The Baldwin Shooting Affray

WEINBERGER, BARTO, WYRICK, KNIGHT, HUNT, WILBUR, HANSIN, BLANK, LOOSE, SOKOL, SUMMERS, SHRIGLEY

Posted By: LuAnn Goeke (email)
Date: 9/7/2009 at 19:24:07

Jackson Sentinel
Thursday, 19 July 1883
pg 1, col. 6

Something of a sensation was created on the streets Thursday, when the shooting of Logan Weinberger, at Baldwin, was reported.

The particulars as we get them are these. On Wednesday evening, warrants were issued by Justice Hunt of Baldwin, for the arrest of Logan Weinberger and Peter Barto who were charged with stealing ties. These warrants were placed in the hands of special constable A.E. Wyrick and assistants, who went to the house of Barto, some three miles northwest of Baldwin, and arrested the parties. Weinberger asked for time to eat his supper and when given the privilege took advantage of it and fled through the rear of the house to the woods. Constable Wyrick then returned to Baldwin with Barto who after remaining an hour or so was released. Justice Hunt continued the cases and Constable Wyrick with Jas. H. Knight, A.Hansin and Geo. Blank as assistants set out in the night to re-arrest Barto and Weinberger. Barto’s house was reached and Constable Wyrick and one of the party entered at the front door to make the arrest while J.H. Knight and assistant guarded that back door, to prevent escape to the woods, which was a short distance away. When Wyrick entered, Weinberger started for the rear door, and constable cried out stop, but he would not. Passing out the door Knight cried stop, and he would not, but dashed at him with clenched fist as Knight testifies, and in self defence he (Knight) shot him in the head, from the effects of which he died before he could be conveyed to town. Thursday morning the coroner was notified and he appeared and held an inquest on the body and the following verdict was rendered:
State of Iowa, Jackson County – An inquisition held at Baldwin, in the county of Jackson, on the 12th day of July A.D. eighteen hundred and eighty-three (1883) before D.N. Loose, coroner of said county, upon the body of Logan Weinberger, there laying dead by the jurors, , whose names are hereto subscribed.
The said jurors upon their oath do say that said Logan Weinberger came to his death July 13th, 1883, by pistol shot, by the hand of James H. Knight, (special constable) in self-defense while trying to arrest said Weinberger, deceased, on warrant issued by A. Hunt {Justice}. Jurors: J.H. Summers, Geo. Sokol, J.H. Sokol. Witness my hand this twelvth (12) day of July, 1883. D.N. Loose, Coroner of Jackson County.

Now comes Peter Barto, testifying strongly in behalf of his friend, Weinberger, who he claims did not resist the officer, and on his testimony constable Wyrick and Knight were on Sunday arrested by Deputy Sheriff Shrigley, on warrant issued by Justice Wilbur, charging them with murder. They were brought to Wilbur’s court Monday morning and waived examination and were bound over in the sum of $500 each to appear before the Grand Jury at the next term of the District Court. While Barto, with his vigorous swearing, has excited public feeling somewhat against the constables, it will blow over and rest in favor of the officers of the law whom we believe earnest and sincere in their effort to bring to justice men who committed larceny. Weinberger was aged about 66 years and disregarded to a considerable extent the law’s restraints.