The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-11-16
AND LYNCH LAW.

ffzhURDER AND LYNCH LAW. ii
Horrible Double Murder In Monroe Coun-
~. Il.-summary Hangis9 ~ the Guilty
Wretch. - VI
A deed of extraordinary horror was
recently perpetrated in Monroe county,
H., followed by the swift and summary
death of the self-confessed murderer at
the hands of an outraged and indignant
community. A young German farmer
named Goets, of excellent standing with
his neighbors, and his wife were MUIR
dered and robbed by man named
Charles Strahl, alias Joe Engler.
Charles Nashback, a neighbor, went to
the house of Goetz to see him on business.
He found everything very quiet about
the place, and, no one answering to his
rap on the door, he opened il and went
inside. Nashback found the front room
entirely stripped of its furniture, and,
having suspicion that there had been
foul play, he proceeded to make an ex-
animation of the other rooms. just at
the edge of the cellsr-door he discovered
the dead body of Mrs. Goetz, which was
terribly mutilated, being almost cleft in
two by blow from an AK. Outside OF
the rear door there were evidences of
desperate struggle, the ground being
torn up as if by tramping feet,
and evidences were found that
not only the wife but the husband
himself had been murdered and his
body dragged off to the woods in the
direction of creek near by and thrown
into the creek. Two mules and wagon
belonging to Goetz were missing, as well
as everything of value in the house. 1t
was suspected that Charles Strahl, alias
Joe Engler, had committed the murder,
loaded the wagon with the household
property, and fled. Engler had cabin
in the Columbia bottom, and a
visit to his place disclosed the fact that
he was missing. Officers at once started
in pursuit, and traced the murderer to
st. Louis. Before the arrival of the
officers the wretch had disposed of the
property of his victims and had been ar
rested and placed in the calaboose on a
charge OF drunkenness and disorderly
conduct. He was taken back to
the scene of his awful crime,
where an inquest was at once
inaugurated. The news of the horrible
tragedy had strongly excited the COM
munity, and 100 farmers on horseback
witnessed the proceedings. Their
horses were picketed at an adjoining
fence. Their faces were pale and deter
mined, and there was frequent ex-
change of mysterious whispers. All
this was significant. Several witnesses
we're examined, and then the prisoner
was induced to make confession, the
substance of which was as follows
Calling on Goetz, the latter urged him
to make restitution for n piece of petit
larceny he had recently committed.
Strahl refused. Goetz picked up rife
and threatened. Strahl took it away
from him after a severe struggle. Goetz
then seized shotgun. Strahl ran.
They ran through the woods, swamp
and underbrush a quarter of mile.
Strahl then stopped and told
Goetz to quit, as he would shoot.
GOetz turned to run and Strahl
shot, the rife-ball entering Goetz's
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. Going thence to the house,
Strahl determined to add robbery to
murder. At the door he met Mrs. Goetz,
g fair-haired, blue-eyed young woman of
o. He informed her that he had killed
her husband. She screamed and turned
to fly. He seized an ak and buried it in
her skull. She repeated the alarm in a
faint voice. He beat in the side of her
head with the 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 wheelbar-
row. He then robbed the house, after
taking 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 Strahl
took the jury to the spot where the MUIR
dered 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
Coroner asked Strahl TO sign it. It was
read over to him, and he affixed his sig.
nature in scholarly and rapid hand
writing. Strahl was well-educated |
Swiss, and had been only two years in
this country.
During this 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 signing |
the confession, a man stepped forward |
from the crowd. From underneath his |
coat he drew rope halter and threw it |
over Strahl's head. AS it clinched |
around his neck, man further off in the |
crowd drew a 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 duty;
now we will do ours" Strahl struggled |
in vain, and few steps on he regained
his feet and attempted to resist, 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 second
Strahl was swinging in the cir, at dis
fance of fifteen feet from fbe oround