The sun., 1873-09-05
A WIFE ANDLOvER'S CRIME
THE TR4GEDY THAT Vas ENACTED
ONA CALIEORNIA RANCH.
The story ne Told By the womar and Her
Accompiice The Murderer an tister
Conn,, Mana Fearful Midnight Fight
aud Tramp Arrested and Indicted.


aud Tramp Arrested and indicted.
Corresu ondcnce u The sun.
MATINEE cal, Aug. 16.-A terrible
tragedy occurred at Hardings Ranch near this
place, on the night OF Aug |. The murderer is
william Osterhout, alias Nash, former resident
OF Ulster county, New York. His victim
Martin Getsbach, farmer. After the commits
sion OF the crime Nash fed. For upward Of
week no trace OF him could be found. ON the
sth inst, however, Judge Brown Of this place,
counsel for Mrs. Mary Gersbach who has been
arrested az an accompce OF the murderer, re-
cciyed letter from Nash, dated Truckee, Aug.
5. In 1t he states that he gave poison 20 Gers
bach and killed him, but that hi. wife ! =
nothing OF the matter-that shc was innp..rt.
aud that he had wronged her gr0ssly N..h
closed by saying that letter address care "
MIR. Rose, salt Lake CITY, would reach hin. The
letter was shown Mrs. Gcr~bach, who at e
recognized NaSh's handwriting, although .. had
and along the railroad, and Nash was arrested.
YESTERDAY ne was !, dyed in Jail nere. T., ,,,, ,,u
She is a far-looking woman II 2, year. or there
sbouts Her little fuur-year-old boy was with
her ia the cell. Ihe following is
MRS. GIRsHACns srURY:
when my husband left san Francisco to com
meucs farming he entered into partnership
with Frank turdy, q farmer on Harding rancn
He paid $50 down for u half interest in all the
proceeds from the land Of turdy and iot oi
cows lac nhl. some tlIie hllFT lUtl Ilhu bt'u
working together Curdy borrowed $40 from my
husband Ills brother-in-aw gave fourteen
cows a security for the note. These COWS my
husband subsequently took in payment of the
debt When my husband went to the farm,
Nash, as we 1au I'd him, worked ior oirIyi - Ixst at
necessary to have a third man around tho place
70 do work. He had therefore ensaesd Nash
band would pay the other half. told my nus
band 1t was unnecessary TO have anuther man
about the place. | could do as much ~ any
man, and was willing to work anu save the
wages. This suited my husband Last April Nash
was to leave. just a. he was about to go away,
however, he made bargain with my husband
for the use Of the cows until next October. lie
paid him StJ ON account. II was agreed between
them that Nash should have the milk to he OBJ
tanned from the cows to make butter Tor mar
Let. Eyerything went along well Tor whiIe.
Al last Curdy and my husband had disasrec-
ment, and Curdy left. Then my husband gave
up his farm, aud went 10 work a. common la
h1rer for MIR Roland. Na,n and were lett
alone a great deal at ms butter business
and at times assisting him.
THE GREEN-kYEp MONSTER ArrEARs
After a while my husband began to az; quite
oddly From several Things that noticed
saw lie was Jealous one day told Nash not 10
be too familiar with me, As lie would cause great
trouble. lie laughed, aud said lac guessed not
Every once IN whiie, when Thought my
husband was away at Rolands lie would pass
into the house or lie around the barn watching
us | always steercd mighty straight 50 ~ n"t
to give him any cause for trouble. Nash was
Just mean enough to tease the old man. When
ever he saw Martin looking AT us under his eye
brows he would wins AT me Just 70 tantaiile
him. This made Things mighty troublesome.
My husband finally detern ined to leave the farm
and ro to work somewhere else. About week
before he was killed We went to Oakland. He
hunted M a house, and was promised Work on
the street railroad lie was a,s9 pr1m;eI w~rS
home INV husband suld ;he cows for sHN tie
did not tell Ma IA Of the sale until the evening
eight days before the killing. When Nash was
told that the cows were sold he became very
angry. lie demanded To know 10y what rtgnt
they had been sold while he had an Interest IN
them. My husband said they were bis cows,
and lac had a rignt To do a. he q d pleased win
them. Nash said he had ~ right to sell ITEM,
and threatened to pay him for his smartnes,'
fore nv husband vas Killed. Tuen they had a
row Nash dew his revolver and threatened to
Kill my husband l SEPARATED them, anu thtl
went on qugrrellin- day alter day.
