Iowa
Old Press
Maquoketa Excelsior
Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa
July 21, 1896
THE KEIL MURDER!
The Preliminary Examination
Large Crowd at Bellevue—All Saloons Closed—The Mob
Makes a Demonstration—Prisoner is Removed to Anamosa
Friday will long be remembered in Bellevue as the day when a few
words from a resolute leader would have caused the death of some
of its citizens and probably resulted in the lynching of Chris
Eckerlebe for the diabolical murder of Mina Keil. Fortunately,
that leader was not in the crowd and the law was allowed to take
its course without incident, save for one exception.
Never in the history of Jackson County, the state, was a more
foul murder committed and while it was at first shrouded in
mystery, the officers are now in the possession of evidence which
apparently weaves a hempen noose about the neck of Chris
Eckerlebe, evidence which can scarcely be successfully
controverted by his attorneys. The motive for the commission of
so dastardly a crime is now the great mystery, although the
victim’s contempt for the prisoner, her failure to requite
his love, and the development of an insane jealousy which
culminated in her slaughter, constitute the generally accepted
one.
The town of Bellevue was crowded Friday, the country people
having abandoned their pursuits for the day to hear the evidence
which would be offered at the preliminary examination of the
accused. Many came from Sabula, LaMotte, Dubuque, Preston and
there were present at least forty from this city. All the saloons
were closed early in the day, by order of Mayor Bittner, and a
posse of about twenty-five special deputies was sworn in as a
safeguard against any violence and as a result of these
precautions the crowd was held well in hand. Sheriff Mitchell
took the prisoner in from Andrew early in the day, and from the
time he arrived until he left in the evening Eckerlebe never left
Justice Campbell’s office.
The hearing was held before Justice J. C. Campbell, the state
being represented by County Attorney Keck and D. A. Wynkoop and
Longville and McCarthy of Dubuque looking after the
prisoner’s interests. The defense demanded the exclusion of
all but those interested in the case and the members of the
press, much to the disgust of the crowd, and at 1 o’clock
the examination of the witnesses began.
The first two witnesses were the little brothers of Eckerlebe by
whom it was shown that he possessef a self-cocking nickel plated
revolver and that he had left home on the morning of the Fourth
at 9 o’clock with the avowed intention of going to Bellevue
to attend the dance at Harmony Park.
Sophia Keil, mother of Mina, told of the relative position of the
Eckerlebe homes, of a mysterious man seen dodging in the trees
near her house, of Eckerlebe striking at her daughter for
refusing to dance with him at Hamarand’s in May, of Mina
finding the poison on the gate, of Mina’s complaint that
Eckerlebe had insulted her, etc.
Henry Keil, brother of the deceased, told of her failure to come
to the party at Guenther’s and the dance at Hoff’s on
the afternoon of the Fourth, of the search for her on the 5th,
the finding of the body, of the finding of the flint rock
(identified the stone) and the removal of the body.
Wm. Hennegar, deputy sheriff told of finding the several parts of
the revolver, box of cartridges and the box of salve (which
proves to be rat poison) in accordance with the directions
furnished by a certain communication received. (Identified
revolver)
At 5:30 o’clock the case was adjourned to Wednesday and the
prisoner was hustled back to Andrew. The prisoner sat smiling all
the afternoon, save when a mob of three or four hundred insisted
on gaining an entrance to the court room about 3 o’clock.
Somebody yelled “Hang him!” and but for the presence of
the deputies and a nervy address by Justice Campbell, the trick
would have been attempted, undoubtedly. He merely looked out of
the window and resumed his seat with a smile. When the pistol was
produced for identification by Hennegar, Eckerlebe flinched and
his attornies turned pale. The communication alluded to by the
last witness is but one of several written by the tramp Murphy,
who carved a fellow tramp with a razor at Bellevue early in the
Spring. He is also an inmate of the steel cage in the Andrew jail
and pumped the whole story out of Eckerlebe. He would write what
he learned on pieces of common wrapping paper and smuggle it to
the jailer wrapped up in a dirty “sheet,” etc. and
there is enough of it to show that the murder of Catherine Ging,
Pearl Bryan and the Sa Francisco girls were refined affairs in
comparison.
