River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-02-12
Cincinnafi Sensation.

Chicago Times Cincinnati Special, Jan. 81.
Another act In Cincinnati's local trag-
edy and sensational drama closed to-
day with the Indictment of William
Schaller, the brewer, for the murder of
Harry Baldwin last March. The re-
port Of the grand jury to-day created a
sensation, in spite of the fact that one
of the city papers, the Enquirer, an
nounced on yesterday substantially what
was announced in dispatch to the
Times, that the evidence against Schaller
was OF such nature that his Indictment
was most probable, but the other local
newspapers pooh poohed the matter,
and made light of it. Ever since the
grand jury reported this noon, the city
has been discussing the sensation, and
public opinion, directed by this action
of an official body of men, is rapidly ex-
pressing itself that at last the greatest
murder mystery will be cleared
up in Schaller's trial. The indictment
is for murder in the second degree. The
indictment recites that: "the grand jur-
ors of the county of Hamilton, in the
name and authority of the state Of
Ohio, upon their oathes and affirma-
tons, represent hat,Shal!er, on the 18th
day of March, in the year 1879, with
force and arms, at the county of Ham
ilton aforesaid, did unlawfully, purpose
ly, and maliciously kill Harry w. Bald
win, then and there, beng contrary to
the form Of the statute in such case
made and provided, and against the
peace and dignity of the state of Ohio"
The news reached Schaller before the
sheriff could send out to arrest him, and,
in company with his father, of the firm
of Schaller & Gerke, he FASTENED off to
the Office of his attorney, Hon. VIM.
Forrest. Hence the party repaired to
the sheriff's Office, where Schaller sur
rendered. The court upon application
fixed his bail. at $4,000, which he
gave with his father as bondsmau, and
he was released from custody. In answer
to the Times correspondents queries,
he stated that he was glad the grand
Jury had indicted him, as his trial would
prove him to the world an innocent,
much prosecuted man, and take from
him the load Of suspicion which he has
carried since the murder. The testi-
mony of Peter Schwab, who is widely
and favorably known in the community
had great weight with the grand jury,
but his testimony must have been back
cd up by much more direct evidence,
which has not yet been made public.
The Times correspondent, however has
been told that an exdetective testified
that he stood by while Private Detective
jim White placed Baldwin's valise and
the pistol in the alley where they were
found, and that White admitted that he
was in the pay of Schaller. 1t looks
the more suspicious inasmuch as White
comes forward to day and produces o
man who claims to be the person who
was introduced to Schwab in the Vine
street opera house that afternoon; but
this man does not answer to the de-
scription Schwab gives to the man in
troduced as Baldwin. The Times cor
respondent, also talked with Prescott
ing Atty. Drew to-day. He said in
Ohio a man may be convicted of assault
and battery under an indictment for
murder in the first degree. When it is
| desirable to convict a man of q lower
grade Of crime second-degree bill is
preferable, because under it selected
jury can be obtained, whereas in fret
degree cases the jury must be drawn
from the box. In response to a direct
question as to whether or not the de-
gree in which the bill against Schaller
is put, did not indicate the possession
of evidence by the jury, never yet made
public, Mr.. Drew said it only indicated
that they had testimony enough to JUS
tify them in putting Mr.. Schaler on
trial.