SAGE, Edward 1874

SAGE, SMOLLER, GREGOIRE

Posted By: Nettie Mae (email)
Date: 12/28/2023 at 22:13:13

Source: Page 8, Clinton County Advertiser, Clinton Iowa, Sept. 16, 1874

THE CAMANCHE MURDER
Edward Sage, of Camanche, Murdered in Cold Blood -- John Smoller Did It -- How Nicely Capital Punishment Would Work.
It has been a long time since a murder has been committed in this vicinity of a more shocking character than that which was perpetrated at Camanche on last Monday.
The fatal affair occurred at the saloon of Mortimer Gregoire, which had been recently purchased from one of the Smoller boys. It seems that a young man by the name of Edward Sage entered Smoller's saloon, as it was commonly called, after ablouse which he had left there, and while in the saloon the two brothers, Joseph and John Smoller, got into a difficulty which resulted in a serious altercation. Sage, acting in the capacity of peace-maker, took hold of one of the brothers to separate them, when John Smoller pulled out a revolver and deliberately shot Sage through the left breast, killing him almost instantly. After the deed had been committed no attempt was made onthe part of the murdered to escape. He was soon after arrested and lodged in the Camanche jail, when he was afterwards brought to Clinton by Constable Sloppy and placed in the hands of the Sheriff. Yesterday morning Smoller was taken to DeWitt to await the convening of the District Court in November, when justice, no doubt will be meted out to him to the full extent of the law.
The Smoller boys are unmarried men, aged about 25 and 30 years. They have never borne very good characters.
Edward Sage, we believe, is also unmarried, andhas a mother and two sisters living in Camanche. His father is a carpenter, andat the time of the murder was in New York. He has been telegraphed to and will probably arrive home to-day, in time to attend the funeral of his som, who was so unceremoniously deprived of this life at the hands of a murderous villain, while trying to quiet a drunken brawl.
Coroner Mathews impaneled a jury and held an inquest over the body of Sage Monday afternoon, when a verdict was rendered in accordance with the facts stated above.
Shame on the Legislature of Iowa to abolish capital punishment. It is particularly needed at this time.