The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-08-05
STARTLING REVELATION OF
CRIME.
A Murderer Concealed for Nearly
Three Years--The Murderer Finally
Arrested.

The Laporte Qnd.) Democrat contains
long account of the arrest of man
named Steitz in that county, for murder
committed in August of 1S61-nearly
three years ago. The facts in brief are
these: Steitz was building a saw mill
few miles north Of La Porte, and had in
his employ man named Won Jesseda,
both being Germans. These men had
frequent quarrels about money which Won
J. alleged that Steits 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.
On the morning of the 10Th of August
the old quarrel was renewed, and the men
got to scuffling in the NOW, when finally
both fell through to the barn floor, Won
Jasseda not being yet dressed. Won j.
ran to the house, his hand bleeding.
Steitz followed him, and as soon as be
came in reach, struck him a severe blow
on the head with an iron bar which he had
picked up, knocking him down senseless.
Being near the cellar way when he fell,
Steitz kicked him down it to the cellar
and fearing that bis work was not fully
accomplished, he followed down and
pounded the body with board for some
time. The whole transaction was witt
messed at the house by Mary Steitz, who
was aroused from her sleep by the
noise at the door. She endeavor-
ed to dissuade her brother from
his purpose but he rudely 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 it fell. He then left the place, and
did not return until the next day. As
soon as Mary could dress herself and get
ready, she left the house, and went to a
house where Jacob Franzen was working,
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 bis return, Franzen
and Mary heard him working down in the
cellar, and at one time heard adead, heavy
noise, like the falling of heavy body,
which they Supposed to be made by Steitz
throwing the corpse into the grave which
he had made for it. During the time he
was occupied at the burial, he came up
the stairs four or five times, and drank
whisky, in order TO nerve himself for the
work.
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, a Mrs. Brown, in
Germany stating what had occurred. AZ
ter a time the Browns immigrated to Indi-
ana, and an old partnership quarrel be-
tween them and Steitz was renewed, when
Brown becoming exasperated, threatened
to expose the murderer. Steitz dared him
to do so. The Franzens hearing what had
occurred, thought it was time to unveil
the whole matter to the authorities, and
upon their information Steitz was arrest
ed. On digging for the body in the cellar
only small portion of the remains were
found. On being asked to make clean
breast Of the matter, Steitz did so, stating
that he had subsequently taken up the
body and burned it. 1t seems, however.
that the body was so much decomposed
that he did not get all of it. The muir
derer was fully committed for trial.