Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-08-01
STARTLING REVELATION OF
1ui9'0THgi .sa CRIME. isf.e| r,i
A Murder Concealed for nearly Three
Years-The Murderer Finally Ar.
rested. .HrsHJHf u4. NN|. t.II


The Laporte (Ia.) Democrat contains a
long account of the arrest of man named
Steitz, in that county, for murder COM
mitted in August of 1861, nearly three years
ago. The facts in brief are these: Steitz
was building a saw mill few miles north
of Laporte, and had in his employ man
named Won Jesseda, both being Germans.
These men had frequent quarrels about
money, which Won Jesseda alleged that
Steitz owed him for work done and refused
to pay. The two men, during the warm
weather, were in the habit of sleeping in
hay NOW, SteitZ being bachelor and his
sister keeping house for him. It
On the morning of the 10th of August the
old quarrel was renewed, and the men got,
to setffling in the NOW, and finally both
ellthrough to the barn floor, Won Jesseda:
not being yet dressed. Won Jesseda ran to-
the house, his hand bleeding. Steitz fol-;
lowed him, and as soon as he came withini
reach struck him severe blow on the head
with an iron bar which he had picked up,t
knocking him down senseless. Being near;
the cellar-way when he fell, Steitz Kicked
him down into the cellar, and fearing that
his work was not fully accomplished, hei
followed down, and pounded the body with
board for some time. The whole trans-
action at the house was witnessed by Mary
WHO WAS dTOuStu lIOul HtT SlCCp UN
the noise at the door. She endeavored to
dissuade her brother from his purpose, but
he rtdely thrust her back into another part
of the room. After he had beaten the body
some time he came out of the cellar, leaving;
the body where 1t fell. He then left the,
place, and did not return until the next
day. I
As soon as Mary could dress herself and
get ready, she left the house, and went to al
house where Jacob Franzen was workingl
to whom she was engaged to be married.
She told him all that had happened, and
that she was afraid to remain there any
longer unless he was there. They agreed
to get married soon; possibly the next day !,
The day after the occurrence, they went
back to the house, and remained there
Steitz also returned that day or the next,
and the night after his return Franzen and
Mary heard him working down in the cellar,
and at one time heard dead, heavy noise,
like the falling of heavy body, which they
supposed to be made by Steitz throwing the
corpse into the grave which he dug for 1t.
During the time he was occupied at the
| burial, he came up stairs four or five times,
and drank whiskey. in order to nerve him-
self for the work. lfnoie .l.e8f5.rf +
| The Franzens agreed to say nothing about
| the matter on account OF the disgrace it
| would bring upon the family. But later
Mary wrote to sister, Mrs. Brown, in
j Germany, stating what had occurred. AT
ter time the Browns immigrated to Indi-
ana, and an old partnership quarrel between
them and Steitz was renewed, when Brown
becoming exasperated, threatened to ex-
pose the murder. SteitZ dared him to do
so. The Franzens, hearing what had oc-
CURED, thought it was time to unveil the
whole matter to the authorities, and upon
their information Steitz was arrested, On
digging for the body in the cellar only a
small portion of the remains was found
On being asked to make q clean breast of
the matter, Steitz did SO, stating that he had
subsequently, taken up the body and burn
ed it. 1t seems, however, that the body
was SO much decomposed that he did not
get all Of 1t. The murderer was tully COM
mitted for trial. ,}o