Meyer, Henry d. 1894

MEYER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 9/9/2006 at 20:37:20

The Newton (IA) Journal, Wednesday, Mar. 14, 1894

Henry Meyer Killed

Monday morning, Frank Schwarz was locked up in jail, charged with the murder of Henry Meyer. Coroner Newell went out Monday morning and spent all day there looking up the case and the evidence deduced is substantially give as follows:

Herman Oartwig, aged 19, Mariposa township; occupation farmer; I saw the trouble on March 13, 1894, between 7 and 9 o’clock, between Frank Schwarz and Henry Meyers.

First I saw was that Frank wanted me to help drive a cow home, and I went to drive her home; I went to help him; it was Meyer’s cow. Gus. Meyers came up the corn row and Gus gave Frank a lick and they scuffled. Mrs. Meyers then came up, and a little boy and girl between 8 and 12 years old; Henry Meyers then came up; Henry Meyers came up to me and tried to hit me, but I said “hold on old man, I ain’t in this.” He left me alone then and went for Frank Schwarz with a club; Henry Meyer had a maple stick about four foot long and about two inches on the big end and tapered down to about one and a half. Frank Schwarz had a whole fence pine picket about three inches wide and one inch thick. Meyers hauled off to hit Frank and he guarded his licks; as he (Meyers) came up he said “I’ll fix him, etc.” Both men appeared mad. I didn’t see where Frank hit Meyers and do not know. No one else struck a lick. When Frank struck him, Meyers fell over and I didn’t see him get up; don’t think Frank stayed there to help him; never heard him (Frank) make any threats against Meyers; he told me that the cow came up to his house and gored a pig that was in the yard.
Herman Oartwig

Herman Oartwig being re-examined, said that the stick marked “exhibit I” is the stick that he had, and that Schwarz did not have it at that time; and that stick marked (II) was not the one that Meyers had. The clubs that the men carried were of about equal weight; can’t account for the blood on the stick; I left the stick at the scene of the racket when I left: I dropped the stick as soon as I got to the place of the racket and kept my hands in my pockets during the fight.

Mrs. Henry Meyers said: Gus went in the morning to the stable to feed the horses and Frank Schwarz came to the gate below and asked him if the cow standing at the trough was Meyers’; Gus claimed the cow and then Frank Schwarz ran toward Oartwig’s place and he called to the Oartwig boys, and they came; he called to Herman to bring a club; Gus caught up with Frank and he asked Gus if he had money to pay damages. For which the cow had done. He said he didn’t have the money, but the cow belonged to Meyers. Herman brought a club from the fence and gave it to Franck Schwarz. Frank Schwarz struck August first with the club and August struck Frank Schwarz. They then wrestled and August threw Frank down and was holding him thus when Herman Oartwig came and pulled August off from him. They then both got up when she arrived, and Frank Schwarz grabbed Club No. 1, and was going to strike August and August caught the club. Then while holding the club with one hand Frank drew a knife with the other, and she said he would kill him with the knife. She called to her husband who was following her, “come quick, Frank is going to kill Gus.” When her husband got there August had released the club and Frank Schwarz had it in his hand and struck her husband one blow. Then Frank struck August one blow on the left side with the same club. She then said to Frank that that was enough. He told her that is she wasn’t quiet he would hit her also. The blow did not fell Gus. Frank said that if her husband didn’t have enough he would give him another blow. She told Frank that her husband had had enough; that he would die. Oartwig’s boys then left, and Schwarz left soon after Oartwig’s boys, and Frank went to Oartwig’s house. Then August asked her how they would get father home, and she said that they would have to get a wagon as he was unable to walk. August went immediately after the team. Mr. Meyer requested twice that something be tied about his head. She was sitting on the ground supporting his head in her lap. She saw the Oartwig boys and Frank Schwarz come to the stable from the house, and one of the boys gave Frank another club. Schwarz was returning to his home and saw her in the field and stopped and stopped and halloed to her to get out of his field at once or he would come to her again. She remained there a little while longer and told him that her husband had had enough. He went on a little further and then retraced his steps to Oartwig’s and talked with the boys. After remaining there a while and then went home whistling and singing. It was about three-quarters of an hour before Gus came with the team. She and August put Meyers in the wagon, and during the time they were loading him the Oartwig boys were peeping through the partition fence. They then came home with her husband. The stick marked II was give to him by his little girl for a cane. He always carried a stick to walk with. She picked up both clubs and brought them home. Her husband did not say a word and did not try to hit Frank. Herman was standing about thirty feet from them and didn’t say or do anything.
Hannah Meyers

Herman Oartwig re-examined, stated: I did not pull Gus off from Frank Schwarz, nor interfered in any way. I did not see Frank strike Gus with a club, nor did I see Frank draw a knife. Frank Schwarz called to me to bring a stick and come down there and help him drive home a cow. After I went home I did not see any more of them until I saw them going away with a lumber wagon.
Herman Oartwig

Lena Meyers aged 10: I went down with father and mother to where papa was hurt. Gus and Frank Schwarz were fighting and Herman Oartwig came up and pulled Gus off. Father was standing there with a stick in his hand and Frank came up and hit him with a club and father fell down. Frank had hold of the club (marked I), with both hands. Father had the stick marked II, in his hand. Father did not say a word and the stick he had was at his side.

Lena Meyer

Verdict.

We, whose names are hereto attached as jurors, at the inquest held before, Hugh Newell, Coroner of Jasper County, on the body of Henry Meyers, there lying dead, do say that the deceased came to his death by being stuck on the head with a club in the hands of Frank Schwarz, and the act was done with felonious intent.
M. Owings,
J.F. Callison,
S. Mona Robinson,
Attest:- Hugh Newell,
Corner
(the stick marked I is about 5 foot long, of heavy timer, semi-circular on one side and flat on the other. It had been split off from a fence rail and is a very heavy and murderous weapon. The stick marked II is a piece of pine fencing about 3 inches wide.)

The feeling of the community is very much divided, as neither of the men bore enviable reputations. The case very likely will be a very intricate one and very likely the plea of self defense will be the one used by Schwarz. It does not seem that either Schwarz or his wife understand the seriousness of the charge. His wife is a young German woman, about 20 years old, with two small children, and upon her will fall the heaviest punishment of the crime. Schwarz was placed under $10,000 bonds on Monday by E. W. Mitchell.