Davenport Democrat Davenport, Scott, Iowa Feb . 1, 1872 Police Court. A good start for the next month at this court of Justice. The following cases were up today. Against Wm. Brown, for assault and battery. Fined $1 and costs, which he paid. Wm. Colman was up on the charge of resisting officers Keating and Finch. He was fined $10 and costs, part of which he paid. Wm. Schutt got intoxicated, was arrested, tried and fined $3 and costs, which he will pay tomorrow. Thos. Kane, for disturbing the public peace, was fined $3 and costs. Another case against Thos. Kane; fined $3 and costs, which he promises to pay. Feb. 5, 1872 THE EHRIG MURDER On the morning of Oct. 7th, 1869, the dead body of F.W. Ehrig was found in the cistern, rear of St. Anthony's Church. Great excitement prevailed,- everybody wondering how he came there. He had been seen late the previous evening, and was in sound mind, and not under any intoxicating influence. There was a strong suspicion of foul play, and the matter was placed in competent hands to be worked up. The city offered a reward of $1,000, and the Odd Fellows, of whom membership he was, offered an additional $500 for detection and conviction of his murderer. By many persons it was thought he was intoxicated, perhaps, and accidentally got into the well while under temporary inebriety; and so the matter has been resting for over two years. Meantime, however, detectives have had the matter in hand, and the supposition now is that the murderers have been identified. The following, and other similar letters, have been received by the authorities here: POLICE COURT, CLERK'S OFFICE, TOLEDO, OHIO, Feb. 2, '72. Sheriff, Scott Iowa: DEAR SIR: please inform me if within about two years ago, a man by the name of Erich (Ehrig) was murdered in Davenport and thrown into a well. If so, please give me the particulars as far as you know; what was the motive and whether any suspicion rests on some person? what is the ground of suspicion? have you found near the place where the murder was committed, a broken cane or part of one. State whether a reward for the arrest and conviction, or information which will lead to the arrest of the murderer and his conviction has been offered; what amount has been offered; if you have any handbills, offering a reward in your possession, or can procure one, please forward it to my address, and oblige your obedient servant, HENRY STRECKER, Sergeant of Police It appears that at the time of the supposed murder, there was a printer by the name of James Olcutt, working in the Gazette Office in this city. He had with him in his rooms in Wupperman's Block, a woman who went as his wife. By some she was regarded as a woman of doubtful virtue. Olcutt had a suspicion that there was something wrong in his domicile, and on the night of the 5th of October, it is said the deceased was assailed by Olcutt in his room, or in the hall leading thereto; that a scuffle ensued, and that Ehrig was pitched backward down the back stairs that he was stunned by the fall; that he was supposed to be dead; was taken up by the man Olcutt and wife, and carried across Fifth street, where they broke off some fence palings, and took the body into the Catholic church lot, and put it into the cistern where it was found. The falling backwards down stairs is corroborated by the contusion, which, it will be remembered, was noticible on the back of the victim's head after taken out. It will also be remembered that the doctors pronounced the body alive when he got into the cistern, there being water in the lungs, and that this gave strength to the theory that he fell in; but it is now used to strengthen the theory that the blow did not kill, but stunned him; and that in this state he was drowned by Olcutt and wife. The upshot of the whole matter probably is, at least it it the theory, that Olcutt and his paramour who left here some little time after the occurrence, have fallen out, and that the police of Toledo, where they live, have got a clue to the affair; hence the above letter to sheriff Leonard. There seems to be but little doubt among those who worked at the case that Ehrig came to his death in a similar manner to that above stated. Olcutt was a Moline boy; learned his trade on the Rock Island Union; had been here a year or so when this tragedy transpired; was suspicioned by his fellow workmen of having had something to do with Ehrig's disappearance. In a few days there will probably be further developments; and it is probable that all the particulars are already under arrest. Cathy Joynt Labath Scott Co, IA USGenWeb Project http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm Iowa Old Press http://www.IowaOldPress.com/