Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1887 — ARENSDORF'S ANGUISH. [ARTICLE]

ARENSDORF'S ANGUISH.

The Alleged Slayer of Dr. Haddock Sorely Tried by a Searching Cross- Examination. He Is Surprised to Find that He Has Contradicted His Testimony Before the Coroner.

[SIOUX CITY CORRESPONDENCE.] Interest in the Arensdorf murder trial, which has shown no abatement since the opening day, was greatly intensified when the accnsed was placed upon the witnessstand on Thursday. He testified substan-’ tial as follows: « lam the defendant in this action. I have lived in Sioux City ten years. lam a - brewer, and have been in the business twenty years. I learned the trade in Belgium, and came to this city in 1877. During the month of August, 1886, I was foreman for the Franz Brothers. The evening of August 3 I was around town. I came down in the afternoon between 7 and 8. I went into Philip Eberle’s place, and stayed until 9:30. There I met Barnes and Davelaar, and went from there to Shepard’s, across the street. Barnes went with me. I ordered Bupper. It was a little past 9:30. We ate supper there. It was after 10 when we left. Barnes went west, and I went to the Chicago saloon, where I just halted. Then I went to Junk’s saloon. Mr. Scotlard and Grady were there when I arrived. I went from there to the English Kitchen. I don’t know just what time it was. I heard at the English Kitchen that a man was killed, and went from there to where the murder happened. I remained there a few minutes, then went to the brewery, and then back to Junk’s, where I remained ten or fifteen minutes. Then I went to my home, in Bluff street. I wore my usual clothing—a blue suit and tail-coat. I did not have on'a rubber coat. I beard the testimony of Leavitt. I was not at the corner of Fourth and Water when Haddockwas killed. I was at the meeting Aug. 2. There was no private meeting, to my knowledge. Nothing was said in my presence to do up any one. I heard nothing about hiring two Dutchmen to do up any one. I made no remark about blowing any one up. I heard no remark about blowing up any one’s house. I had no conversation with Leavitt in front of Warleich’s saloon. I had po such conversation as Mrs. Leavitt testifies to have heard. I had a conversation with LeavAt at the Standard Theater in relation to his bonds. He sent a man over to see me. He took me into a room. I had no conversation with him as to who had killed Haddock. I had no conversation with Leavitt abont keeping still and things would bo all right. I had no conversation with Leavitt at Junk’s about who killed Haddock. I never had any conversation with him about the murder at his theater. I did not sav at the saloonmen’s meeting that there was S7OO or SBOO in the treasury, and supposed that would be enough to hire some one to do up Haddock or other witnesses. I know Bismarck and wife. She used to work in the brewery for Mr. Franz, but has not worked there since the brewery company was organized. I never gave Bismarck any money at Borsh’s beer garden to leave town, and never gave Fritz Folger any money to give him to induce him to leave town. I had no conversation with Mrs. Bismarck about her leaving town. She sent a note requesting me to come to her house. She wanted to sell her house, and asked me to sell it for her. I bought the house for Adolph Nepper. and he furnished the money—s2so. I bought it at Mr. Nepper’s request. I never heard Mrs. Bismarck speak English. When Hhe went away she told me she was going to Council Bluffß. I did not know she was going to California. I had no conversation at the meeting of the saloonmen, on the evening of the 2d, with Treiber, in which he said he had two Dutchmen who would do up Haddock. I heard no such conversation. I did not have any conversation with Leavitt in front of Martin’s shoe store, in which I asked him if he had seen the shooting, and that I was not feeling any too will, nor did I ask him if I could depend on him as a brother. I never had any conversation with Leavitt, as charged by him in his testimony. I had.no conversation with him about sending Henry Peters to Nebraska or Germany. I never had any conversation with Leavitt upon that subject. I did not tell Mrs. Bismarck that she had best wait a little while and not go away until things got more quiet. I did not tell her to tell her husband to keep still and not tell any one what he knew about the killing of Mr. Haddock. I did not tell her that I would furnish her with a man to go with her to Council Bluffs. I told her that I would see that a man got her ticket here for Council Bluffs. I did not know that any one intended to injure Mr. Haddock.

The cross-examination of Arensdorf was very thorough, but he bore it with remarkable nerve. The entire ground was traversed anew, and with no material break in his story. A surprise was given him and his counsel, however, when he was confronted by a transcript of his evidence before the Coroner’s jury. Portions were read wherein his statement as to his whereabouts at the time of the murder quite materially differed from his evidence Thursday. When asked if he so testified, he broke down and displayed weakness. Counsel asked: Did you testify before the Coroner’s jury the second day after the murder? A. Yes, sir. Q. Were you asked where you were at the time of the shooting? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you not swear before the Coroner’s jury that when you came out of Shepard*B, where you took supper, somebody said, “ ‘Old Kavanaugh has got shot,’ so I was ready to go home, and walked that way, and when I got there I beard somebody say it was the Rev. Dr. Haddock?" did vou swear to that? A. I can’t answer that. Q. What is your best recollection on that point? A. I have no recollection about it. Q. Did you not say you had just come out of Shepard’s whon you heard qf the shooting? A. If I did I didn’t tell the truth: Q. Did you tell the Coroner at that time that you were at the English Kitchen when the shooting occurred ? A I thought I did. Q. Did you really undertake to tell truthfully and exactly where you were at the time of the shooting, and when you heard of it? A. I don’t know. Q. Was not your memory of your whereabout* better a day or two after the event than it is now ? A. I" don't think it was. Q. Did you-not tell Mr. Delp you were at Holdenrad’s? A. Ko, I didn’t. The defense have mainly directed their efforts toward connecting Leavitt with the murder of Haddock, and several witnesses have sworn that he was dressed in a light suit of clothes on the night of the murder. I. C. Hart, a boarder at Paul Leader s, one of the defendants, testified positively that he was present when the fatal shot was fired, and that Leavitt was the man who did the shooting. Leader himself was equally positive that Arensdorf was not the man who fired the shot. He believed that Leavitt killed Haddock. Leader, Arensdorf, Leavitt, and others, just before the killing, were in Junk’s saloon drinking beer.

Arensdorf wore a dark suit—kind of navy blue—with.his pants in his big. boots. Leavitt wore a light hat, a rubber coat, and light pants. Leavitt and all went out together. 1 didn't go with them. I went out with Hart a second or two after Leavitt. We left Arensdorf in Junk’s. The crowd, headed by Leavitt, went along the south side of Fourth to Water. We followed behind them. I didn’t know what they were going'to do. I never had a word with Leavitt about were going to do. I caught up with them at the high fence eight or ten feet from the comer. As I walked by him he jerked this straw hat off my head and put this gray one on mine. I asked him what he meant and he said.: “That’s all right." We walked on down Water street and heard the report of a gun behind us. We looked around and saw one man staggering eastward and anotner running northward. He wore a long black coat, light pants, and a brown, low-crowned hat. He went down Water street toward Second and on Second home. I was satisfied that Leavitt was the man who fired the shot and was running away.