Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-10-15

Particulars of the KILLING of John
Heb by Kari Levi-The Escape OF
the Murderer.
Scotland Citizen, 14th: Last Satur-
day evening at 0 o'clock the quiet ilttip
village of Mcnno, ten miles east of Scot.
land, was the scene OF an npprovoked
and cowardly murder. John Heb, o
quiet, peaceable and ipoffensiye busi-
ness man was the vIotlm, and Karl Lew,
o clustering, quarrelsome blacksmith,
was his slayer. The circumstances ale
as follows: Heb, who was the proprIe-
tor of meat market, in the afternoon OF
the day of the tragedy purchased of Levi
steer for butchelng and went out in
the country a few miles to bring 1t in.
He tied the animal behind his wagon,
but it proved to be contrary and would
not lead. and Heb and his men used the
animal roughly in getting it into town.
This made Levi mad and was the direct
cause OF the murder. About nine O'Clock
IN the evening Levi and some half dozen
others were in Trottnow's saloon discuss
ing the outcome of the republican con.
vention held at Olivet that day when
HleD came in and took chair and sa.
down beside one of the beer tables 10
the saloon. The men present, with the
exception of Heb, were oil standing
when one of them called for some sau
sage, which is sold in the saloon, when
Levi said he had some end called for a
knife used in cutting it, and went
around among the men giving the men
each piece. When he came to where
ii eb was sitting slap was heard by
| go N no h,t )
| the evidence is not clear. No one saw
blow struck, but several testify that
they heard noise or report such as is
made by blow struck with something
flat. Attracted by this noise several of
the men present turned around to learn
the cause when they saw Levi in the
act OF striking Heb with chair, and
before his murdeious intent could be
stayed he brought the chair down with
terrific force on top Of Hleb's head
while he was sitting quietly in chair
crushing his skull and render
ing him insensible. Heb was
Immediately taken to the Office of DR.
Wallace who made an examination of
the wound, but was not convinced at the
time that it would prove fatal. But
within an hour after and upon second
examination DIR. Wallace pronounced
the injury fatal and the man in dying
condition. At this time and fully an
hour afterward Levi had made no effort
to escape, nor had the officers of the law
or the citizens of Memo taken any steps
| towards his detention or arrest. After
it was known that Heb would die he
was taken TO his home, still in an un-
conscious and insensible condition, and
laid upon bed where he died at four
o'clock the following morning.
| A representative of the Citizen visited
the scene of the murder Tuesday and
spent The day gathering the facts in the
affair. 1t was learned that Levi re
mained in town fully two hours after
he struck the blow which ended
Hiebs life. and for an hou
after it was known that he would die
The theory of his escape aud the man
ner by which it was accomplished
without giving the names of his assis
tants, is as follows: About eleven o'clocl
Lew harnessed one of his horses an
together with two OF his friends droy
to Olivet. where Levi went before no
tary public and made deed of hi
real property to his wife and realized OIL
his chattel property and with th
money and companion furnished O
| OliYet to bring his horse back, Levi be
gan to put distance between hlmsel
and the scene OF his crime. at 10 o'cloc
Sunday, six hours after Hleb's deaf
and twelve hours after it was know
that he was dying, a warrant was issue
for Lewis arrest, and at 2 o'cloc
Sheriff Bellop, who resides at Olive
four miles from the scene of the TRACE
dy, arrived at Memo and sent message
to the various sheriffs in this section fo
Lewis arrest. At 3 O'Clock, Sherii
Petrie, at Tyndall, received messaR
and instantly came to the conclusio
that Levi would attempt to cross th
river either at Springfield or Runnin
Water-in which he proved to be corree
and he got hand car an
went to Springfield and found that LIE,
had been there and had made an attemr
to CROSS the river on the ferr,
but the owner of the boz
recognized him and when he attemp
J ed to speak to him Levi turned upu
his heel and went into the town an
got livery team and went to Runnin
Water. The constable there was on tl
lookout for him, but the descript1o
J given in the message was defective an
he was not arrested. Upon crossing th
river and arriving at Niobrara be Q,
gagged team to take him to Creighton
Neb., at which point he took th,s cal
and all trace OF him was lost.