Henry Schaper

ERNST, SCHAPER

Posted By: Chad K. Flentje
Date: 9/5/2003 at 18:21:43

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
Henry Schaper, A Well-to-do Farmer, Killed By His Wife and Daughter Acting in Self Defense

Henry Schaper, a well-to-do farmer, living nine miles west of Bellevue was killed by his wife and daughter, acting in self defense, last Friday. Schaper was sixty-two years of age, a veteran of the civil war and well known in this city, having relatives here and being a frequent visitor to Bellevue. He had a quarrelsome disposition and at times was very ugly. For the past two years he has been suffering with an illness which required an operation, performed at a Dubuque hospital about two months ago. The operation required an incision in the region of the brain and Schaper, who was addicted to the use of narcotics was warned by the physicians that he must be strictly temperate in the future or his mind would become effected. Schaper, however, was obdurate, and insisted in practicing his old habits, notwithstanding the warning given of evil consequences sure to follow.

Last Friday he came to Bellevue for the purpose of getting a daughter, who is attending the Lutheran school. While in town he drank freely and during the afternoon got into an altercation with a friend over a trivial matter, which however, seemed to nettle Schaper not a little. He displayed an ugly temper, and his drunken condition added to his frenzy.

He departed for home late in the afternoon and on the way declared to his daughter that it was his intention to kill his whole family. The distance from Bellevue to Schaper's home is nine miles and this drive in the muddy roads was made in fifty minutes, causing consternation among those who passed him on the road.

Arriving at the house Schaper gave another evidence of the demon which possessed him when he dashed several buckets of cold water over the team of horses he had been driving. His wife came out to the barn to help him unhitch and Schaper at once became very abusive and threatened divers things. Picking up a tamping post he ran after his wife saying he would kill her, but she was fleet of foot and ran up into the loft of the barn and hid, remaining there several hours. Schaper in the meantime went to a neighbor's house where he again declared that he would kill his wife as soon as he found her.

Returning to his home and finding his family all in he went out to get an ax. Came back with this implement and then went for a gun. Returning he let loose a volley of vile epithets, leveled the gun at his wife's head and pulled the trigger but it failed to go off and this so enraged Schaper that he broke the stock over the railing on the porch. Then picked up a piece of stove wood and threw it at his wife, but his aim was inaccurate and she escaped uninjured. At this juncture a daughter, Marie, twenty years of age, took a hand in the proceedings and struck her father over the head with a piece of stove wood. Schaper then turned to the daughter to attack her when she dropped the wood which Mrs. Schaper quickly picked up and with it struck her insane husband two severe blows. He let go his hold on Marie, and the daughter struck him again and he rolled over on the veranda and out into the yard some twenty yards distant where he was permitted to die, his demise taking place at about 11:00 p.m.

Next morning the family informed the neighbors of the tragedy and Mrs. Schaper came to town to notify Coroner Dennison, who left at once for the scene of the occurrence. Arriving at the place Coroner Dennison impanelled a jury consisting of Tom Gibbs, Gilbert Isley and Henry Marcus, who after viewing the remains and hearing the evidence returned the following verdict: State of Iowa, Jackson Co, At an inquisition holden at the residence of Mrs. Henry Schaper in Richland township, Jackson county, Iowa, on the 29th day of September, A.D. 1900, before J.C. Dennison, Coroner of said county, upon the body of Henry Schaper there lying dead by the jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed, that the said jurors upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to his death at his residence on the 28th day of September, 1900, at about 11 o'clock p.m., from injuries to the head with fracture of skull received by blows of stick of fire-wood in the hands of wife, Mrs. Henry Schaper, and his daughter, Miss Marie Schaper, the same being given in self-defense.
In testimony whereof the said jurors set their hands this day and year above named. Thos.F. Gibbs
Schaper, it is said, had frequently stated that he would do violence to his family, and there is no question but that he intended to murder those members at home last Friday. Previously he had driven several sons from home with the admonition never to return. He was a hard man to deal with and an insatiable desire to accumulate wealth seemed to be at the bottom of an ugly disposition.
One feature of the case, however, reflects to the discredit of the family and this the fact that Schaper was permitted to lie out of doors all night following his death, but this was probably due to a fear of disturbing the remains until after the coroner's inquest.
The funeral took place last Sunday the remains beings interred in the Lutheran cemetery at this place.
(Bellevue Leader - 4 Oct 1900 - Thursday)

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