, 1873-08-24
Full Details Of Tho Keller Horror at
La Cygnc, Kai.
Antecedents Of The Wretcf1---A Man
with Six Murders on His Soul.
Lis Last Horrible Crime, and Its
Swift Itctributlo1l.
Tho Villainous Career Of Kessler, Hung
in Galloway County, Mo.

II old man Denlcr had boon known
10 huyo had q brother living In East
orn KanBus thoro could havo boon little doubt
Expressed but what J. @. Kellor, tho Gorman
murderer who was hing horo last oyoning by
tho pooplo Of Linn County, was tho brother Of
old Bender.
Like him he could boast OF moro than one
horrible murder, and like him he WINS callous
alike to pity, four, and romorso. Now that tho
excitomont Of last ovoniug'a tragedy has passed
AWAY, and only
THE DoDY OF THE EXECUTED MURDERER
remains to remind us Of the past weok's murder
aud lynching, tt Is no difficult mattor to write n
clear aud concise history Of Kollor'a diabolism in
this section OF Kansas and to trace home to him,
besides tho four murders Of Inst Sunday
night, tho death of two othor murdered
persons, ono his fret vito, murdered in
childbirth, and tho other young man,
partner Of his, who disappeared ut his
house worry mysteriously, and whom tho ontire
neghborllood suspected to havo boon murdered.
md the body concealed by Keller, and, although
diligcnt search waa mado for the missing body,
nothing YVES ovor soon or hoard uf II after it's
disappearance.
HOY Keller KILLED HIS F1Hsr WIFE.
6luco tho murder Of Mrs. Kellor aud tho Boyd
family, Inst Monday night, additional atrocities
committed by this human fond havo been
brought to light. Not long after ho malo his
settlement In Scott Township, Linn County, his
wifo was tnkon worry slck. Tho physician In at
endanco asBorted TINT tho sickness was caused
by ill-uaago, which brought OF tho pains of
childbirth, The night bofo1o Mrs. Kollor died,
tho physician instructed Kollor to aopd for him
ii Mrs. Keller should fool worao during the night.
Sho WIS suffering from kicks and bruiscs in
aictod by hor brutal husband o fow days BEFORE
In the night the noigllbors living mile distant
wero horrided by honring
A srn1Es OF HORRIBLE SCREAMS
and crloB Of agony. These crlos continued nll
night, md ceased about daylight. When the
noehbors called on tho following morning thoy
found Keller sitting smoking atolltlly and urcon-
died in childbirth On tho I'd OF Mnrcl follow
ing kelier married. his vito. who waB young,
qprglltly country girl residing noar La Cyguo.
AN 1snErnEsstpLE CONFLICT
tho first ono. Tho old German and llia young
American wife lived peacoably only for d short
time when tho uugovoraahle tempor and brutal
lty Of tho old man rendered. lifc intolerablc
a,lcnitess ali M 81, old keller kickod Aia ''''io Vic
put Of doors and throw ller clothing out utter
her. bl.o sought rofugo and shelter on tho fol-
lowing day (Juno y with llcr brotllcr-iu-lnw, Mr.
house. The more fact that Hopo lad afforded
his wife shelter aud protection seemed to give
Keller groAt 0lfenge. Ho Htor1nol and Bworo,
aud
THREATENED TO KILL AND BURN Ut THE FAMILY
md ut onco filed q suit for divorce, charging
his wifo Sarah Keller with abandonment. His
wife, through lor attorney, Col James D. snod-
dy 1lod counter bill for divorce, OIL tho plea Of
was done on tho Ath Of tho present month. This
Inst net tho part Of his vito appeared to rollse
all tho lerccst PASSIONS within tho heart OF tic
DID villain. Ho wont homo and secretly watched
an opportunity to murder aud destroy the woman
who Ind darcd to brave his nngcr, aud. worse
Than all, to attempt to obtain his property
There in his lonely cabin, tho Hcene OF
TWO FORMER MURDERS,
he plotted and planned tho bloody holocaust OF
last Sunday night
On tho evoning in question ho was soatod iu
bis cabin door smoking Lis ittlo wooden plpo.
glloomily and alone,, when neighbor named
kollor, Haley informed him tllat his wifo had
gone to stay all night with Mrs. Boyd md her
two children at little cabin about ono mile dis
tnnt, and TINT AIr. boyd had gonc ovor to noigh-
boris house to etay with threhling- machine, 80
as to bo ready to throsh OIL Monday.
Old Keller cursed lis wife, cursed Hope, cursed
Boyd, and every QUO who had given hia young
wife Hhcltor.
IT WAS THEN he PLANNED THE MURDER,
waiting until tho gloom of night had cast ia shad-
ows o'or tho lonely prairie. Old kellor broodcd
oor his horrible Intentions, first putting on pair
of linen oyorallH to protect bis clothing from tho
cap over Ills oyes, and, with his ax in Ills hand,
started out across tho dark, deserted fields. How
he reached tho house ia easily explained. His
tracks woro trailed MI plainly aH though he had
blazod his own tracks with his death-deallng
az.
THE HOUSE WHERE THE MURDER
WAS committed was common prairie shanty, II
x1G, QUO story high, built over collnr thcre
was ono window aud one door; in ono cornor Of
tho shanty was q bed. It is generally supposed
from tho position OF the botios found after the
fro that both OF tho women wero asleep in this
bod when tho murderer arrived. The theory Of
proachcd the cabin wllilo tho holposs inmates
were asloop, md had ITO difficulty in obtaining
autranco.
HOW THE SLAUGHTER wAB DONE.
Mrs. Boyd lay npon the front sido Of tho bed
with hor little 4-montha' old infaut sleeping
happily and tunocontly upon her loft arm at hot
fcot lay another little darling years old, sloop-
ing peacefully, while behind Mrs. Boyd md noxt
wratL-aIrs. Keller. Guided BY tho hoavy
breathing Of tho women, tho doyil incar,ate
rased his ax over his huud and brought it down
with crushing force upon tho forehead Of Mrs.
Boyd, killing llor instantly. This noise no doubt
awoko Alra. Kollor. She Bpraue up IN bed, mud.
recognizing her dreaded aud orucl husband in
the gloom OF tho cabin. sprung in terror toward
tho door. But tho pltilcas, doyl was not to be
only reaclcd tho door, when down came tho
deadly az for . second tlmo, smashing Mrs. Kel-
iers skull and laying hor lifoloss and qiiyering
upon the threshold.
SLAUGHTER or THE 1NNocENTg
Tho two mothers were now both silent and
dead. But yet tAo cola-hoarted doyil Waa not
satisfied. Tho little children now bccanlo alarm
ed and cried out IN thcLr terror. Viii, another
blow the 2-yoar old child was killed, aud yot tho
horrible decd was not comploto, 1lo next pro-
Gccdcl to outrage tho porA0n OF tho women III