The Invention of Solitude

upon her return to her barred room which furnished a commentary on Mrs. Auster ’ s state of mind.
    “ A woman, held on a charge of association with a married man, had been brought to the jail for incarceration in an adjoining cell. Upon seeing her, Mrs. Auster asked about the newcomer and learned the particulars in the case.
    “ ‘ She ought to get ten years, ’ she said as the iron door clanged pitilessly. ‘ It was one of her kind that put me here. ’”
     
    After some intricate legal discussions concerning bail that were elaborately reported for the next few days, she was set free. “ ‘ Have you any notion that this woman will not appear for trial? ’ the court asked the attorneys. It was attorney Baker who answered: ‘ Where could a woman with five children like these go? She clings to them and the court can see that they cling to her.’”
    For a week the press was quiet. Then, on February 8th, there was a story about “ the active support that the cause is being given by some of the papers published in the Jewish language in Chicago. Some of these papers contained columns arguing the case of Mrs. Auster and it is declared that these articles have strongly urged her defense….
    “ Friday afternoon Mrs. Auster with one of her children sat in the office of her attorney while portions of these articles were read. She sobbed like a child as the interpreter read to the attorney the contents of these papers….
    “ Attorney Baker declared this morning that the defense of Mrs. Auster would be one of emotional insanity….
    “ It is expected that the trial of Mrs. Auster will be one of the most interesting murder trials ever tried in the Circuit Court for Kenosha county and the human interest story that has been featured in the defense of the woman up to this time is expected to be largely developed at the trial. ”
    Then nothing for a month. On March 10th the headlines read:
    ANNA AUSTER TRIED SUICIDE
The suicide attempt had taken place in Peterboro, Ontario in 1910—by taking carbolic acid and then turning on the gas. The attorney brought this information before the court in order to be granted a delay in the trial so that he would have enough time to secure affidavits.  “ Attorney Baker held that at the same time the woman had endangered the lives of two of her children and that the story of the attempted suicide was important in that it would show the mental condition of Mrs. Auster. ”
     
    March 27th. The trial was set for April 7th. After that, another week of silence. And then, on April 4th, as if things had been getting just a bit too dull, a new development.

    AUSTER SHOOTS BROTHER ’ S WIDOW
    “ Sam Auster, brother of Harry Auster… made an unsuccessful attempt to avenge the death of his brother just after ten o ’ clock this morning when he shot at Mrs. Auster The shooting occurred just outside the Miller Grocery Store….
    “ Auster followed Mrs. Auster outside the door and fired once at her. Mrs. Auster, though she was not struck by the shot, fell to the sidewalk and Auster returned to the store declaring according to witnesses, ‘ Well, I ’ m glad I done that. ’ There he calmly awaited arrest….
    “ At the police station… Auster, entirely broken down nervously, gave his explanation of the shooting.
    “ ‘ That woman, ’ he said, ‘ has killed my four brothers and my mother. I ’ ve tried to help but she won ’ t let me. ’ Then as he was being led down to the cell, he sobbed out, ‘ God ’ s going to take my part though, I know that. ’
    “ At his cell Auster declared that he had tried everything within his power to help the children of his dead brother. The fact that the court had refused to appoint him administrator for the estate
because they declared that the widow had some rights in the case had preyed on his mind recently… ‘ She ’ s no widow, ’ he commented on that incident this morning. She is a murderer and should have no rights…. ’”
    “ Auster will not be arraigned immediately in order to make a thorough investigation of the case. The police admit that the death of his brother and subsequent events may have so preyed on his mind that he was not entirely responsible for his deed. Auster expressed several times a hope that he should die too and every precaution is being taken to prevent him from taking his own life…. ”
    The next day ’ s paper had this to add: “ Auster spent a rather troublesome night in the city lockup.