BROCKER, Henry D. 1899

BROCKER, MARTENS, BOTEL, WHITNALL, GRASSAU, BOESHART, DELISLE, KING, BARTON MORGAN

Posted By: Elaine Harrington (email)
Date: 10/23/2006 at 12:05:31

MILLS COUNTY TRIBUNE
DATED DECEMBER 7, 1899:

SHOT DEAD
The Awful Affair in Detail

The most shocking tragedy that has occurred in Mills county since the bloody Booth-Bowen murder at Hastings, some years ago, was the shooting of Henry Brocker last Saturday in St. Mary township. The man who committed the deed was his neighbor John Martens who is now in custody in the Glenwood jail awaiting the action of the grand jury.

As near as can be learned the quarrel started over the possession of some dishes. A man named John Botel had been living at Marten’s and when he went away he claims he left some dishes there and a barrel. These articles he sold to Henry Brocker for 45 cents. Friday morning Mr. and Mrs. Brocker went over to Marten’s house to get the dishes but Mrs. Martens who was there alone refused to give them up. She claimed they owned everything Botel had left there. A war of words ensued and the Brockers finally left without the dishes.

When Martens came home he was informed of the Brockers’ visit and also was told of all that had passed between the parties. He appeared very much infuriated at some of the remarks which had been made by the Brockers and started for his gun. This he got in spite of the efforts of Mrs. Martens who endeavored to keep the weapon out of his reach. With gun in possession he started quest of Brocker. He didn’t have to hunt long as the latter only lived a short distance away and after the men got within talking distance they begun to quarrel. Each dared the other to come over where he was. Finally Brocker came up to where Martens was and according to some of the evidence tried to snatch the latter’s gun away. As he took hold, Martens fired and then it appears he fired a second shot, at least so says Mrs. Brocker who was the only eye witness to the tragedy. Some of the shots from the discharge also hit Mrs. Brocker who was near her husband. Brocker turned and started home not thinking he was seriously wounded but he had gotten but a little way when he fell dead.

As soon as the deed was committed Martens went over to Squire Boeshart and told him what he had done. The latter loaned him a saddle to go on to Glenwood to give himself up to the authorities. He reached town a little after noon and gave himself into the hands of Deputy Sheriff Morgan who locked him up.

Coroner Whitnall was summoned from Hastings and held the inquest over the dead man Saturday morning. He impaneled a jury consisting of Sam’l Barton, S. J. King and Wm. DeLisle. Several witness were called in examination. Mrs. Brocker, wife of the dead man, swore that Martens came up to her husband and shot him firing two shots. The first shot when Brocker was about 20 feet away then the latter came closer and grabbed the gun when the second shot was fired. Mrs. Brocker said she asked her husband three times before he died which shot hit him and he told her the first shot and said the second shot did not hit him at all.

August and Charles Grassau who were near neighbors of the parties say that Martens was at their house about 9 or 10 o’clock the morning of the tragedy. Soon Mrs. Martens came over and told her husband about the visit of the Brockers and said Mrs. Brockers had called her vile names. This made Martens furious and he said he was going to shoot somebody.

Squire Boesart testified that Friday morning he was standing in his yard when Martens came riding in. He told what he had done and said he did it because the dead man had called his wife a whole lot of bad names and also because he had threatened to whip him (Martens) if he didn’t keep his mouth shut.

Dr. W. R. Wall was then summoned who made an examination of the wounds. He found a wound in the left hand that had torn away the tissues up the palm of the hand and up one side of the wrist six inches in length. There was a wound upon the left thigh at middle and upper part as if it had been hit by 25 or 30 shot in a bunch and to the side of this large hole were about 20 more holes as if separate shot had entered. One shot also entered the abdomen. The doctor gave it as his opinion that the wounds found were sufficient to cause death. Having gotten the evidence all in the jury arrived at the following verdict: “At an inquisition held at the home of Henry Brocker in St. Mary township in Mills county on Dec. 2nd before W. R. Whitnall, coroner of Mills county, upon the body of Henry Brocker there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereto subscribed. The said jury upon their oaths do say: We do find deceased came to his death by a shot or shots by a shot gun in the hands of John Martens, Dec. 1, 1899 at about 9 or ten o’clock, in St. Mary township, Mills county, Iowa. And we further do find that he did come to his death feloniously; and that a crime had been committed on the deceased, and that John Martens is the name of the person who the jury believe has committed it.”