Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-21


His Own Fire Place.
From the Corydon Qowa) Monitor, Sth.l
LINEvILLE, Wayne County, Iowa, March
2.-EDIToR MoNIToR-DEAR SIR: One of
those cool, brutal murders, the bare recital
of which makes the blood run cold, has Just
thrown this community into the greatest ex-
element a brief synopsis of which, with
your permission, propose to lay before your
readers. IL appears that German by the
name of George Klider, living about three
fourths of mile from this place, on farm
belonging to Mr.. T. II. p. Duncan, of OF
tumwa, has been missing since the night of
Feb. %. Mr.. X. was single man, about
thirty years of age, and lived alone, the
house in which he lived being abont half a
mile back from the road, and about the same
distance from any other dwelling. From
the subsequent conduct and contradictory
statements of a German neighbor by the
name Of VIM. Hoogman, the people here
were led to suppose that Klider had met
with foul play and arrested Hoogman as the
murderer.
Upon being questioned as to the where
abouts of the missing man, the prisoner
tainted, but upon recovering stated that
Klider had gone TO Trenton, Mo-, and left
his property in his (Hoogman's) charge I'M
I'll his return. The arresting party then
proceeded 10 examine Kilder's house.
Large spots of blood were found on the
floor and walls of his room, the whole
premises emitting the most sickening odor;
large quantities of human bones were found
in the smouldering ashes of the fireplace.
The lower jaw was but little disfgured.
Large pieces of the skull, together with
pieces of hnman flesh, were dug out of the
ashes aportiOn of the former showed an
incision as if the body had been chopped
in pieces with an axe, preparatory to burn
ing. The most of the bones, however, had
been pounded TO pieces. Portions of the
murdered mans saddle were found in the
ashes, burned probably TO substantiate the
story that he had gone away on horseback.
Upon examination before Judge Snyder
and Esquire Alley the following facts in re-
lation to the prisoner, Hoogman, were elicit
ed: That he left home on the evening Of
February 22d, about 5 o'clock, and did not
return until after sunrise the next morning,
and that he failed TO give any satisfactory
answer TO his wife's inquiry as TO his nights
absence; that he was engaged during the en-
tire day of the 23d of February in removing
the missing mans effects to his own house,
telling his wife that Klider was coming to
live with them on his return; that on the
oath he went to Princeton Mo-, and traded
off horse belonging TO Klider, which he
had concealed since his disappearance; that
he offered to sell note of Klider's for $3.50
on Mr.. ]. L. Sullivan, of this place, but on
account of some crooked statements he made
in relation to the note, failed TO dispose Of
IL, and the note, together with the pocket
book, pocket-knife, and other trinkets, iden-
tilted as the property of the murdered man,
were found on the prisoners person at the.
time Of his arrest.
The murderer must have been engaged in
his devlsh work Of burning the remains
during the entire night OF February I'D. i.
was with the utmost difficulty that TIE citi-
zens could be restrained from wreaking sum
mary vengeance on the prisoner. He is
large masculine man, abou: thirty five years
old, with a brutal oountenance, which yon
can scan in vain for single indication of
the finer feelings of humanity. He is now
in Jail in Princeton, No, awaiting trial.
The only motive for the hellish act appears
10 have been that Of gain.