It was the intention of the people who live in the vicinity of
the scene of the murder to take Eckerlebe Friday to that place
and hang him. Failing in this, some thirty or more assembled at
the county jail about one o’clock Saturday morning, but
again they lacked a leader and Jailer Tubbs retained his
prisoner. That day, however, he received reliable information
that the jail would be visited by a determined mob Saturday
night, so he brought the prisoner to town in the afternoon and
Deputy Sheriff Gurius and Fred Fischer conveyed him to the
Anamosa Penitentiary that evening. Should he be taken back to
Bellevue tomorrow trouble should surely ensue. It is believed now
that he will waive further examination.
Eckerlebe told Murphy that he intended to commit suicide after
killing the girl, but he hammered her head with the revolver
until it was utterly destroyed for shooting purposes the more is
the pity. He is a conundrum. When the girl’s body was found
he helped load it into the wagon and drove the team that drew it
home., her feet lying between his. At the trial he was the
calmest person in the room. He has either a wonderful nerve or
else a total lack of realization of the terrible crime of which
he is accused.
Much sympathy is felt for the prisoner’s father and the dead
girl’s mother. Both broke down and wepy piteously in the
courtroom. The father is an honest, hardworking, respected
farmer, who says that his boy has ever been an industrious,
dutiful son and he feels it is his duty to defend him; that if he
is guilty he should be punished. The poor old man is almost heart
broken.
Later-This morning’s mail brought to County Attorney Keck
notice from Eckerlebe’s attorneys that they had cocluded to
waive further examination of evidence and that one of them will
appear in Justice Campbell’s court tomorrow morning to enter
a formal waiver. Therefore the prisoner will not be seen again in
Bellevue before his trial occurs, and in all probability he will
never be seen there again.
[transcribed by K.W., August 2009]
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Maquoketa Excelsior
Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa
July 24, 1896
Fatal Accident At The Circus
Although the visit of a circus is usually accompanied by a
chapter of accidents, the one which was here yesterday almost
proved an exception to the general rule. We say almost for one
particularly sad accident occurred, one which snapped the thread
of life for a respected citizen without a moment’s warning.
Mr. Sanford DeMoss, a aged gentlemen whose home is in the Second
Ward, walked down to the circus yesterday afternoon in company
with three of his grandchildren, and when in the act of stepping
across the ditch opposite the entrance to the fairgrounds his
feet slipped in the slimy mud and he fell on his back. A few hack
drivers saw the affair and ran to his assistance. Thinking he was
stunned they placed him in a hack, conveyed him to his home and
summoned Dr. Bowen, who pronounced him dead, his neck having been
broken by the fall.
Mr. DeMoss was born in Lincoln County, Ohio, 77 years ago. He was
married to Sarah Ann Gibbs, Sept. 8, 1839, and to whom were born
eight children, of whom seven are living, three daughters and two
sons in this city and vicinity, a dauighter in Oklahoma and a son
at Manchester, this state. In the early 1850’s Mr. and Mrs.
DeMoss came west to Lee County, Illinois, where they resided for
seven years, and then they came to Iowa, settling in Brandon
Township, this county, where Mrs. DeMoss died in 1890. In 1892,
Mr. DeMoss came to Maquoketa, to live and was well liked by his
neighbors, all who knew him, his kindly face and genial ways
winning him friends wherever he went. The funeral services will
be held tomorrow at 1 p.m., in the Emeline Curch, Rev. H. Clark,
of the Baptist Church, officiating.