TUr MLRuLR.
On Friday afternoon. Aug. /. my husband
came home To- ,IpPer AT his usual hour' After
eating, he land down on the hed To take nap.
ana i,u asleep. Atyo'cock went 10 bed and
fell asleep. Martin was st.l ON the bed with
Awakened 10y some talk ia the room. saw
Nash and my husband standing on the moor
The FIRST thing heard wts Nash voice, saying
"Wny dut,'t YOU 70 to bed 20 When my nus
band saw Wa> awake, he SAID II VIII 60 u
bed when d please lie then started int
the yard. Nash followed. | heard Nash say
did you cali me a ------! DO YOU think
shots, aud soon after blows. threw dreS'
sver my shoulders. IAN g. the door, and fell oi
Tue hoOr TITO next thlns knew Nash wa
standing over me, pouring water on my head
He said, Don't hs frightened there's moth
ing the matter" lie added that he bad FINISHED
my husband and was going 10 tell Mr. Moore T.
come and help me take care OF the BODY. liz
then went away. In a short time he return"'
with Mr.. Moore. who helped me get my husban,
INTO tue house while Nash went up stairs an
changed hi- clothing lie came down sp4
after, and SAID he was gong for doct'r IL
went away, and have not seen him since.
THE ATTEMPTS TO POISON GERsBACH.
The Croton oil story is not untrue. nor !, tina
about laudan. m IN nv husband : rHnee. kne'
nothing about the trutun OIL uuul some tim
after it was administered. Oue day my husuan
complained ~ h,inT SICK sent lor pr' IMtu M
ridge Of Oakland lie came, examined my hu
band said he had cholera morbus, lett me SON
powder, to give him, CHARGED -, ana wei
away. When he Was gone sash said' guess
have cleaned all the jealousy out OF the o
man" and laughed. asked hun wnat he mean
He said he had gwen dose of Croton oil To II
one evening had placed the supper on II
table and went t. the door To- call my hushan
Asl turned round 20 g back I" the ktchen
,aw n ash .pour, something INTO my husband
cup OF coffee. ! sad, " W hat are YOU uoihg
tie told me to hold my tongue. Just then y
husband came In. lie sat down, to3k moui
ful Of coffee, spit it out, and said he want
another ci u uf coffee. | passed him my cu
threw away his coffee, and the meal went On.
did not think then that lie suspected wnat h
been done. | have told all SNOW all ut the cai
Yesterday made a coll ON the murderer
Is about "a year. Of age, %t medium 4rIInt, a a
hair black. His hands ire large and coarse, a
indicate thHt be has heen hard-w3rh'h- M
He had not been shaved IN several days, "A
this added To the roushness of his appearan
lie is not 10y any means brutal looking pera'
he would be good looking man.
TIIE MURDERER's STORY.
have read Mrs. Gershach's statement
absurd IneTe Is hardly word of truth in
She says that attempted to poison her husba
That IL not true. She made all the attempts
poisoning herself she put the laudanum /
fOnse-cup an hour before dinner, and set
other cup In that To cover 1t up. Her plan was
stupely him, and then pry his mouth open a
Dour mute laudanum down his throat she -
him the crotOn oil also,
will give fun history oi the dffculty VIII
resulted ia Ger.hach' death, On Tuesday mig
July -, Martin came up stairs. asked htm II
would lei me sleep with hIm. lie said no, an
slept in the Chsc~e-rOOIu, The next mprult
asked Martin If he had any grudge against
lie said he had. told him, II he didn't wan
hght me a fist night to take pistol aud cu
outside, as | did not want any advantage.
declined to fight duel, but said he would
me some other way. | told MIN his chance
open any time, and that | would keep my
on him. That WAS on Tuesday,
/ said more to him until Friday nil
when he came In said "Goud evening""
he wouldn't answer sat dswn ana rea
couple of songs, and then went - ted g.
bach was Ning on couple Of chairs. II
had leeu bad blood between us for some Il
Either he or his wIfe-l don't know which
tried to poison me once, They wanted TO
me on the ranch, whlCh was mime. 1t is