Bio: Handke, Gust, Clark County, Wisconsin Murder
Contact: Stan
----Source: Source: Marshfield News Herald Thursday
October 27, 1927 Page 9
Surnames:
Neillsville Woman Is Found Murdered DETAIN RELATIVE IN COUNTY JAIL Gust Handke, Accused, Steadfastly Denies
Any Implication In Crime CORONER'S JURY MEETS Neillsville, Sept. 30, 1927 With four
deep wounds in her scalp which authorities believe were inflicted with some
blunt instrument, Mrs. Paul Handke, 38, mother of three small children, was
found murdered in her home eight miles northeast of Neillsville shortly
before noon Thursday. Gust Handke, a brother-in-law of the woman, is
being held in the county jail at Neillsville and will be formally charge
with the murder today, according to Victor Nehs, district attorney of Clark
county in which the slaying occurred. Handke steadfastly denies any implication in the
crime, but according to Mr. R. Rath, Granton, Clark County Coroner, the man
was found in the murdered woman's house in an exceedingly intoxicated
condition when the Coroner's jury arrived to conduct an inquest. Coroner's Jury Returns Verdict A coroner's jury, composed of H. ?, Wilson
Mallory, Fred ? , Ernest Schlingsog, Frank ?, and Herman Bealer, all
residents of Granton, returned a verdict that death resulted from four deep
wounds inflicted by some blunt instrument in the hands of an unknown
assailant. The crime was discovered by the murdered victim's
husband upon his return home at noon from a neighboring farm where he filled
silo during the morning. Receiving no response when he called to Mrs.
Handke from the doorway of their home, Handke rushed into the house where he
found pools of blood forming a trail that led to a stairway where the body
of Mrs. Handke was found. The woman's head rested on a lower step. Children In School County officers were summoned to the home and
among the first to arrive was Coroner Rath who ordered Gust Handke placed
under arrest as a witness. Belief was expressed by Coroner Rath that a
chunk of wood was used to inflict the deep scalp wounds which caused Mrs.
Handke's death. Mrs. Handke's three children were in school when
the murder occurred. Overturned furniture and disarrangement of other
household furnishings led to the fact that a struggle had taken place before
the woman was finally overpowered. At the county jail, were the murder suspect is
being held, officers have been unable to obtain a confession from him.
Handke is a bachelor and for years he has resided on a farm across the road
from that of his brother. Authorities say he is possessed of a retiring
nature and seldom visited his brother's home. Source: Marshfield News Herald Friday
Sept. 30, 1927 Page 1 NEILLSVILLE MURDER CASE IS POSTPONED Gust Handke, Suspected Murderer,
Stoutly Avows Innocence Gust Handke, who was arrested as the suspected
murderer of Mrs. Paul Handke on September 29, has been kept behind three
steel doors at the Clark county jail since her was taken into custody. During this time, District Attorney V. W. Nehs,
Sheriff H. M. Olson, and under sheriff Oluf Olson, have grilled,
cross-questioned, and cross-examined this suspect, but to very little
satisfaction as Gust Handke refuses to talk or answer any of the deeper
questions. He admits that he was in the Paul Handke home
on Thursday morning between the hours of 10 and 11. He says that he
went there in response to screaming by Mrs. Paul Handke and that when he
arrived at the house, he found Mrs. Handke murdered and inverted in the
closed stairway that leads from the kitchen to the upstairs. When asked why he was there so long without
informing any neighbors or officers of the murder, he states that
perhaps he fainted and that he cannot answer the question of what he was
doing for the hour he was in the house with the dead body, until Paul
Handke, the husband returned and found him there. Thursday afternoon, Gust, knowing that his
hearing was to be held at 10 a.m. Friday, asked for an attorney and
Attorney A. L. Devos, former Clark county district attorney, was sent to
him. The hearing has been postponed until October 12 at 10 a.m. V. W. Nehs, as attorney for the state, is
building up a strong case. He and Sheriff Olson spent one day this week
at the homes of Paul and Gust Handke. Some very valuable information
was gathered, which will be of help to the state in the case. Upon shifting the ashes in the cook stove at
the Gust Handke home, Attorney Nehs found a full set of buttons and
overall fasteners, as well as some overall material that laid on the
grates, still unburned. Mr. Nehs felt from the first that Gust Handke
changed his overalls when he ran home after Paul had found him, for when
he returned he had a clean pair on that still had a press in them. Gust seemed much surprised to find that this set
of overall fasteners and material had been found in his stove, but would
not admit burning them. Source: Marshfield News Herald October 7,
1927 Page 2 EXPECT LARGE CROWD FOR HANDKE HEARING Will Probably Be Held In Circuit Court
Room Next Wednesday Morning A large crowd gathered at the court house
yesterday morning to see and attend the hearing of Gust Handke, but though
the suspected murderer was brought over to the office of O. W. Schoengarth,
county judge, the hearing was not held yesterday as the attorney for the
defense, A. L. Devos, was out of town. As the hearing had been set
for 10 a.m. Friday, it was necessary to call the meeting, but it was
adjourned at once, much to the disappointment of the large crowd of people
who had gathered to witness it. Sheriff Olson brought
Handke through the crowded court house lobby into the side door of the
office of the county judge and immediately the crowd broke through the front
door of the judge's office hoping to be admitted. The sheriff, however,
waved them back telling them that there would be no hearing. The crowd lingered,
however, and would not disperse until after Handke had been returned to the
jail and until they knew for sure just when the hearing would be held. They
were informed that the hearing would be held next Wednesday at 10 a.m., and
owing to the fact that such a large crowd is expected, it will be held in
the circuit court room instead of the county judge's office where it was
first planned. The suspect was very
nervous as he sat in the judge's office and as he walked through the crowd.
