Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1887 — THE HADDOCK MURDER. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE HADDOCK MURDER.

Opening of a Celebrated Criminal Trial at Sidux City, * lowa * The Council and the Jury—Betting Men Offering Odds on a Disagreement. [SIOUX CITY CORRESPONDENCE.] On a dark and rainy night, in the month of August, 1880, Rev. George C. Haddock, a minister of the Methodist Church and a stalwart Prohibitionist, was assassinated in one of Sioux City’s public streets. The murder created a profound sensation in the community. There was universal condemnation of the deed, and an almost passionate demand that the perpetrators .be hunted down. Meetings in scores of places in lowa and other States were held. Religious, temperance and other organizations passed resolutions denouncing the crime, and expressing sympathy for the widow of the murdered man. Contributions came in from every direction and a handsome sum was thus provided for her. and smaller sums were sent to aid in closing the saloons and discovering the murderers. The day of the murder Gov. Larrabee offered a reward of SSOO, the Emit allowed by law, for the apprehension of the guilty parties. The City Council also offered a reward. Later the

Methodist ministers offered a reward of SI,OOO. On the day following the murder the Coroner’s inquest began taking evidence, and after two days the evidence showing the fact that valuable clews were likely to be developed, the investigation was made secret. The investigation covered a long period of time, there being extended adjournments. Circumstances were developed which fastened serious suspicion oil one Hairy L. Leavitt, who had kept a low variety show in Sioux City, Suspicion was also fastened upon several

others with whom he was found to have been intimately associated. But the trouble was there was no satisfactory proof. Leavitt and other suspected parties testified before the Coroner’s jury, and had stories to tell in which they denied knowledge or part in the Crime. But before the Coroner’s jury adjourned, it was noticed (hat these parties, toward whom suspicion pointed, -began to disappear from the city. Leavitt was among those who levanted. He was filially arrested in Chicago, and confessed all he knew ia connection with the tragedy. He fixed upon John Arensdorf, a member of the Franz Brewing Company, as the man who fired the

fatal shot, and declared tbat therewere present at the murder Henry Peters, the brewery driver, standing at Arensdorf’s elbow; Fred Munehratb, Jr., Geo, Treiber, Paul Leader, Harry Sherman, Louis Plato and two other Germans. Arensdorf, Leader, MohcKrato and Sherman wefe instantly arrested, and warrants were sworii out for the others named who had disappeared. Albert Koschnitski was arrested in California, and Sylvester Grande in Kansas City. After a long andnaiient investigation the grand jury returned two Indictments against all the nine defendants above named, charging them jointly with murder and conspiracy. At the January term of court, the attornevs for Arensdorf demanded that he should be first put on trial, and claimed to be ready for trial. The prosecution asserted its legal right to say which defendant should be first tried, and asked that a speedy date be as-

signed for trial. The court set the fjrinl for the 21st of March. Some days prior to this date the defense insisted that the prpsecu-j tion should elect which of the defendants should be first tried, and the prosecution replied by electing John Arepsdorf, the principal defendant, and that ne be tried on tne charge of murder. Thereapoa toe court so ordered, and set the trial for the 23d of March. , g-—■. the TRIAL. On Wednesday, the 23d of March, before Judge Lewis, began the trial of John Arensdorf for the murder of Rev. George Haddock, and at this writing it is still in. progress.

