The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-04-03
AN APPALLING CRIME.
Murder Of the SteItsereisIe Family
Rive Persons Butchered-O OF the
Most Inhunan Deeds Ever Recorded.

The st. Louis Globe Of the 22d gives the fol-
lowing particulars concerning the murder Of
the Steltzereide family:
The murdered family numbered five souls,
and consisted Of Fritz steltzereidc, aged
seyenty-iye years, his son Carl Franz steltz-
ereide, aged about twenty-eight, and his sons
wife and two children, one of them an infant
eight months old. and the other little girl
| aged three years. They resided on farm about
/ four miles south Of the town Of Centeryille,
which is distant from Belleville, ILL.,, eight
miles, in southwardly direction. The house
= Onc-st0ry frame, facing the east, and is set
back from the road. IL contains three rooms,
one Of which was occupied by the young man
and his wife a. sleeping apartment, the adj
! joining room being occupied by the old gentle
man. IL was in these two rooms that the ter
ribe butchery took place, and the floors.
which were uncarpeted, were literally flooded
with the blood Of the victims.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE MURDER
was made about O'Clock Friday afternoon,
by Mr.. Benz. Schneider, ncighboring farmer,
who called al the house Of the Stetzercides 10
inquire about some seed potatoes which he
had purchased, and which had not been de-
| livered. Failing 10 arouse any one by calling.
he entered the yard and approached the front
door. Finding II was unlocked, he opened II,
when, 10 his horror, there upon the floor was
/ the dead body of young >teltzereide, lying
partly on its right side, near "A table. with
] Hnd~tlN WOunb IN the throat ana the ncdu all
beaten TO "A jelly. He evidently made a severe
struggle for life. and his hands and body were
/ fearfully cut. and the middle finger Of one
! hand was cut off. The horror-stricken farmer
gazed around the room with the hope that
! something would discover itself to explain
the horrd sight, when suddenly his eye rest
/ ed on the bed. and there, sleeping the cold
! sleep Of death, lay the mother and wife. with
her two innocent children-the infant casped
\ in her arms, as If To protect IL. The skull OF
/ the woman was crushed in, and her throat
cut. The children were both killed by blows
upon the head Schneider had seen enough
to satisfy him that terrible crime had been
committed. and with cheeks blanched with
terror. he posted with all speed to the nearest
magistrate and gave the information. 1t was
not until after the arrival Of the authorities
that the discovery was made that the old
/ grandfather was also victim TO the knife OF
1 the inhuman butchers. lie was found upon
the floor in his room. his hair, siyered by the
\ frosts of seventy-ive winters. dribbled with
blood which flowed from ghastly wound in
his throat.
THE CRIME
was evidently committeda at night-sometime
during Thursday night. IL Is supposed-as the
bodies. when found. were in their night
clothes, with the exception Of the young
man, who had on 4 pair Of pantaloons. That
/ the object of the murderers was robbery il
proven by the disOrdered state of the chests
and drawers. which were broken open and
| the contents scattered around the rooms. IL
is known that steltzereide had lately re-
ceived $3.50 in cash. the price of some wheat
\ sold by him. and this IL missing; but whether
this j. all the money taken i not known. The
! family were i'm comfortable circumstances. be-
ing the owners of the farm upon which they
were living. and having sum Of money in
bank.
THE SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY
was visited Yesterday by hundreds of the
\ friends and acquantances Of the unfortunate
4 family. Sheriff Hughes who was at the scene
Of the tragedy all day Yesterday. returned
/ late last evening. and in conversation with
your reporter he informed him that he had
two under arrest to await the result of the
! CorOner's inquest. One Of them. brother-in-
law of Young steltzereide. named bocltz,
j. strongly suspected Of being concerned in
the murder. a. il Is known that he has had
\ several quarrcls with the male members
Of the murdered family. and that feud
Of long standing has existed between
them. The Sheriff l. also of the opinion
that the crime was not committed for the
purpose Of robbery. and that the ransacking
Of chests and drawers was merely blind 10
divert suspicion. He also found in drawer
two certificates of deposit. one in the Belle
Vile Savings Bank for $500. and one in the
Peoples Bank for $780, John Afkhen. the
party under arrest with Boeltz, at one time
lived with and worked for Fred. stetzereide.
TILE SUSPECTED PARTIES.
! The conduct Of Boeltz before the corpse of
! his brother-in-law, il j. said, was Of the most
remarkable character. so extraordinary was
this conduct. that a confused and ominous
murmur ran through the crowd. Boeltz was
thoroughly searched. Every particle of his
clothing was inspected TO see If blood could
be found. On his boots about the toes were
found red streaks a. IL blood had been there
and scrapcd of. Several said II was blood.
Under such striking evidence his arrest could
not be avoided. and sheriff Hughes made him
his prisoner. BOetz j. small man, about
thirty-five years Of age. He has chin whis-
kers, but no mustache, and l. not power
full man by any means. He married In Ger
many, and came here five or six years ago.
| His features are rather on the delicate order.
and he has a meek expression. He has
been strict member of the church. and
teaches Sunday-school. IL Is said that he is
little crazy at times on the subject of reli-
gion, and II is argued by some that he might
have committed the deed under the influence
/ Of religious fanaticism. Two other circunl-
stances pointed 10 Boeltz. His farm il two
miles from the farm of the Steli-
zereides. About half way along the lane,
/ for space OF one hundred and fifty yards.
DROPS OF BLOOD APPEARED,
as IL they had dropped from wounds or q
bloody garment. Along the same space were
| found several tobacco leaves with which
blood had been wiped. II was shown that
this tobacco came from the house of the muir
dercd people. and the fact that IL was on the
| direct road to the farm Of BoetZ was regard
ed as significant. When the house Of Boeltz
was searched, a pair of boots was found which
corresponded with track at the end of the
Steltzereide house. 1t was heavy mud
boot and the sole studded with large num-
Der Of broad-headed nails. The prints of the
nails in the track were plain and the lengths
| axuatlx+ ha Tho hnofz go tal ~ nns
session of by the constable making the search,
and will be used in evidence on the trial.
John Afkhen at the time Of the murder
was working for neighboring farmer. lie
II was who first carried the news to Boeltz.
lie was witness for the jury Of inquest. and