Newspaper

Kansan, Monday, November 22, 1926

AN AGED WOMAN

IS VICTIM OF A

TRAGIC DEATH

The coroner's jury sitting in inquest into the death of Mrs. Mary Klabau, found dead in her home on South West Second street Sunday morning, returned a verdict at 3:45 today that she came to her death as a result of a self-inflicted wound.

Mrs. Mary Klabau, 77 years old, was found dead in the kitchen of her home at 322 South West Second, Sunday forenoon, and it developed that death was caused from hemorrhages which were the result of a deep knife wound in her abdomen.

Coroner R. H. Hertzler today empaneled a jury and held an inquest at the office of County Attorney Branine.

The jury empaneled consists of Dr. R. C. Porter, Ernest Golding, Merle Warren, Walter Reese, Rudolph Schirrmacher and Frank Trouslot. The witnesses were examined by County Attorney Branine and Coroner Hertzler.

Facts brought out at the inquest are that Mrs. Klabau resided with her son George Klabau and family, in property deeded to her son with the provision that the mother should make her home there as long as she lived. Sunday morning George Klabau went to work as usual at the Santa Fe store house, and Mrs. George Klabau and three little daughters went to Sunday school and church at Salem Evangelical church. After Sunday school, little Verna went home and found her grandma sitting in a crumpled manner on the kitchen floor and did not answer the little girl when she was spoken to. The child hurried back to the church and summoned her mother, who with the other children went home, stopping on the way at the home of Mrs. John Sattler, a daughter of the dead woman. Mrs. Klabau told Mrs. Sattler that something must be wrong, and hurried home, finding the grandmother as described by the little girl. Then Mrs. Sattler arrived and they called Mr. Klabau and also Jacob Klabau another son, and Dr. O. W. Roff who had been the family physician for many years. When the two sons arrived they carried their mother into another room and placed her on a couch, and at the inquest, it was testified that the family thought she must have fainted as a result of a hemorrhage. But when Dr. Roff arrived about 11:45 he found that she was dead, and had been dead in his judgement about an hour. He testified that in his opinion the wound would have caused her to bleed to death in about 15 minutes. As soon as he found the nature of the wound he summoned the coroner and sheriff. after investigation, the body was turned over to Duff & Son, undertakers.

At the inquest it was shown that George Klabau is in the habit of giving his mother money each day. Klabau said that she had hid $600 in a cupboard in the house, and that when the death was found to be of a violent nature, he looked for the money bu could not find it. Later, however, he testified that he found all of the money in various dresses belonging to his mother about the house.

Dr. Roff testified before the jury that he did nod believe the aged women could have inflicted the wound herself, that he did not believe she would do so, being familiar with her history, temperament, religious beliefs and conditions of her mind and health. Her daughter, Mrs. Sattler testified to the same belief.

Other witnesses were little Verna Klabau, George Klabau, Mrs. George Klabau, Jacob Klabau, Mrs. Claude Kackley, who said it was she who washed the knife and razor, and Rev. E. E. Erifmeyer.

The clothing the dead woman wore, the long, ugly butcher knife, and razor were all shown to the jury and they were also shown the body and the wounds were explained to them. It is said that a few scratches were found on the abdomen, none of which were serious wounds.