Suspicious Death of Birdie Hoffman and Murder of Gertrude Botts

At 7 pm on May 3, 1900, 18-year-old Birdie Hoffman and 16-year-old Charles "Otis" Botts went on a buggy ride in Peoria, Illinois. The two had been dating for the last two years and planned to get married. Birdie's parents tried to convince them that they were too young, but the two didn't care they wanted to marry.

On the ride, he would end up either sexually assaulting her or they had sex. Afterwards, this would upset Birdie greatly and he claimed that she was full of remorse over them doing that. He claimed that she refused to go home and they argued until 4 am. During the argument, she would grab his revolver and shoot herself in the head. 

Police however did not believe that she had killed herself. However, he could not be prosecuted for the crime as no evidence contradicted his statement. 

Five years later on January 6, 1905, a few days before his 21st birthday Otis argued with his wife, 19-year-old Gertrude at the border house they were staying at in Peoria. The two had been constantly arguing ever since they got married the year before. During the argument, He would strike her in the face and then begin to strangle her with a slender hair ribbon killing her.

He would leave the home and go to a saloon in Knoxville and Glendale. When he entered he seemed heavily intoxicated already and caused a disturbance. He was quickly kicked out. So he would catch a car on the way to the courthouse where again he made a disturbance. He was kicked out after traveling two blocks. 

He would then make it to Wall's Saloon on Fayette St. He would hang out there until late that evening. Towards the end of the night, he became more sober. He seemed greatly worried and even told the bartender that he wanted to drown himself in the river. 

 He would spend the night with his friend William Trautman on Nebraska Ave. At 10 am Patrolman Brannon and McEnvoy would go to William's to arrest him. He was still asleep when he arrived, and surprised him when they arrested him. It was found that he had a razor under his pillow. It was suspected he was planning on using it on himself. 

 He would then be arrested the next day for the murder. He would seem indifferent to his wife's death. He stated that it was an Eastern traveler named Albert Baer. His wife was infatuated with the man and the two had spent that night together, so he had to of been the one to kill her. Police did not believe him, especially since he was the last one seen in their room. It also didn't help that he was a suspect in the murder of another woman.

There was no solid evidence, but there was circumstantial so he would be brought to trial in just a couple months. At the trial, he would deny that he knew anything about his wife's murder. The jury would find him guilty and set him to be executed. This angered him and he yelled at the jury in the courtroom.


SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri page 20

The Altamont News May 10, 1900

Mount Carmel Register May 10, 1900

Herald and Review January 8, 1905

Herald and Review January 13, 1905

Marshall County Democrat March 30, 1905

Woodford County Journal April 6, 1905

Murder of Lena and Wilhelm Riedel

In 1888 36-year-old Charles Henry Riedel his wife 37-year-old  Lena and their son 7-year-old Wilhelm "Willie" moved to Wilmington, Delaware from Philadelphia. Charles was German and spoke broken English. Unbeknownst to those around him he was depressed due to a lack of work and prospective want. 

On the morning of September 17, 1887, both mother and child were sleeping in the same bed. Lena was sleeping on her back facing up and Wilhelm was on his side facing away from his mother. Charles would go up to both. He first shot at the wall twice, but neither woke up. He would then shoot Lena and then Wilhelm in the head.  Witnesses heard Lena moaning and saying "Willie". Even if she talked evidence showed that she did not move after being shot but could have lived up to 3 hours afterward. 

Charles tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the temple, but he failed. Later that morning he would go to his door and shout that he would shoot everyone. He would then yell at Mrs. Gottilieb Wachter to see what he had done upstairs. This scared her and she rushed to her husband who was working at the mill at the time. 

The two would return and enter the home. Upstairs they would see the bodies of the mother and child still in bed. He would then be asked what he had done by them. "Just what I said I would." When they left the house Charles locked the door behind him. This was when someone was sent to get an officer. 

Later that morning Officer Sherry and Gustave Kolock would go to the home. The front door to the house was locked so the back of the house to peer in to see Charles smoking. The officer wanted someone to distract Charles briefly as he snuck in through the back to arrest him. Gustave's brother did so as he joined the party. They did this  and Charles willingly went with the officer and only asked to get his money before leaving. It was $21.70 (Around $667) one of the $5 bills was stained with blood. He grabbed it from the mantel and left with the officers. As he was put in the carriage Charles stated "I shot my wife. I shot my child. I'll shoot everybody."

He was found guilty and on August 10, 1888, Charles would be executed. He was welcoming the execution. One reporter would ask how Charles would feel if the governor would let him live a little longer. Charles would respond with "I will kill myself. I do not want to live this way. " He was religious but refused spiritual consolation. 

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in Deleware, The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Page 9

The Morning News September 19, 1887

Daily Republican September 21, 1887

Daily Republican May 16, 1888

The Morning News August 10, 1888

Murder of Ruth Feig

By May 3, 1920, 25-year-old Ruth Feig and her husband 28-year-old William Feig were separated for 6 weeks. She had already moved on and was living with another man on 5023 Warren Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On May 3rd she would ask William to come over.

It's unclear what had happened. They were either taking a walk or William was attacking Ruth by either chasing or dragging her on Thompson street. Ruth would then shoot at William and he would be struck twice. They would end up in a shop where Ruth would die inside as William shot her 4 times with his own revolver.

At trial William would claim self-defense. The problem with that was that two of the bullets were in the back of her head. He would be found guilty of 2nd-degree murder and was set to serve 11 to 12 years for the crime.

SOURCES:
Criminal Justice Research Center
Criminal Justice Research Center (PDF page 31)
The Philidelphia Inquirer July 25, 1920
The Philidelphia Inquirer December 11, 1920

Murder of Anna Priest

By April 13, 1920, 25-year-old Anna and 31-year-old James Priest had been married for 8 years. The week before Anna had left James before going to stay with her Godfather, Ernest Ercolani. She would tell him that their younger child was not his and that upset James. He would come back to where she was living with a gun. He would demand that his wife would come back with him. He would then and shoot her twice once in the skull and once in the back.

James would also be shot as John, Ernest's brother would shoot at him. This would lead them to go to the hospital for their injuries where Anna died. An officer McGinty would try to shake information from James at the hospital. McGinty would later get in trouble for this and fined 20 days pay for his treatment of a patient at the hospital.

James would survive his injuries and would go to trial On Jan. 31, 1921. James would claim self-defense but would be charged with first-degree murder. He would serve 12 years in prison for the murder. 

SOURCES:

The Philadelphia Inquirer June 2, 1920
The Philadelphia Inquirer July 25, 1920
The Tribune May 03, 1932
Philadelphia Homicides PDF page 45Other Absences PDF pg 6

Murder of Delmira Agustini and Suicide of Enrique Job Reyes

Born on October 24, 1886, in Montevideo, Uraguay Delmira Agustini started her talents as a writer young. She was said to have started to write at ten and soon released her first book of poems as a teenager.

She would get a job at the magazine La Alborada under the pen name Joujou. Her poetry is considered passionate and specialized in female sexuality. Which at the time was considered a modern idea.  Eros the God of love was a figure in many of her poems.  There were many critics that focused on her being a woman (either good or bad) rather than on her works. Often using her gender as a way to call her pure or sexually obsessed.

She was a part of a group of  Uruguayan writers. It was formed in 1900 she was in it with Julio Herrera y Reissig, María Eugenia Vaz Ferreira, Alberto Zum Felde, and Angel Falco. It allowed them to have an innovative voice in Spanish American poetry.

On August 14, 1913, Delmira married Enrique Job Reyes who wasn't a part of the literary world that she was. The marriage didn't even last a full year as on June 5, 1914, the two got divorced. On July 7, 1914, Enrique shot Delmira in the head twice and then took his own life in Montevideo.


SOURCES:

Brittanica 

Poem Hunter

Revolvy

Encyclopedia 

Wikipedia

Murder of Julia Carter

Robert and Julia Carter were both African Americans and married. Julia was Robert's third wife and in 1891 she filed for divorce much like his past two wives. The divorce was approved, but the two still lived together.  On the day of June 22, 1891, Julia and Robert were working on their farm on Robert Meyer's Plantation near Tilden, Alabama.

Around 10 a.m. Julia stopped work and stated that she was going to a funeral. Shortly after she left Robert also left. Robert came back two hours later. He then returned to his home after this. Julia's body was discovered and she was shot in the head.

Robert went to trial in November and was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was to hang on Jan. 22 1892 exactly 6 months after he killed Julia. On the morning of Jan. 22 he confessed his guilt and that he was ready to die. He thanked the police officers for their kindness and when he stopped speaking the crowd there sang a song for him. His neck was automatically broken and he hung for 30 minutes before they cut him down.

SOURCES:
Piedmont Inquirer December 19, 1891
Cleburn New Era December 17, 1891
The Times and News January 28, 1892

Murder of Lavinia Jenkins

On May 13, 1872, 20-year-old Lavinia Jenkins and 24-year-old George Jenkins had a fight. George had been drinking on and off that day and came home at 8p.m. Late that night around  9 p.m. Lavinia wanted to leave the house. She at first said she was going to her sisters-in-law, but George told her no and she then told him she wanted to go to church. He told her to not leave and to go the next day.

George would then leave to go to the lodge returning home around 10. When he came home Lavinia was not home. So he went and sat on a bench between his and the neighbor's house. Lavinia would return home with a man (known to George, but not stated who it was). Lavinia called out to George and looked for him.

When she found him beside the house she was offended. She thought that George was trying to spy on her and she was angry. The two said goodbye to the man who walked her home. Once he was gone Lavinia lashed out at George telling him "I don't need you watching me." They would get into an argument leading George to drink more.

He would go and borrow a meat cleaver claiming he was going to cook meat for breakfast. Lavinia was still sleeping when George took a cleaver to his wife. He would hit her in the face, throat, shoulders, and chest.

When Robert, George's older brother, came to the house around 9 a.m. the next morning the doors were closed and the two children were outside playing. He would ask them where their mother was and one of the children would tell him, "Mother is upstairs dead."

Robert believing something was wrong went to the police station to retrieve officers. They would return to the home and forcibly broke down the door. Inside they found Lavinia still in her blood-soaked bed and George was nowhere in sight.

George would turn himself in. He would claim that he did not remember what he did to his wife. He said that he was drunk and blacked out and during the blackout out he murdered his wife. He would take an insanity plea at trial. He would also state that she would not treat him as she should have. They would find him guilty and set to be executed an on October 31, 1872, George would be executed.

SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Delaware, The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia 
The Baltimore Sun May 15, 1872
The Philidelphia Inquirer May 15, 1872
Evening Star June 27, 1872
Evening Star October 4, 1872
Evening Star October 31, 1872