Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-11-30

FOL LOWS,
a.. &C., sc.
In St Louis, On the 10th inst, two Of
fcers LON Monroe CO., ILL.,, captured
Charles Strahl, who had murdered Henry
Goetz, farmer. and his wife. He was
taken back to the village of Columbia,
where he confessed the crime, and offered
to show where lie had concealed the body
of G-etZ, which lad not yet been found
A telegram in the Cincinnati Enquirer"
says:
His stolid face was even more stupid
than ever, and his little, bead-like eyes
looked plggish. He answered questions IL
a listless, mechanical sort of way, but he
didn't seem in any sense keenly alive TO
the peril of his position. AT about half
past O'Clock the doomed man was hand
ed into a wagon, and, strongly guarded,
was driven i'll the direction Of the GoetZ
farm. Quite Il number Of farmerS--nuJ
toys and wild youths, but grave aud aus
tere men, who had cOngregated in the town
during the morning-rode before or behind
the vehicle which contained the prisoner.
The crowd, swelled by the curl, sity of
those DESTROYS of closely observing his
presence, became sort of cavalcade. A
man or two on horseback joined the party
at almost every cross road. The party rode
silently and acted gravely. The word was
passed in the crowd that the body of
Henry Goetz had been found fes, mill
utes before. ''Hush! let the murderer
show the spot y commanded some one in
a suppressed voice.
A quarter of mile back from the main
road the party dismounted. To one side
lay vast and level field, carefully titled,
and speaking well for its lucky possessor.
To the other side stood thick cOpSe.
About a quarter OF a mile in each direc-
ton thick, matted underground WAS upon
the soil, and the weeds, dried and dead,
were now higher than mans head.
Strahl was taken out OF the wagon. go
Oh, now. and show where the body is"
commanded the Coroner. Like one walk
ing in d dream, he started slowly Into the
underbrush, breaking his way with his
hands until he struck a path made by some
animals. This he followed a few rods I'M
til until he stood on the banks of a slug
care he picket his way across the shallow
stream by means of "a rough bridge n ade of
old branches Of trees thrown carelessly in
to the water. He followed the banks of
the creek for about twenty yards more,
when he stopped and turned around to
those who followed him, pointed to the
banks of the creek, and said in German
and then in English: Here Henry Goetz
stood when | shot him. 1 was across the
creek. [ seized the body by the feet, and
dragged it this way He went sixty feet
into the thicket, into a place where the
lilacs grew last spring, and said: Here is
where I left the body" A pile of dead
leaves and brush lay at his feet, and point
ing to it, he said: ''Look in there p
A dozen hands fastened to remove the
body of Henry Goetz. A ragged hole in
the back of the skull told Of instant death.
Coroner Hilton proceeded without delay
to lmpanel jury. The only person exam
ined was Strahl, the confessed murderer.
Two hundred grayelooklng men bent in
silence to hear his words. The deceased
has two brothers. One of them-Joe by
name-a poor, simple creature, hung over
the dead body of his brother, and spoke to
it almost continually in tones Of plaintiff
affection. By the side of Strabl, with eyes
fixed steadily upon the face of the cover
ing culprit, stood MaltZ GoetZ, the elder
brother. Strahl gave his testimony slo"-
ly ard in weak voice. He WAS pale IS
death. Coroner Hilton took down the con-
fession as made, and the following is a
confession of the murders committed by
me On Sunday, Nov. l. was out hunting
with Henry GoetZ on last Sunday aft erDoon
III the woods near his house. While walk
ing along he told me that had better go
back TO Stumpff's and nl;tke it all right
about the money and the boat that stole.
[ refused to go, and he said he would make
me. l watched my chance, and, snatcliing
his rife, IAN away with it. He followed
me, and [ ran across the creek. AS he
reached the bank l drew up his rifle, and.
aiming it at him, said: stand back. or
[ will shoot YOU He turned around.
when [ fired and shot him dead. [ came
across the creek after the shooting and
dragged the body to where it WAS found
to-day. [ tried to cover it up with leaves
and mud. l took Goetz's bullet pouch,
powder flask. and rifle with me. | went
over to my shanty, but did not go in. This
was at O'Clock in the evening. After a
little | went up to Goetz's house and
knocked at the door. Mrs. Goetz came to
the door and said. "What do you want 2"
I said, II want all the money you have got
in the house, She said. Il have no mon
ey. We are very poor, and if there Is any
money he has got it," | then said. Il just
killed him while ago, and you SHALL not
live to tell on me-" She screamed and ran
into the house. l followed and grabbed
her, and drew her on into the yard. | let
her go to pick up the axe from the wood
pile. She ran again toward the house, but
[ struck her with the axe just as she was
gojne throug the door. She fell down and
groaned q little, and then | struck her
again. She groaned only once more. |
took her by one arm and one foot, and
dragged her to the cellar door and threw
her in. [ killed her because ! was afraid
she would find out about my killing GoetZ
and tell on me. waited around in the
woods for while, ard then hitched UP
GoetZ's mules to his wagon, put his trunk,
rifle, umbrella and some clothing into il,
hitched one heifer behind me, and then
went to Carondelet. | sold the heifer to a
butcher named Klach for $12, After that
[ went tc 81. LOUIS and tried to sell the
team. [ sold the team and was arrested,
but WAS 1t 90. sold the team to Isaac
Meyer fer so. get s25 cash down. left
$40 of the n!nney III the hands OF a man by
the nanie of Paden. | am "A years of age,
HitzerlaHd. | have been two years in
this country. MI. oetz never gave me
cause to hnrt hii., and | W li!d not have
injured him if lie i.;d :ilt waited me to go
back to Stuinptf S. | killed Ms Goetz
between and 7 o'clock in the evening""
Carl Strah! bent to sign his name. He
Strengthened again, when at that instant a
man WHO Lad been standing by his side
with a sudden II oveme!. thew the moose
Of a rope over the miserable Great ure's
neck and cried hoarsely Away with him
boys!" Fifty men had hold of the rope.
Stlahl was jerked from his feet ard
dragged to the ground for a few feet. He
his fe4t, and ran to escape the
pressure Of the moose, which choked him.
he gasped and fell again. The briars tore
his flesh. a little clearing was reached.
'iiave you anything to Say efore you die?"
said the spokesman Of the party, as he re-
adjusted the moose. Slrahl made no reply.
Up with him p said the spokesman, and
fifty pair of Drowned and toil-stained hands
pulled the rope. which left Carl Stralil
dangling in the air.