THE ST. ANSGAR MURDER — A dispatch from Osage says: "The St. Ansgar murder case still continues to grow interesting. - The jury of the coroner's inquest has returned a sealed verdict. Vacha, in whose shop Burghmaster was found dead, and who was found supposedly dead drunk, has been arrested, and is now lodged in the county jail in that city. Burns found on his head and hands led some to think that he first killed Burghmaster by strangling, and then attempted to conceal the crime partially by burning the body with paper piled about it, and in his efforts he burned himself." [Waterloo Courier, March 22, 1895]

Mason City, Iowa, Oct. 22 — The state is building up a very strong case against John Vacha, who is accused of the murder of Henry Buhrmaster, and who is now on trial at Mitchell county. Last March Buhrmaster was found dead in Vacha's harness shop and his body partly burned, and near him, sleeping in a drunken stupor, was Vacha. It has developed that four men engaged in a drunken brawl; and about midnight all went into the harness shop. Later two went home, and it is supposed that Vacha and Buhrmaster got into a row and the former choked the latter to death and tried to burn the body to cover up his crime. [Rock Valley Register, October 25, 1895]

 

. . .Vacha, in whose shop Burghmaster was found dead at St. Ansgar, and who was found supposedly dead drunk, has been arrested and is now lodged in the county jail at Osage. Burns found on his head and hands lead some to think that he first killed Burghmaster by strangling, and then attempted to conceal the crime partially by burning the body by means of paper piles about it, and in his efforts he burned himself. [Pocahontas County Sun, Thursday, March 28, 1895]

"A report has reached here of the supposed murder of Henry Burghmaster, a young German, of St. Ansgar. The other morning L. Sherman, who works in John Vacha's harness shop, went into the shop as usual, where he found Vacha asleep. On removing a blanket which had been put up at the front window the light revealed the distorted and partially burned [body of Mr. Burghmaster.]" Alton Democrat, March 23, 1895, Alton, Iowa "The coroner's jury has found JohnVacha guilty of the murder of Henry Burmeister. . . ." Oelwein Register, March 28, 1895 "The authorities of Mitchell County are making a storng case against John Vacha, now on trial at Mason City for the murder of Henry Buhrmaster." Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, Oct. 24, 1895 VACHA NOT GUILTY. "Cleared of the Charge of Murder by a Mitchell County Jury." "OSAGE. October 29 — The Vacha mnrder case, which has been attracting attention of late, has terminated. Within less than one hour after the jury retired, a verdict of acquittal was rendered. Vacha returned home immediately." The New Era, Humeston, Wayne County, Iowa, Oct. 30, 1895