His hands twitched and his eyes and head continually jumped. Source: Marshfield News
Herald Saturday October 8, 1927 Page 2 HOLD GUST HANDKE
HEARING WEDNESDAY Suspect Is Bound
Over To Circuit Court By Judge Schoengarth The hearing of Gust Handke,
accused murderer of Mrs. Paul Handke, was held yesterday at the Clark county
court house with O. W. Schoengarth, county judge, presiding, V. W. Nehs,
attorney for the state, and A. L. Devos, attorney for the defendant. At 10 a.m. the court house
was filled to capacity with people who had come to take in the hearing and
get a look at the suspected murderer. Paul Handke, husband of the murdered
woman, was placed on the witness stand first, and after an hour of testimony
and cross examination, he was excused and Dr. R. Rath, Clark county coroner,
was placed on the witness stand. After testifying, he was placed under a
heavy fire from the defense attorney in regard to some technicalities and at
12:15 court was adjourned until 2 p.m.
Under-Sheriff,
Oluf Olson At two o'clock,
Oluf
Olson, under-sheriff who had made the arrest, was placed on the witness
stand and next came Frank Dobes, a neighbor, who had been filling silo and
gave his testimony as to how things looked when he arrived. This concluded the
testimony and as the witness waived examination, the judge after a minute or
two of deliberation, bound the suspect over to circuit court. His case will
be tried in about two weeks in the fall term of Clark county circuit court. Marshfield News Herald
Thursday October 13, 1927 Page 11 HANDKE TRIAL WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY Circuit Court Adjourned Wednesday
Afternoon at 2 O'clock Circuit court adjourned Wednesday afternoon at
2 o'clock, with the instruction that the jury should return next Monday,
October 31, at 2 p.m., at which time Gust Handke will go on trial,
charged with the murder of Mrs. Laura Handke on September 9. V.W. Nehs,
district attorney, is the prosecuting attorney for the state and A.L.
Devos of Neillsville is the attorney for the defense. The case of Bragstad vs Zelm, both of
Longwood, over the refuse of the Zelm cheese factory emptying onto the
Bragstad property, was decided in favor of Mr. Zelm and no damage was
granted Mr. Bragstad. The case of Frank Anysewski vs Casper Skrypinski,
both of Thorp, over a $325 bill which the former claimed the latter owed
him, was decided in favor of the latter and the bill was cancelled. The
jury found that the bill had been paid and therefore the former received
nothing in the case. At the completion of this case, the court
adjourned until next Monday at 2 p.m. Source: Marshfield News Herald Monday
October 31, 1927 Page 1 GUST HANDKE PLEADS
GUILTY JUDGE IMPOSES LIFE SENTENCE Refuses To Make Statement Concerning
Details Of Crime SHOWS LITTLE EMOTION Neillsville, Oct. 31---Three
hours before the beginning of his trial in circuit court here, Gust
Handke, recluse, pleaded guilty to murder in the first degree before
Circuit Judge E. W. Crosby, and today he stands in the eyes of the law
as the murderer of Mrs. Laura Handke, a sister-in-law, whom he clubbed
to death in her home in the Town of York, seven miles northeast of here
on September 29. Judge Crosby sentenced Handke to life imprisonment in
Waupun penitentiary. The prisoner's iron nerve which had stood
steadfastly by him through the grilling days of preliminary
examinations, deserted him a few hours before the trial was to begin.
Through his counsel, Attorney A. L. Devos, Handke requested an audience
with Judge Crosby. His request was granted immediately. Without
displaying any emotion, Handke appeared before Judge Crosby and declared
his desire of pleading guilty to the crime with which he was charged. Makes No Statement Imprisonment for life at hard labor in the state
penitentiary was the sentence meted out to Handke by Judge Crosby. The
sentence also provided that on the day of September 29 of each year, the
anniversary of the clubbing to death of Mrs. Handke, the prisoner shall
be kept in solitary confinement. Handke's attoprney was in court with
him when the sentence was imposed. Handke made no statement other than that he
had intended to change his plea before his case came to trial. He
steadfastly refused to discuss the killing or recount any of the details
of the crime. During the period of his confinement in the Clark county
jail he constantly maintained that he had not killed Mrs. Handke.
District Attorney Victor Nehs planned to seek a conviction on
circumstantial evidence which he alleged tended to prove Handke guilty. Dastardly Crime Handke's admission of guilt and his sentence to
Waupun penitentiary furnishes the final chapter of the most dastardly
crime which has visited Clark county in years. The crime occurred on
September 29, in the Handke home in the Town of York. Mrs Handke was
attacked and brutally clubbed to death by her brother-in-law. The top
of her head had been completely crushed by an iron bar, and the lifeless
body was inverted in a closed stairway where it was found by the
victim's husband who was assisting a neighbor in the filling of a silo
at the time the murder occurred. When Handke returned to his home he found his
brother Gust in the house. Gust steadfastly denied any knowledge of the
crime and tried to account for his presence in the home with the
explanation that he had responded to screams for help which he said he
heard at his home across the road from that of his brother. Authorities
arrested him on circumstantial evidence and ordered that he stand trial
for the murder. © Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
of 1998. Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not
copying it to any other site without our
permission.
Become a Clark County History
Buff
A site created and
maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
Webmasters: Leon
Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,
Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky, 
and supported by your generous donations.