, 1877-11-11
Lynching of the Brutal Murderer
Strahf at Columbia, III.
He Conesses to the Murder of Farmer
Goetz and Wife,
And Relates the Horrible Man.
ner Of Their Taking-On.
Yesterdays Record Of Miscellaneous
Murders.

sTNHfAR1LY LYNCHED,
Spreia1 E5s51teh tn The t1hira1o 7.4hzn&
ST. Louis. Mo-, Nov. 10.-As prophcsicd /
vour correspondent, the citizens in the neic,
1orhood OF Columbia, ILL.,, this morning too
into their own hands the law, and administer.
swift aud summary justice to Carl Staah]. ff
the murder Of Henry Goctz and his wife. III
details Of which wcrc given in to-day's TR,f
r*E. This morning the prisoner WAS taken t
the scene Of the murder whcr
an ipnucst was at oncc iuauct1ratcJ
The news Of tho horrible tr:.sed
had strongly excited tue community, and a hun
dred farmers On horseback witnessed the mn
ceedings. Their horses we're pickctet1 al an ad
Joining fence. Their faces were raIe and deter
mined. and there was frequent exchange q
mysterious whispers. All this was significant
Several witnesses were examined, and then tn,
prisoner was induced TO make 4 comics
sion. He made it with trembling
1ps His short and squat figure
shook with excitement. His broad shoulders
massive arms, and sturdy legs spoke o1 grea,
strength but were sub1ued now hy terror Ills
low and hect1ing forehead oyerhuns pair o,
greedy, bright and cruel eyes, His thick and
sensual lips we're parted aud trembling His
naturally rcrulsiye face was even more repul-
sire from its deatl]y pa1lor. He spoke slowly
snd with frequent glanccs at the crowd.
The substance Of his confession WAS as follows
Calling on Goetz Wednesday morning the lat
ter urced him to make restitution for piece Of
petir larceny be had recently committed. Strahl
refused. Goetz picked I'D Il rife, and threat
cned. Strahl took it away from him after Sc
we're struggle. Goe:Z then seized shot gun,
Etrahl ran. They ran through the woods,
ewamp, and underbrush a quarter OF
anile- Strahl then stopped and told Goetz to
quit. as be would shoot. Goctz turned to run
and Strall shot, the rifle-ball entering Goetz's
bead in the rear, piercing the brain, ard ho fell
in his tracks. Strahl took the body into piece
of thick, almost impenetrablc, undcrhrush. and
covered it with leaves. No eye would have
seen it in that lonely spot, even if within a
yard
Going thence to the house Strah1 determined
to add robbery to murder. At the door he met
Mrs. Goctz, a fair-haired b1ue-evcd young
woman Of =. He informed her that he had
killed her husband. She screamed and turned
to fly. He seized an IL and buried it in her
skull. ..-&he repeated the alarm in faint ycice.
He beat in the side OF her head
with tho ax. 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, a rough bench, and wheel
barrow Hc then robbed the house, after TAX
ing 4 pin from her breast. and taking the horse
and wagon drove rapidly through the night to
St. Louis, distant about fifteen miles.
At the Coroner's suggestion Stralll took the |
jury 70 the spot where the murdered husband !
lay Turning up the leaves. the body was |
found muddy aud covered with blood. They |
then went back to the scene Of the inquest
The confession having been completed, the
Coroner asked St:ahl to sign it. II was read |
over to him, and he affixed his signature in I
scholarly and rarld handwriting, Strahl WAS a
Eel!-educatcd Swiss, ami had only been two
years in this country
During this whole proceeding there was such
intense excitement among the crowd that not 4
word was spoken. 4 few significant gancca |
we're exchanged. AS Strah] resumed his scat
n!ter signing the confession, d man stcnpe,l
forward from the crowd From, underneath his
coat lie drew rope halter aud threw 1t over
stral,l's head. As it clinvhed around his neck,
hstl lccn stretched along the ground. Strahl
[ell from his scat, drawn By the rore.
The Coroner expostul:tcd., A voice said:
$ Dry up: you have have done your duty.
rain, and a few steps on be reraincl his feet
Ind attempted to resist, holding the rope with !
lis hands, Tic was fellc<1 to the GROUND by Il
dub. Struggling, aud twisting. and begging for
ife he va. dragged a distance Of fifty yards.
ind then tl,e ropc was thrown oger the branch !
II 4 sycamoge. IN second Strahl was swinging
n the air. at Il distance OF fifteen feet
rom the ground. Tie spot was beauti
III one, though touched with a sense
# gloom and SORROW by the fallen !eaTes that
rcre strewn around BY the wintry wind. Hardly !
word was spoken from first 20 last.
Twenty minutes, half an hour, foTty-fiyc min
Ics, passed, and it was evident that Strahl ! ,
7as corpse, and then the crowd, wlaic}, .
numbered nearly hundred, rode away. The
orpsc swung back and forth in the wind for
early two hours. The ioihing was muddy =
yer his lett eve showed where 4 branch had s
o5n the flesh The blo2a had covered the lett +
ide Of his face.
The banging took place q little before room, ! =
nd about ? o'clo:k the hody WAS cut down and !
uried in an adjacent pit dur for the PURPOSE.
1t is safe to prophesy that the perpetrators OF T
his art OF wild mob justice will never he |
Fougfat to answer. +
It is rusnored that the rope was thrown
lat among the spectators ard participants was 4
nc Of the Circuit .l;dges OF Illinois. but Of all
lis there can necessarily he no confirmation.
The affair has created intense excitement
re in St. Louis and judicial investigation is s
On the other hand, it is generally | !.
II that Strasli only met his deserts. aud that b
'ch an ncuisitfon would he worse than useless. q
is generally conceded that If there ever was "
Sc in which Justice aud common sense de- o
is !, !,
4 FIASCO. n
Special niSB1fct fo Tar Ca.cngn 7s1hHn.. i II