Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Violent Stalker Jennie Kleimenhagen, With Her Acid & Her Pistol – California 1904


NOTE: This type of violence by women was common in the late 1800s and early 1900s. See link below the article for a collection of scores of similar acid throwings committed by women, many of them stalkers,  dating from the 19th century to the present. Men also committed the same crime, but violence by women is focused on here since orthodox narrative has erased much of the truth about domestic violence initiated by female criminals.

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FULL TEXT (Article 1 of 2): Richard Graves was the victim of a woman scorned yesterday afternoon, and it was his prompt act in covering his face with his hinds that saved him from permanent disfigurement. He secured a warrant from Police Judge Fritz for the arrest of Jennie L. Kleimenhagen for throwing carbolic acid in his face with the intent to disfigure and injure him.

Graves is employed by Wells, Fargo o Co. as a freight handier at the ferry und lives at 6 1/5 Sacramento street. For the last two or three years the woman has lived with him as his wife, but on March 28 he told her they would have to part, as he was tired of giving her all the money he earned.

The woman visited the different offices of Wells, Fargo & Co. making complaints against Graves, and on May 1, Superintendent Thomson at the ferry depot gave her $10 from Graves on her promise that she would not molest Graves again. She wrote a receipt for the money, in which she made the desired promise.

Yesterday when Graves went to his lodging-house he discovered that the woman was lying in wait for him. She pulled a mustard can from under her jacket and with an offensive remark threw the contents at Graves’ face. Instinctively he threw his hands up to his eyes, and the liquid, which proved to be carbolic acid, burned his hands severely, but his eyes were saved. The acid was also scattered over his shirt front and his vest.

The woman dropped the can and ran away, and Graves was too dazed by the unexpected attack to follow her. He picked up the can and brought it with him to the Hail of Justice, and it will be used as evidence against his assailant. She lives on Fifth street, between Howard and Folsom.

[“Woman Scorned Seeks Revenge - Richard Graves Swears Out a Warrant for Arrest of Jennie L. Kleimenhagen – Charged With Felony - Avers She Threw Carbolic Acid in His Face Because He Had Parted With Her,” San Francisco Call (Ca.), May 7, 1904, p. 9]

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FULL TEXT (Article 2 of 2): Richard Graves, an employe of Wells, Fargo and Co. in the freight department at the ferry, for the second time came near to death at the hands of Jennie L. Kleimenhagen last night. He claims that Mrs. Kleimenhagen chased him three blocks on Market street with a revolver and attempted to shoot him.

The trouble culminated over a separation between the man and woman, who had been living together for some time. On the 6th of this month Mrs. Kleimenhagen lay in wait for Graves at his lodging house at 6 1/2 Sacramento street and threw the contents of a bottle of carbolic acid at his face. Graves’ hands were badly burned by the acid.

The two people had been living together at 6 1/2  Sacramento street for more than two years. On March 25 Graves left the woman. A few days later she sought him at the ferry where he was employed. The woman was inclined to raise trouble, but was induced to declare a truce by the payment of $10 to her by Superintendent Thompson of "Wells, Fargo and Co. Thompson acted as mediator for Graves, who proffered the coin. Mrs. Kleimenhagen took the money and agreed to let Graves have his peace.

The acid throwing episode occurred a few days later. Graves secured a warrant for her arrest, but as yet the woman has not been apprehended.

Last night about 7 o'clock Graves was visiting a penny arcade on Market street, near Fourth, when he perceived the woman he had left, watching him. He saw that she had a revolver under her coat and tried to escape through the rear of the arcade. Finding no exit there he was forced to go into the street. As soon as he emerged from the establishment the woman, he says, made a move as if to draw the revolver. Graves ran down the crowded thoroughfare pursued by the infuriated woman. After three blocks’ hard sprinting, he managed to elude her.

He immediately found a policeman and reported the matter. He said he was afraid Mrs. Kleimenhagen would yet kill him if she was not arrested. He complained that the police had done nothing to arrest the woman and was referred to Captain Martin.

Mrs. Kleimenhagen now resides on Fifth street, between Howard and Folsom. Graves fears that she will show fight when the police attempt to arrest her.

[“Jennie .Kleimenhagen, for the Second Time in a Week, Tries to. Kill Paramour  Ricliard Graves, an Employe of Wells-Fargo, Fears He Will Yet Be Murdered,” San Francisco Call (Ca.), May 10, 1904, p. 14]

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SEE: “Acid Queens: Women Who Throw Acid” for a collection of synopses of similar cases.

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