The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-07-04
AwfLl tragedy.
A Young Han Shoots the Lady h.
Lopes and then Himself.

From the Cine matt Enquirer. +
Yesterday morning intelligence
reached the city Of a horrible tragedy
which occurred about,7 miles from
the city III Delhi township, in the
vicinity of the Catholic church, on
the plank road leading from Sedams-
Vile, three miles this side of the lit
tie town OF Warsaw. The victims
of the tradegy were man named
VIM. Belts, twenty-eight years of
age, and a young lady named Sarah |
Klein, eighteen years OF age. The
particulars OF the terrible affair arct
as follows:
|. Belts had been paying attention to
Miss Klein for about year, and had
proposed marriage to her. 1t seems
she did not think favorably Of the
match, and had met his proposals
with evasive answers, though she
did not positively forbid his address
es. He became importunate, repeat
ing lis roposals upon every oppor-
ltunity, and endeavoring to persuade
her to accept, declaring his ardent
attachment to her, Whether she
! finally positively rejected his propo-
sails or not, is not certainly known
but she permitted attentions from
another young man living in the
ncighborhood, perhaps with the in
tcntion ofdiscouraging Belts and free
ing herself of his opportunities.
Miss Klein was Catholci, and as
usual Sunday morning attended
church. She there met the young
man TO whom of late she had shown
preference, and he accompanied her
to her home Belts was also there
as usual, though he was Protestant
and felt deeply wounded at tho open
and intentional neglect with which
: he was treated. To SEQ the woman
whom he positively loved in compa.
ny with another, who, in his jaun-
! diced eyes, was already her accepted
lover, and to have his own avowed
J, love SO deeply sighted, aroused all
the fierce jealousy Of his. nature and
: drove him to desperation.
In the evening Belts determined
: to visit Miss Klein, whether with the
terrible resolution of committing the
d deed he did, or not, is, Of course, a
= matter of conjecture. The fact that
r he took with him revolver, favors
the superstition that he meditated
n something of the kind. He may have
made in his own mind the murder Of
the girl, and perhaps his own dcstruc
ton, the dreadful alternative Of hel
!, acceptance. of his proposals.
= 1t was just little before dark wher
he neared the residence of the moth
happened thai The Ho1 gir!. and It $
: : was preferred over him (whose nam.
Z we Lave been unable to learn) wa.
: just about taking his leave. Mis-.
q Klein and he were standing at thu
= gate in front Of the house. Belts
:, : burning with jealousy, took posi-
: ton where he could not be seen, anc
. = watched them The youngman wher
= on the point Of leaving her, it seems
: kissed her, and then took his leave
) tor home. All the ferocious pass
= ions of his nature were now aroused
,f and he strobe rapidly toward The
j gate where the young lady was still
standing.
! She saw him coming, and, alarmed
at his excited manner and terrible
) looks, retreated before him toward
. the house. lie pursued her through
! the gate, and demanding with an
: oath, what business that man had te
: kiss her, fired at her three times in
Il rapid succession, withou. effect
: The young lady almost paralyzed
with fright, managed to gain the in.
! side Of the house, but he forced open
: the door and fired anothershot, which
y took effect in her left breast passing
!, through the heart, and instantly
: killing her. The murderer then
] rushed from the house, passed out
: through the gate, and crossing the
= fence into field on the opposite side
:, OF the road, stopped and discharged
the contents of the chambers Of the
: revolver into his own breast, and fell
dead almost instantly. The ball
: passed through his heart, as did the
!, one which he aimed at her whom he
ri loved not wisely but too well.
= The mother of the girl was in the
house when her daughter was mur-
i dered. and tainted when she saw her
: daughter fall lifelcss to the floor
i The father Of the young lady died a
4 few months since, and the mother a
son-a young man-and the daugh
i. ter We're living together.
j 4 slightly different version of the
j. affair from what we have given above
. IS, that the girl was not unwilling to
marry Belts, but her family strong
~ objected to it, because he was a
Protestant, and she would not disre-
gard their wishes in the matter.