Daily Davenport Democrat Davenport, Scott, Iowa Tuesday, February 16, 1870: Sent to the Island. Mike Kelley who was arraigned before Squire Peters yesterday for stealing his father's mules, and afterwards released and arrested as a deserter from the U.S. Army, has been returned to the Island, where it is presumed he will come under such rigid discipline as will keep him out of ischief for awhile. This is probably the best disposition that could be made of this youth for the next ten years. William Babe, the fellow who rode the other mule, is geologizing on Davenport limestone under the careful tuition of Prof. Schnitger, in preference to paying $125 bond money to appear at next term of court. The queer thing about the whole proceedings is how the mules happened to be stolen,when upon testimony of the owner they were taken by his leave. Thursday, Feb 17, 1870: District Court. The case of State vs Robinson and McGarrey was closed yesterday evening and a verdict of guilty returned by the jury. The Highway fenced up by the parties has to be reopened again. The case of State vs Middleton-the defense charged with willful shooting of cattle was closed today and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. This afternoon the case of State vs William Sutton, charged with burgariously entering the house of policeman Rohm, in November last, was being tried this afternoon. The divorce case of Zierdt vs Zierdt. Mrs. Z was absolved from further matrimonial obligations with Mr. Z., he having been proven guilty of adultery. Grand Jury True Bill announced against Chas. Fowler, William Foster and Keilerfor breaking into Cigar Store on Main street, below second a few months ago. A true bill was also found against William Trefts (formerly a partner in the butcher shop of Shannon and Trefts), charged with payment of counterfeit money in payment for beef cattle. Friday, February 18, 1870: District Court. William Sutten, charged with burglary-tried yesterday- Jury returned verdict of guilty this morning. Case of State vs Ch. Furst, for seduction, called this forenoon, Jury empaneled, case pending. Saturday, February 19, 1870: District Court. The seduction case of State vs Furst was determined yesterday evening -the judge rendering a verdict of "not guilty". Christiana Orum was granted a divorce from Charles Orum, it being shown that defendant was a bigamist, by report of H. Beach, referee. Matilda Sievers seeks a divorce from her husband, Hans, because Hans is said to be a habitual drunkard. Referred to W.T. Diltoe. Determined to Die A Second Attempt at Suicide- A Sad Case. Readers of the Democrat will remember an item on "Attempted Suicide" under date of December 22nd, 1869. The party was a woman calling herself Catherine Harrigan, represented to be a widow with one child. She committed the act while in the employ of Mr. J.F. Curtis. The reason alleged was that she was tired of her life; her family, who reside near Andalusia, were said to have treated her unkindly, and she would not live with them. They wanted her to marry again,&c. She was taken to the City Hospital and in a few days recovered. Since this time she has been living in various families about the city, latterly at Burr Andrews. Her health is not good and she has had to give up doing work several times. She left Mr. Andrews' about two weeks since, and applied to Mrs. Rowe, Milliner, on Perry street, for lodging one day. She represented that she was out of employment, was too ill to do much work, and wanted some place to sleep. Mrs. R., although possessing but scanty accommodations, made room for her, and from that time she tried to earn her board by being of such service in the house as became needful. She gave her name as Kate Herron. The city was hunted over for work, but none was to be found and yesterday noon she came to her temporary home in tears, saying "she couldn't find anything to do." She appeared to be very down cast for the rest of the day. About 7 1-2 o'clock she requested leave to go to the postoffice. She went straight to Starks & Bro., and purchased half an ounce of laudanum, returned to the shop, and going into the kitchen, swallowed nearly every drop of it. It was soon discovered, and the crime acknowledged.-Drs. French and Bell were immediately sent for, and strong antidotes applied, but it was not until nearly midnight that she was thought to be out of danger.-When questioned as to the reason for the attempt she would not answer but said that it "wasn't over yet" implying a further attempt. The real cause of the rash act could probably be better explained by others than her present friends. It is thought that a broken faith may have something to do with it, and suspicion founded on her declaration, points to a man who has been most in her company. She was removed to the infirmary. Monday, February 20, 1870: District Court. Court opened at half past two o'clock p.m. and jury empaneled in case of State vs James Gartland-defendant charged with passing forged checks of $100 purporting to have been signed by Thos W. McClelland, but in reality forged by one Knapp, and passed by Gartland to one James Turner, grocer, on an advance of $5. Wednesday, February 22, 1870: District Court. The usual evening session upon the Saving Bank case was held last evening and the affidavits of E. Smith, Thos Scott, James Thompson, W H Decker, Geo E French, Jno P Cook, and James Grant were read by messrs. Hubbell, Cook, and Bills, which