Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-11-16

JUDGE LYNCH.
A Double Murderer in Monroe County, III,
Hung BY : Mob.
ST.. Louis, Mo-, Nov II. The citi
zens of the neighborhood of Columbia,
Ill, yesterday took into their own hands
the law, and administered a swift and
summary justice to Carl Strahl, for the
murder of Henry Goetz and his wife.
The prisoner was taken to the scene of
murder, where an inquest was at once
inaugurated. The news of the horrible
tragedy had strongly excited the COM
munity, and hundred farmers on horse
back witnessed the proceeding Their
horses were picketed at an adjoining
fence. Their faces were pale and de-
termined, and there was frequent ex-
change Of mysterious whispers. All
this was significant. Several witnesses
were examined, and then the prisoner
was induced to make confession. He
made it with trembling lips. His short
and squat figure shook with excitement.
His broad shoulders, massive arms and
sturdy legs spoke of great strength, but
were subdued now with terror His low
and beetling forehead oyerhung pair
Of greedy, bright, and cruel eyes. His
thick and sensual lips were parted and
trembling. His naturally rcpulsive face
was even more repulsive from it's death
ly pallor. He spoke slowly and with
frequent glances at the crowd. The
substance Of his confession was as fol-
lows: Calling on Goetz Wednesday
morning the latter urged him to make
restitution for piece Of petit larceny
he had recently committed Strahl re-
fused. Goetz picked up a rife and
threatened. Strahl took it away from
him after a severe struggle. Goctz then
seized a shotgun. Strahl ran. They ran
through the woods, swamp and under
brush quarter of mile Strahl then
stopped and told Goetz to quit, as he
would shoot. Goetz turned to run and
Strahl shot, the rifle-ball entering Goetz'
head in the rear, piercing the brain, and
he fell in his tracks. Strahl took the
body into piece Of thick, almost i'm
penetrable underbrush, and covered it
with leaves. No eye would have seen it
in that lonely spot, even if within
yard.
Gong thence to the house Strahl de-
termined to add murder to robbery. At
the door he met Mrs. Goetz, fair-hair-
ed, blue-eyed young woman OF ~. He
informed her that he had killed her hus-
band. She screamed and turned to fly
He seized an ak and buried it in her
skull. She repeated the alarm in faint
voice. He beat in the side of her head
with the ak. Still moaning, she was
dragged to the little cellar, whence he
threw her to the foot of the steps, and
piled on top of her the wash-tubs and
buckets, rough bench and wheelbar-
row. He then robbed the house, after
taking a pin from her breast, and taking
the horse and wagon drove rapidly
through the night to St. Louis, distance
about fifteen miles.
At the Coroner's suggestion Strahl
took the jury to the spot where the
murdered husband lay Turning up the
leaves, the body was found, muddy and
covered with blood. They then went
back to the scene Of the inquest. The
confession having been completed, the
Coroner asked Strahl to sign it. 1t was
read over to him, and he affixed his sig
nature in scholarly and rapid hand
writing. Strahl was well educated
Swiss, and had only been two years in
this country.
During the whole proceeding there
was such intense excitement among the
crowd that not word was spoken. A
few significant glances were exchanged.
As Strahl resumed his seat after sign
ing the confession, q man stepped for
ward from the crowd. From underneath
his coat he drew rope halter and
threw it over Strahl's head. AS it
clinched around his head, man further
off in the crowd drew rope that had
been stretched along the ground. Strahl
fell from his seat, drawn by the rope.
The coroner expostulated. A voice
said: DRY up; you have done your du-
ty Now we will do ours" Strahl
struggled in vain, and few steps on he
regained his feet and attempted to re-
sist, holding the rope with his hands
He was felled to the ground by club
Struggling and twisting and begging for
life, he was dragged distance of fifty
yards, and then the rope was thrown
over the branch of sycamore. In a
second Strahl was swinging in the air at
distance of fifteen feet from the
ground. The spot was beautiful one
though touched by sense of gloom and
sorrow by the fallen leaves that were
strewn around by the wintry wind
Hardly word was spoken from first to
last
Twenty minutes, half an hour, forty.
| five minutes. passed. and it was evident
that Strahl was corpse, and then the
crowd, which numbered nearly hun
bred, rode away. The corpse swung
two hours. The clothing was muddy
from his being dragged in the mud. A
scratch over his left eye showed where
branch had torn the flesh. The blood
had covered the left side of his face
The hanging took place little before
noon, and about 2 o'clock the body was
cut down and buried in an adjacent pit
dug for the purpose. 1t is safe to say
that the perpetrators of this act of wild
mob justice will never be brought to
justice.
1t is rumored that the rope was plac-
ed around Strahl's neck by Goetz s
DrOIHer, anu tIaC among Cne spectators
and participants was one of the Circuit
Judges of Illinois, but of all this there
can necessarily be no confirmation. The
affair has created intense excitement
here in St. Louis, and a judicial investi-
CATION is demanded. On the other hand
it is generally felt that Strahl only met
his just deserts, and that such an inqui-
sition would be worse than useless, 1t
is generally conceded that if ever there
was a case In which justice and common
sense demanded the services of Judge
Lynch, it was this.