Able counsel represent both eides. On the side of the defense are the names of O. C. Tredway, Judge Isaac Pendleton, G. W. Argo, of Le Mars; M. M. Gray, Willis G. Clarke, Judge J. N. "Weaver, and Geo. W. Kellogg. The prosecution is represented by County Attorney S. M. Marsh, M. D. O’Connell, of Fort Dodge, ex-Uuited Srates District Attorney; Hon. T. P. Murphy; United States District Attorney; and the wellknown law firm of Hubbard, Spalding & Taylor. The jury, in the selection of which only one day was consumed, consists of John O’Connor, a farmer, of Morgan Township; Thomas Crilley, a farmer, of Morgan Township; C. C. Barllett, a farmer, of Little Sioux Township; John Madden, a farmer, of Miller Township; Dennis Murphy, a farmer, o’ Kedron Township; C. G. Gross, a merchant, of Correetionville; Thomas Frazier, a farmer, of Rutland Township; M r . P. Pennell, a farmer, of Concord Township; David Kpff'er, a farmer, of Floyd Township; E. Webster, a farmer, of Woodbury Township: John D. O’Connell, afnrmer, of Liberty Township, and John Adair, a railroad grader, of Sioux City. Mr. H. J. Taylor presented the easeforthe State and Mr. G. W. Argo presented the case for the defense. Mr. Taylor, after reading the indictment, recited the story of the crime in a delicate and somewhat labored manner. Mr. Taylor laid the foundation of the motive for the murder in the exciting incidents of the injunction suits against (he Sioux .City liquor dealers. The Rev, George C. Haddock’s participation in these suits and his advocacy of temperance werc'Shown to haveincited the enmity ofcertain men, among whom was John Areusdorf. It is freely predicted in certain circles that a disagreement will be the result of the trial, and betting men are taking odds against conviction. Mr. Taylor grew ruggedly eloquent as he neared the climax. In few words he outlined the plan of the State in its proof of the murder. He described the assembling of the alleged conspirators at Junk’s saloon, the-watelrng for Haddock’s return from his temperance mission to Greenville, the arrival of the minister at Merr 11s stable after leaving Mr. Turner at his home in the western part of ihe city, and the starting of Haddock for his own home. Then came the deed of blood. Haddock, after once returning to the stable door to ask “if that mob was lying in wait for him,” started to cross Water street, directly in the face of the band on the corner of Fourth and Water streets. A man stepped firmly forward, passed the victim, then tnrnect and fired (lie deadly shot. This man, Mr. Taylor declared- the State was ready to prove, was none other than John Arensdorf. “And the blood then shed on our city’s streets,” said he, “now cries for justice at your hands.” w Mr. Argo entered a general denial of the State’s charge, and introduced the defendant to the jury in a brief biographical sketch. John Arensdorf was born in Belgium in 1851. His parents were farmers. At fourteen 'years of age he was apprenticed to a brewer. In 1871 he came to America and has been employed ns a brewer sinee that time. He has resided in Sioux City for nearly ten years. Hr. Argo showed that the defense proposed to rely upon proving an alibi, and upon the general good character of the defendent, The counsel devoted considerable time to an arraignment of Harry Leavitt, who, he said, was the chief wituess for the State. It was for the prosecution to prove the gnilt of Arensdorf. But the 'defense would unquestionably demonstrate that he not only knew nothing of the murder, bub that he had, on the night of the shooting, actually saved a temperance worker from assault. * Glass, porcelain and other metals can be soldered by an alloy made as follows: Copper dust, obtained by precipitation from a solution of the sulphate by means of zinc, is put iu a cast-iron or "porcelain-lined mortar and mixed with strong sulphuric acid, specific gravity 1.85., From twenty to thirty or thirty-six parts of the dust are taken, according to the hardness desired. To the cake formed of acid , and copper there is added, under constant stirring, seventy parts of mercury. W hen well mixed, the amalgam is carefully rinsed with warm water to remove all the acid, and then set aside to cool. In ten or twelve hours it is hard enough to scratch tin. W'hen required for use, it is to be heated so hot that, when worked over and brazed in a mortar, it becomes as soft as wax. In this ductile form it can be spread on any surface, to which it adheres with great tenacity when it gets cold and hard. This alloy is intended to be used to solder such articles as will not bear high temperature.— -American Druggist. , “Who say* we don’t belong to the great army of labor ?’’ said one tramp to another as they were relieving a clothes-line of its burden one dark night; “don’t we take in washing? 1 ” “Certainly," said his mate, with a chuckle, as they continued to take; it ia.—Texas Siftings. ZjZITIZ England derryes its name from the Angles, a Teutonic people who won a home, in Britain. v-n * . ■ . ' . .

REV. GEORGE C. HADDOCK.

BARRY LEAVITT.

JOHN ARENSDORF.

JUDGE LEWIS.