Obituary - Redmond Summers
Mr. Redmond Summers, for many years a resident of Nashville and
vicinity, died at the home of Mr. Ezra Dutton, near Iron Hill,
this morning. Mr. Summers was an old and highly respected citizen
of this county. He was the father of Mrs. Henry Littell of
Nashville and Mrs. Ezra Dutton of Iron Hill. About six months ago
he went to Iron Hill to visit the latter. Soon afterwards he was
taken ill and continued in a precarious condition until the angel
of death relieved his sufferings.
GENERAL GEORGE W. JONES
General George W. Jones died at his home in Dubuque Wednesday
night. He was Iowa’s first senator, and previous to his
election to that position he represented the then Territory of
Wisconsin, of which Iowa was a part in the congress of the United
States as a territorial delegate. While in Congress in this
capacity, he introduced and secured the enactment of a law making
Iowa a separate and distinct Territory. He was ninety-two years
old.
[Transcribers note: Jones County, Iowa was named after General Jones. Transcribed by K.W., May 2009]
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Maquoketa Excelsior
Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa
July 28, 1896
Morphine Poisoning
Drs. J. A. Carson and L. B. Carson were summoned to the home of
Arthur Burt, who lives in the First Ward this morning to attend
to a case of attempted suicide, accidental poisoning, or
something even more serious. Mr. Burt was found in an unconscious
state and was evidently suffering the effects of morphine
poisoning. The doctors decided that the poison had been taken
some time in the night and that the time for using a stomach pump
or administering the usual antidote had passed. However, they
gave him a strong coffee and an emetic, but as the poison had
been so long in his system they had but slight hopes of saving
the patient’s life. The evidence goes to show that he had
taken about fifty grains of the deadly drug, but whether by
accident or design is not known. Mr. Burt is a man about fifty
years of age. His wife is a morphine user, so that when Mr. Burt
purchased a quantity of the drug yesterday at L. B. Carson &
Co.’s store, nothing was thought of the matter, as they were
regular customers.
Later- Arthur Burt, the man who took a large dose of morphine
Monday night, as reported in the last issue of the Beacon, died
about 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. It was evidently a case of suicide.
Dr. Miller of Preston, came up at the request of the oldest son
of the dead man and made an examination, but decided it was not
necessary to hold an inquest.
Rev. Henry Clark conducted the funeral services in front of the
residence on Eliza Street, after which the A. W. Drips Post,
Grand Army of the Republic, of which deceased was a member,
conducted the body to the Esgate Cemetery, and the services with
the ritual of their order. Mr. Burt was born in the State of New
York in 1845. At the age of seven his parents removed to Jackson
County, Iowa. In 1863 he enlisted in Company G, 8th Iowa Cavalry,
serving until the close of the war. He was first married in 1868,
his wife dying in 1894. In April of this year he married Mrs.
Maud Stall, of this city. Deceased leaves six children and a
sister-the wife of Peter Bailey of the 4th Ward.
OBITUARY - Anna H. Penrose Reynolds
Anna H. Penrose was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, November
9, 1856, and came with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Penrose
to Clinton county, Iowa in 1868. She was happily married to Mr.
David Reynolds December 25, 1877. In June, 1894, Mrs. Reynolds
was taken sick, and although the best medical aid and skill was
procured together with the best of care and nursing, the disease
baffled all attempts of a cure, so that after more than two years
of confinement to her bed, and constant intense suffering, she
was released from her frail, mortal body, falling peacefully
asleep at 3 a.m., Saturday, July 25, 1896. A devoted and
affectionate husband, two sons and two daughters, aged parents,
five sisters and three brothers, survive to mourn the loss of a
faithful wife, a loving mother and a dutiful daughter. Mrs.
Reynolds made a public profession of religion and became a
regular member of the Reformed church, November 26, 1895, by rite
of baptism and confirmation. The funeral services at the home,
Sunday at 2 p.m., were attended by a large concourse of people to
pay their tribute of respect to the departed. The remains were
interred in the Union cemetery, Rev. D. F. Boomershine,
officiating.
[transcribed by K.W., May 2009]