Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-01-25
SCHILLER SEIZEn.
The Newhat House Saloon Keeper Held Upon
Suspicion Of Firing the House.

Milwaukee Cor: Although q consider
able crowd of curious have gathered
about the ruins of the Newhall House
watching the work OF searching for the
bodies of the missing, public interest
has been almost entirely centered in
the case of the arrest of George Schel-
Ter on the charge of setting the building
on fire. The excitement last night vas
SO great that the Hon. w. IL. Ebberts,
of council for Mr.. Scheller, requested
the authorities to have his client re-
moved to some other place IN order TO
secure perfect security. This request
was favored by District Attorney Clarke
who expressed fear of a riot and at
tempt to lynch the prisoner. After con-
sultation among the authorities it was
decided TO remove MIR. Scheller. He
was secretly taken away in the night,
and his whereabouts are now known
only to the inner circle of officers at
the Sheriff's headquarters and at the
office of the Chief of Police. Although
one or two points and the cireumstan-
tial evidence against the prisoner have
an ugly look, the unanimous opin-
ion among those acquainted with
him is that he is innocent. Mr.. Schel-
Ter is 80 years old. has been connected
with the Newhall House for nearly ten
years, and has been universally pop
ular.
A street rumor prevailed this after
noon to the effect that Scheller had
made a confession. The M Great
ed considerable excitement, but was
promptly denied by his council.
Scheller's sister, Mrs. Tabor, of Bay
went directly to the Jail. On being
told that she could not see the prisoner
she broke down, giving utterance to
piercing shrieks. and protesting her
brothers innocence. She was taken to
Mr.. Scheller's residence, where she
joined her sorrow with thato the prison
er's grief-stricken wife.
A number of prominent gentlemen
went forward to-day and offered TO bail
Mr.. Scheller in any sum required, but
his council decided that it would be
wisest not to have him liberated till all
excitement over the matter shall be al
layed.
About $50 lastnight a carriage drove
up III liOlI VI tilS JdAls anu bilc oicliil
with two deputies took Scheller from
his cell to the carriage. Sheriff Bentley
and the deputies then entered and were
hurriedly driven to the House of Correc-
ton, where it was at first intended he
should be placed. On reaching the
house the Inspector was absent, and
the officers in charge refused to receive
the prisoner. A consultation was held
between the Sheriff and deputies, and
they decided to remove him from the
city. 1t is said he was taken to Racine
on the midnight train, but a gentleman
from Racine SAID be was sure he was
not there. 1t is reported from trust
worthy sources that Scheller was taken
to Waukesha and is now locked up in
Jail at that place. An official of the
Sheriif's Office stated this afternoon
that Scheller had been taken away, but
that he would be brought into the Mil
waukee Municipal Court on any day
set for examination, but farther he
would say nothing either about the
removal or where he was taken.
When Scheller was brought out of
Jail he uttered scarcely aword. This
is pretty rough. to have such a charge
as this hanging over you is all he was
heard to say. He seemed to be almost
completely broken down, and followed
the officers in a dazed sort Of a way, as
though he hardly knew what he was
doing.
The failure to find the register of the
Newhall, OF any other books in the safe
which would show who were in the no.
tel the night of the fire, caused consid-
cradle surprise, and many theories are
put forward as t. what became Of the
books. 1t had been reported and ex-
pected hat the register and transfer
book had been put into the safe when
the fire was discovered, and hundreds
OF persons all over the country were
waiting for the register to be recov-
cred so that it might be known who
were the guests OF the hotel OH that
fatal night. When the safe was opened
no books or papers to show who were
employed in the hotel or guests were
found-only blank books and a lot of
unimportant papers. Mr.. Antisdel,
who was present when the safe was
opened, quickly threw the contents into
a box and carried it off.
The Chief of Police states tonight
that he learned one of the clerks ran
out of the burning hotel with the reg
lister, but stumbled downstairs and lost
the book. The transfer book is not
heard from yet.
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 25.-George Sehel-
Ter is again an inmate of the County
iail-if he was eyer taken away from
that institution. 1t is now believed by
a great many people that the Sheriff's
officials invented the story of Scheller's
removal to ward off any attempts of
mob violence. If that was the motive,
there was not the slightest cause for it.
While the date for the preliminary ex-
animation of the prisoner or his appear
anee before the grand jury, whatever
the case may be, is vet a matter of the
dim future, the detectives are hard at
work to secure additional evidence.
Scheller's friends claim that the remov-
al of a part of his stock, the amount of
his insurance, his diligent search for
loans and his subterfuges as 10 his
whereabouts during the night of the
fire, in fact everything, can be salts
faetorily explained. The police have
aScertained that Scheller had among
his fixtures seyenty-fuur billiard balls.
representing q value Of from 800 to
$500. There were five billiard tables
and three pool tables in the room. and
not a single ball has been found in the
ruins. 1t is impossible that these ivory
balls burned, but it is a bare possibility
that they were not noticed in tho saarob