Guttenberg stabbing, 1882

BITTNER, HORSCH, KELLAR, ZIMMERMANN

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 1/22/2017 at 16:04:49

Elkader Register, Fri., 27 Oct. 1882.

On last Sabbath the usually quiet and peaceable little city of Guttenberg was thrown into a fever of excitement over the report that one of their citizens had been stabbed while acting the roll of peacemaker.

From what we can learn of the affair it seems that Alex. Bittner, Aug. Horsch and John Kellar had been to a dance, and on the way home Bittner and Horsch commenced quarreling, finally coming to blows.

Thinking to separate them, and thus end the fight, Kellar grabbed hold of Bittner, and held him. While in this position Bittner drew a large pocket knife and cut Kellar three of four times, one cut in the fleshy part of the arm being four inches long and three inches deep.

Mr. Kellar bled profusely, and lost quite a large amount of blood before medical assistance could be procured. Mr. Kellar is a sawyer at the mills of Mr. Zimmermann, and is known as a quiet, peaceable citizen. No arrests have been made as yet.

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Elkader Register, Fri., 10 Nov. 1882.

John Kellar, the young man who was recently stabbed by Henry Bittner, in a fight at Guttenberg, is reported as being very low from the effects of his wounds, and his death is hourly expected.

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Bittner is called Alex. in the initial report and Henry in the follow-up article.