occupied the time until 10 o'clock, and then adjourned until 9 o'clock this morning. In the case of State vs Gartland, the jury returned a verdict this morning of "guilty".Counsel for the defense gave notice of a motion for a new trial. In case the motion is overruled the defendant will be sent to the State Penitentiary. State vs. Ed. Paasch, called to-day-defendant charged with stealing gold chains and other goods from one Neuman, some time last fall. Case pending. Thursday, February 23, 1870 The case of State vs Paasch, for grand larceny, was closed to-day at noon. Verdict of guilty of stealing to the amount of $15., which narrows the offense down to petit larceny. Case of State vs Voss, came up this afternoon. Defense charged with stabbing one Buckwalter, in July last at Headquarters saloon on Sunday. Voss has been in jail ever since. If the parties had all been at Sunday school that morning they would have saved the county considerable expense. Friday, February 24, 1870: The Chas Wiese Murder. Suspicion and Arrests. It will be remembered that the Democrat of the 15th November contained an account of the horrible murder of Chas. Wiese, a German farmer residing about 5 miles from town, on the upper road to Buffalo, and about one-half mile south of Ashbury Chapel. The report was at the time that at about 3 o'clock that morning Mr. Wiese was aroused by a noise proceeding from his barn; that he dressed in haste, hurried to this stable and immediately after his wife heard the report of a gun, and after waiting a few moments, and finding that her husband did not return rushed to a neighbor for assistance, who coming upon the scene found the dead body of Mr. W. in the stable where a fat cow was kept, the cow was found out in the field hampered with a rope. The impression was that some thief was in the act of stealing the cow and that he shot Mr. W. on his approach to the barn. A butcher of this city, named Schonthal was subsequently arrested on suspicion, examined and discharged. The matter has rested since that time until recently. The widow and a man named Fritz, who was employed in the place at the time of the murder, and who has remained there since, and another man were arrested yesterday as they were packing up to move away and today Sheriff Schnitger has been summoning several neighbors thereabouts to appear in Court, that the case may be more fully examined into. It appears, as we learn from one of the neighbors, that the people of the vicinity have never been fully satisfied at the result of the original investigation. They claim that when the neighbors were called in by Mrs. Weise, the body of the dead man was found to be fully dressed, with a comforter about his neck, all indicating to them that he had not got up and got to the stable in great haste. They further claim that while the neighbor called in lived not more than three-fourths of a mile away, and the trip could have been made in half an hour at least, yet when they go there the body was cold and stiff, though warmly dressed. They cannot see how it could have stiffened in so short a time. These things, together with neighborhood suspicions, growing out of the unhappy domestic relations between Wiese and his wife-threats made by her that she would run away if Wiese didn't die; the alleged unwarrantable attentions of Fritz to her; the talk and actions of both parties, bore before and since the murder have caused much talk, and now comes the investigation. These neighbors claim that there is strong, circumstantial evidence pointing to foul play among the inmates of the house, but we hear nothing but circumstantial evidence in the case, and this may be shown to be entirely worthless. In State vs Jesse Voss, arraigned for assault with intent to commit murder, tried yesterday. Verdict rendered this morning, "guilty of common assault", fined $25 and costs. In case of State vs Geo. Robinson and G.A. McGarvey, of Blue Grass, found guilty fencing up "Pious Lane" near Asbury Chapel. The defendants were this day sentenced by the court to pay fine of $25 each and be imprisoned in the county jail for the full term of 5 minutes. This morning the case of State vs W.F. Keeler, defendant, charged with stealing a trunk, was called. Defendant pleaded guilty of petty larceny and was fined $33.33 ½ and sent to jail to work it out-in default of having the change. State vs Chas. Smith, Wm. Fowler, and Ed Simpson called this p.m. Defendant charged with burglary and larceny. Trial first for larceny. Divorce granted Mary Vanderburg from Geo. Vanderburg for willful desertion, on rept of Geo. E Hubbell , Referee. February 25, 1870: The Weise Murder Arrests The parties arrested by Marshal Kauffman, on suspicion of having some hand in the murder of Chas. Wiese, on the 15th day of November last, and attluded to in the Democrat yesterday, are Fritz Nausbaum and Henry J. Link. The former and Mrs. Wiese are considered the leading characters in the tragedy, as the theory now runs. It appears that Fritz was intimated with Mrs. Wiese before the murder. He was a farm hand in the emloy of Davis Dutcher, who lived near by. Immediately after the murder he went away to St. Louis, but soon returned and took up his abode with the widow, and has remained there ever since. It is a well known fact that Wiese and his wife lived very unhappily together; that noise was purposely made at the cow-shed to get Wiese out; that the body when first found had every