RUEBE, Carl F. 1854-1921

RUEBE, HOLLATZ, HARTWIG, KRONEMAN

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 1/10/2012 at 17:05:52

#1:

Unrequited Love Causes
Aged St. Ansgar Man to
Attempt Dual Tragedy

C. RUEBE SHOOTS
WOMAN AND SELF

REJECTED LOVER IS DEAD

Mrs. G. Oleson, Neighbor's
Wife, Victim of Demented Man,
Will Recover

ST. ANSGAR - Apparently unbalanced by the cold reception tendered his advances by his neighbor's wife, 70-year-old Carl Ruebe, retired farmer, Saturday walked across the street to the front yard of Mrs. Gabe Oleson, brandishing a revolver, and shot at her, the bullet passing through her ear after grazing her cheek.

After a neighbor had disarmed him, he returned to his home, found another revolver, and shot himself twice in the head. He died Sunday evening.

Ruebe's wooing of the wife of his younger neighbor, who is 55 years old, has been for some time a subject of jest in the vicinity. It is reported that the aged love-maker has more than once stopped. Mr. Oleson was in her front yard. He approached and began to talk incoherently, flourishing the pistol. She grappled with him. They struggled for several moments, and the younger woman succeeded in wrestling the firearm from his hand.

She handed the weapon to Mrs. Ruebe telling her to take Ruebe back across the street. Instead, according to the story told by Mrs. Oleson and bystanders, Mrs. Ruebe hysterically handed the gun again to her husband.

Ruebe aimed at Mrs. Oleson's head, and fired. She fell to the ground, with blood streaming from the side of her face.

A retired banker, Robert Lubiens, 60 years old, who lives near the Olesons, at this point leaped at Ruebe and threw him to the ground, and disarmed him.

Examination of Mrs. Oleson's wound showed that the bullet had grazed her cheek, then passed through the fleshy part of her ear. Her injury was not serious.

Reube, unnoticed, went back to his room and finding another revolver, sent two bullets into his head. He was attended by Mrs. Wiggin of Osage and Westenberger of St. Ansgar. He died at 7 p.m. Sunday without regaining consciousness.

Neighbors had for some time believed that the old man was slightly demented, and attending physicians insinuated that his act was due to temporary insanity super induced by illness.

[Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, Monday, October 24, 1921]

NOTE: The newspaper spelled the last name as RUEBLE.
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#2:

Apparently unbalanced by the cold reception tendered his advances by his neighbor's wife, 70 year old Carl Rueble, retired farmer of St. Ansgar, Iowa, yesterday walked across the street to the front yard of Mrs. Cabe Olson, brandishing a revolver and shot at her, the bullet passing through her ear after grazing her cheek. After a neighbor had disarmed. him, he returned to his home, found another revolver and shot himself twice in the head. He died shortly afterward.

[ Iowa City Press-Citizen, Monday, October 24, 1921 ]

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#3:

Charges have been filed against Mrs. Carl Ruebe of St. Ansgar in which she is accused of being an accessory to her husband in his attempt recently to take the life of Mrs. Gabe Oleson of St. Ansgar. The wife handed her aged husband the gun after Mrs. Oleson had taken it away from him, it is alleged. Mr. Ruebe committed suicide after failing in his attempt to murder his neighbor, with whom, it is said, he was in love with.

[Roland Record, Thursday, November 03, 1921]

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#4:

Carl F Ruebe

Birth: Nov. 5, 1854, Germany

Death: Oct. 23, 1921, St. Ansgar, Mitchell County, Iowa.

Spouse:
Bertha (Hollatz) Ruebe (1856-1941)

Children:
Meta Caroline Ruebe Kroneman (1881-1972)
Louis Ruebe (1882 - ____)
Emil Ruebe (1885 - ____)
William August Ruebe (1889-1979)
Louise Johanna Ruebe Hartwig (1892-1975)

Burial:
Saint Ansgar Cemetery, Saint Ansgar, Mitchell County, Iowa.

NOTE: Carl would have actually been 66 at the time of this event. He died just before his 67th birthday

(Credit: DM Scott)