried because he
was so unlucky about his rife. ] cannot say
Wletner Ue was crazy OF not Gun say ne was
crazy; he took it hard" Another and vital
witness swore that CATER this" "a. e., after Me
meyer threatened to click him out of the
State'O "Pleger's conduct was strange. He
walked up and down the room and scratched
his head" While in such infuriated and
frantic state of mind to 'scratch his head, "
he shot and killed Niemeyer If the jury had
any doubt about his mental condition when the
evidence was given that he was "meancholy
and down-hearted,' - that he "cred" because
he said be had been - unlucky with his wife, ~
when it came to be corroberated by the further
proof that he acted strange" and even
'scratched his head" all doubts vanished. OF
course he was insane Who ever heard of a
man "acting strange" or Scratching his head !"
when in his right mind especially if he had
been "unlucky with his wife p His madness
terrible. lie probably stopped scratching
his head u only sufficient length of time to do
the shooting. 1t would have been an outrage to
have punished this raving maniac, this infuri-
ated husband, and we are prepared for the an
nouncement which the telegraph brings of his
prompt and triumphant acquittal of course,
be is not insane any longer. lie is safe to roam
at large, and we presume he will "scratch his
head - no more, not with comb The
cause of the infuriated husband is thus vindi-
Gated and additional precedent produced to show
that killing is no murder.


This case suggests important line of policy
to McFarland's counsel. They should institute
a careful inquiry to learn whether he ever
'scratched his head ~ and if that fact is proven
he might well be released without completing
the trial.