appearance of having been dead several hours instead of but a few moments; that Fritz officiated at the funeral in procuring the coffin and burying the body; that the widow did not attend the corpse to the grave, and the nieghbors feel confident that since the murder, for nealy all the time, Fritz and the widow have lived together as man and wife. Recently Fritz and Link have been out to Homestead, in Iowa county, and rented a farm, and were packing up the goods belonging to Mrs. Weise to move away there, when Marshal Kauffman intercepted them with a warrant. The case is in the hands of the Grand Jury and there seem to be no doubt but that one or both of the men will be held for trial. Mrs. Wiese being confined in child-bed, has not yet been arrested, but will be in due season should the persons now arrested, or either of them be inflicted. The matter creates a good deal of excitement in the neighborhood, and the Marshall spent a good deal of time and careful investigation upon the case before making the arrests. The murder was one of the most atrocious in the history of the county and whether the suspicioned parties be the guilty ones or not, circumstances are clearly against them. District Court In the case State vs Charles Smith, Ed. Simson and Wm. Fowler, the Jury returned a verdict of guilty. The value of goods stolen was shown to be $100. Prisoners remanded to await final sentence. These are three young men in their prime. Bad company and worse habits have brought them into serious difficulty. Case of State vs James Gartland-one for Mischief, another for Assault, and one for uttering forged check. Plea of guilty as to first and second charges. Fine of $100 each and costs and committed till paid. Found guilty on third charge; motion for new trial. State vs. David Davis. Defendant charged with stealing goods from the store of Leonard Biller. Plead guilty and was fined $100 and costs. Remanded to jail until paid. State vs. Fred Trefts. Three indictments for passing counterfeit money. Dicharged as to the first and second without trial. Jury in third charge today returned a verdict of not guity. This was the case growing out of the alleged misdemeanors of Shannon & Trefts, butchers Shannon made good his escape. No efficient evidence was found to implicate Treft's in the crime. Young Shannon, who was also mixed up in the offense, was likewise discharged, there being no evidence against him. State vs. Wm. Babe. Defendant was implicated in the Kelly mule stealing affair,and imprisoned on charge of vagrancy. His mother, who resides in Illinois, came for him and took him away. It is to be hoped she will keep him away. February 26, 1870 Motion to grant new trial in case of James Gartland, for passing forged check, sustained; new trial granted provided defendant pays cost of recent trial by next term of court. Chas. Foster (alias Smith), Wm Foster and Simpson, for grand jury, wre sent to hard labor in the Penitentiary-their first two for three years, the latter for one yar. The young men have been beating up and down the Misissippi for some time, making their living by theft. They have now an opportunity presented for industry and usefulness. Simpson was sentenced to serve one year in the penitentiary. Sutton, whose right name is Bauer, for breaking into policeman Rohm's house, was sent to serve the State three years. This was his first offense in this locality and his last time for some time to come. February 28,1870 Attempted Escape Prisoners Prefer not to go Where the Woodblue Twineth This morning Sheriff Schnitger arranged the clothing and ornaments of four of his prisoners- Foster, Fowler, Keeler and Sutton, for a short trip sunny southward. He had paired them off, uniting the couples with substantial wristlets, and before removing them from the jail took a good look at the shackles that had been placed upon their ankles the Saturday previous by a competent blacksmith, when behold the chains that connected each pair were found to be severed close to the ankle rins, and a bit of shoe string inserted in lieu thereof. This discovery was the source of great rage and profane language on the part of the jail birds, who cursed the luck, the judge who had sentenced them, and the whole concern generally. The Sheriff had the damages carefully repaired and in company with Deputies Freid and Schnitger the prisoners started for Fort Madison Penitentiary via the new Burlington route at which place they probably arrived at five o'clock this afternoon. Upon subsequent investigation the Sheriff ascertined that the prisoners were sawing at their chains on Saturday evening, and on searching about the premises fund a stout old single bladed jack knife with the edge cut into fine saw-teeth. The blade being too thick to cut the links directly throught, they wawed clear around and took the cut link entirely out and tied a string as above stated. But for this timely discovery it is very probably that they would have watched their opportunity to leap from the rain and disconnecting themselves, endeavor to make good their escape. But the sheriff was one too many for the villains, this time, and for the next three years and very little will they know of public affairs of the outer world. They are about as wiry a set of villains as have been contributed to the Penitentiary by any county recently. Cathy Joynt Labath Scott Co, IA USGenWeb Project http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm