The Murder of Anna Wiese
Green Mountain, Iowa

EVENING TIMES REPUBLICAN

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1893

HEADLINES

THINK THEY'VE GOT HIM

Private Detective Hutchins and Farmer Ernst Arrest Young Horace Hill Charging Him With the Murder of Miss Anna Wiese Eight Weeks Ago

Say He Confessed But the Young Man Denies It and Claims an Alibi

Released on Bonds This Afternoon - Vienna Township Believes Him Innocent

THAT WIESE CASE

Horace Hill, 21 years of age, a brother of the Arthur Hill at whose home Miss Annie Wiese spent her last evening on (art), is now in the Marshall county jail, charged with being her murderer. N. C. Hutchins, a private detective of Whitten, and Sam Ernst, a well known farmer whose home is not far from the scene of the murder, declare that the young man confessed to them that he did the dreadful deed. He denies the confession, but is of course held to await investigation.

Hutchins is one of a number of persons whom the large reward offered for the murderer's apprehension induced to spend a good deal of time searching for clues in the immediate vicinity of the crime. He has been nosing around ever since the money was offered and stopping latterly with Mr. Ernst. His suspicions fastened themselves upon young Hill, who lives with his father, E. N. Hill, just a short distance south of Arthur Hill's place. He continued patiently working at the case and last evening, in company with Mr. Ernst, accused the young man of committing the murder and brought him to Marshalltown, where a warrant was sworn out for his arrest and he was turned over to the authorities. Hutchins and Ernst declare that Hill confessed last evening after they accused him. Hill denies this and, though he was considerably frightened last night, talks reasonably today and protests that he is innocent.

Little corroboratory evidence has been discovered by the detective, and on the other hand Arthur Hill claims to be able to prove an alibi for his brother. He says the young man went to bed between 9 and 10 o'clock on the evening of the murder and was in bed when the brother came with the news of the event.

Considerable excitement prevailed over the news of the arrest, but there is a general feeling that a mistake has been made. Young Hill seems like an honest and honorable fellow. He takes his incarceration calmly and is confident that he will be released. Detective Hutchins tells the story of a neighbor girl with whom Hill had gone frequently and who now declares, so it is stated, that he insulted her, and once threatened to kill her if she would not yield to his demands. The supposition is that he attempted to assault Miss Wiese and murdered her because she resisted. Hill, however, denies that he ever insulted the girl in question and believes she has been bulldozed into accusing him now. The sheriff and other officers who have been watching the case carefully, while they don't say much about it, evidently believe this prisoner is not guilty.

As the news of the arrest was circulated in Vienna township, where the accused resides, a good deal of indignation was expressed and a great many of the young man's neighbors came to town today, offering to give bonds for him in any sum up to $100,000, so they said. At 1:30 young Hill was arraigned before Justice Stotts and released on a $10,000 bond, which was promptly furnished by his father and other neighbors.