The Keil Murder

KEIL, ECKERLEBE, CAMPBELL, KECK, WYNKOOP, LONGUEVILLE, MCCARTHY

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 8/4/2009 at 23:32:15

Maquoketa Excelsior, Maquoketa, Iowa, July 21, 1896

THE KEIL MURDER!

The Preliminary Examination

Large Crowd at Bellevue—All Saloons Closed—The Mob Makes a Demonstration—Prisoner is Removed to Anamosa

Friday will long be remembered in Bellevue as the day when a few words from a resolute leader would have caused the death of some of its citizens and probably resulted in the lynching of Chris Eckerlebe for the diabolical murder of Mina Keil. Fortunately, that leader was not in the crowd and the law was allowed to take its course without incident, save for one exception.

Never in the history of Jackson County, the state, was a more foul murder committed and while it was at first shrouded in mystery, the officers are now in the possession of evidence which apparently weaves a hempen noose about the neck of Chris Eckerlebe, evidence which can scarcely be successfully controverted by his attorneys. The motive for the commission of so dastardly a crime is now the great mystery, although the victim’s contempt for the prisoner, her failure to requite his love, and the development of an insane jealousy which culminated in her slaughter, constitute the generally accepted one.

The town of Bellevue was crowded Friday, the country people having abandoned their pursuits for the day to hear the evidence which would be offered at the preliminary examination of the accused. Many came from Sabula, LaMotte, Dubuque, Preston and there were present at least forty from this city. All the saloons were closed early in the day, by order of Mayor Bittner, and a posse of about twenty-five special deputies was sworn in as a safeguard against any violence and as a result of these precautions the crowd was held well in hand. Sheriff Mitchell took the prisoner in from Andrew early in the day, and from the time he arrived until he left in the evening Eckerlebe never left Justice Campbell’s office.

The hearing was held before Justice J. C. Campbell, the state being represented by County Attorney Keck and D. A. Wynkoop and Longueville and McCarthy of Dubuque looking after the prisoner’s interests. The defense demanded the exclusion of all but those interested in the case and the members of the press, much to the disgust of the crowd, and at 1 o’clock the examination of the witnesses began.

The first two witnesses were the little brothers of Eckerlebe by whom it was shown that he possessed a self-cocking nickel plated revolver and that he had left home on the morning of the Fourth at 9 o’clock with the avowed intention of going to Bellevue to attend the dance at Harmony Park.

Sophia Keil, mother of Mina, told of the relative position of the Eckerlebe homes, of a mysterious man seen dodging in the trees near her house, of Eckerlebe striking at her daughter for refusing to dance with him at Hamarand’s in May, of Mina finding the poison on the gate, of Mina’s complaint that Eckerlebe had insulted her, etc.

Henry Keil, brother of the deceased, told of her failure to come to the party at Guenther’s and the dance at Hoff’s on the afternoon of the Fourth, of the search for her on the 5th, the finding of the body, of the finding of the flint rock (identified the stone) and the removal of the body.

Wm. Hennegar, deputy sheriff told of finding the several parts of the revolver, box of cartridges and the box of salve (which proves to be rat poison) in accordance with the directions furnished by a certain communication received. (Identified revolver)

At 5:30 o’clock the case was adjourned to Wednesday and the prisoner was hustled back to Andrew. The prisoner sat smiling all the afternoon, save when a mob of three or four hundred insisted on gaining an entrance to the court room about 3 o’clock. Somebody yelled “Hang him!” and but for the presence of the deputies and a nervy address by Justice Campbell, the trick would have been attempted, undoubtedly. He merely looked out of the window and resumed his seat with a smile. When the pistol was produced for identification by Hennegar, Eckerlebe flinched and his attorneys turned pale. The communication alluded to by the last witness is but one of several written by the tramp Murphy, who carved a fellow tramp with a razor at Bellevue early in the Spring. He is also an inmate of the steel cage in the Andrew jail and pumped the whole story out of Eckerlebe. He would write what he learned on pieces of common wrapping paper and smuggle it to the jailer wrapped up in a dirty “sheet,” etc. and there is enough of it to show that the murder of Catherine Ging, Pearl Bryan and the San Francisco girls were refined affairs in comparison.

It was the intention of the people who live in the vicinity of the scene of the murder to take Eckerlebe Friday to that place and hang him. Failing in this, some thirty or more assembled at the county jail about one o’clock Saturday morning, but again they lacked a leader and Jailer Tubbs retained his prisoner. That day, however, he received reliable information that the jail would be visited by a determined mob Saturday night, so he brought the prisoner to town in the afternoon and Deputy Sheriff Gurius and Fred Fischer conveyed him to the Anamosa Penitentiary that evening. Should he be taken back to Bellevue tomorrow trouble should surely ensue. It is believed now that he will waive further examination.

Eckerlebe told Murphy that he intended to commit suicide after killing the girl, but he hammered her head with the revolver until it was utterly destroyed for shooting purposes the more is the pity. He is a conundrum. When the girl’s body was found he helped load it into the wagon and drove the team that drew it home., her feet lying between his. At the trial he was the calmest person in the room. He has either a wonderful nerve or else a total lack of realization of the terrible crime of which he is accused.

Much sympathy is felt for the prisoner’s father and the dead girl’s mother. Both broke down and wepy piteously in the courtroom. The father is an honest, hardworking, respected farmer, who says that his boy has ever been an industrious, dutiful son and he feels it is his duty to defend him; that if he is guilty he should be punished. The poor old man is almost heart broken.

Later-This morning’s mail brought to County Attorney Keck notice from Eckerlebe’s attorneys that they had concluded to waive further examination of evidence and that one of them will appear in Justice Campbell’s court tomorrow morning to enter a formal waiver. Therefore the prisoner will not be seen again in Bellevue before his trial occurs, and in all probability he will never be seen there again.