Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-04-21
FIFTEEN YEARS CONCEALED.
A Reading Woman on Her Death
Bed Reveals the Facts Off Murder.

READING, Pa, April IA sensation
has been created In this city to-day by
the arrest of three well known citizens,
accused Of having committed murder 10
years ago, the circumstances OF which
have Just bsen made public. The names
of the accused persons are George Colt
schall, Samuel Butterweck and William
Eyler. They were taken into custody at
late hour last night by Policemen
Sheeler, Mannerback and Gross of this
city. Fifteen years ago Gottschall was
the proprietor of resort in Cedar street,
in this city, known as buck Hail."
which, during the war, was srequented
by soldiers passing through Reading. 1t
was in this place that David Good, i
soldier, is said to have met the defendants
in October, 1865, aud to have got into an
alteration with them and certain John
Tomly, who is still at large, and whose
present residence il unknown. Good
was badly beaten, and the next morning
his dead body was found at lime kiln
in the southern section of the city, about
mile from the scene of the previous
nights ARRAY. A corouer's jury rendered
verdict that death was caused by suiio-
cation by the poisonous fumes arising
from the kiln. The public was satisfied
with the verdict, and thus the case rested
quietly for over Is years.
This morning Gottschalis wife. who is
sick and believed to be at the point ofdeath,
made confession, in which she says
that Good on the night in question was
kicked and beaten in her husband 8
saloon until life was extinct, and that
then the body was put into bag and
carried fully a mile to the place where it
was found. Another witness is said to
have seen four men carrying suspicious
looking bundle at late hour in the
night and to have seen them return soon
afterward without it.
The confession of Mrs Gottschall has
recalled the fact that there were marks
OIL Goods face and on the heels OF his
shoes as though he had been dragged oil
| the ground. There were also several
| holes in his head, which the coroner S
| Jury at the time decided were caused by
falling upon the limestone rocks in the
| neighborhood of tho kiln. On the
strength of the confession Joseph Good, a
brother of the deceased soldier, lodged
| information against the defendants before
| Alderman Muxson, who issued the war;
| rants ana CiuStNt tllelI arrest pullsNhhll
| and Butterweck, who recently embraced
religion, were arrested in church, causing
great excitement. ButterweCk is also
said to have male confession, and it is
said that this fact, coming to the ears OF
Gottschall's wife, worried her to such All
extent that, with death staring her in
the face, she resolved to make u clean
breast OF everything. The confession
made by Mrs. Gottschall is said to he in
the hands OF the District Attorney.
The three defendants are each about 81
years OF age and the position they occupy
in the community, all of them brina
church officers, has intensified the interes
in the case. They sent for counse
immediately after their arrest, but tn,
district attorney refused to have then
admitted to bail until hattds corpus pro
ceedings could be instituted, which, il i
said, will be don. to-day.
Good was about 40 years old at TIL
time of his death. He served faithful.
through the war. He was addicted t
drinking, but was not OF a quarrelsom
disposition. The defendants We're iii
intimate associates and companions. Tn
building in which Good Is said to hay
been killed is still standing. Il is i I've
story brick structure, and Is s,uw used q
a dwelling.