The Red Cloud chief., 1889-04-19
TRAGEDY.
Jacob schaIee Murders His Mistress and
Takes He Owa Life.

Jacob schaIee Murders Hh Mistress asa
Take HIS DIVA Life.
KANSAS CIrY. Kan, April 12-In Pay.
monde undertaking establishment there
lies ths body Of Jacob Schaier. The bal.
let hole through his neck tells the story
either Of suicide or murder. and possibly
OF both. In q little farm house located
four miles west OF Kansas City. Kan. On
the line Of b Northw es;ern road and very
near the track Of that line, lie tue remains
OF Mrs. Wilmatha Seidrich, who WAS last
seen alive last Friday afternoon.
When the report Of . suicide and murder
hrst reached the coroner yesterday after
noon . reporter ven 70 the scene OF the
crime and ascertainei facts leading up to
the two tragic deaths
1t appears that Mrs.. Seidrich. . widow,
owned . farm Of sixty.fve acres on the
line OF the Northw estern road, foul miles
directly west Of this place. Between IL
the houses OF neighbors lie plateaus and
wooded sections of land, and on this &C.
count but few people visited them or
passed by the place. Friday afternoon
Mrs. Seidrich was seen wor king about the
house by children OF Q neightor living .
mile away. That WAS the last time
she was seen alive. During Friday night,
all day Saturday. all day Sunday and up
to yesterday morning the cattle belong.
ing to the farm were heard lowing. but
not until noon did the neighbors consider
al investigation necessary. As two OF the
farmers approached the hou. the cattle
rushed toward them lowing and apparent.
~ starved 10 death. One Of them was an.
able TO move and was moaning piteousiy.
At the door OF the two tory frame house
lay a shepherd dog and ~ the strangers
walked u? b pathway hs would get up,
go into the house and then come out and
lie down again. As the farmers got
to the steps the dog began snarling
and made an attempt to keep them away.
Forcing him TO one side the men looked in
mt the door and ia the sleeping apartment
just beyond the kitchen witnessed a
horrible sight. On the Ted lay the body Of
the woman. her feet hanging over and
touchin: the hcOr. 4 bullet hole through
her left breast and another through the
stomach told the terrible method OF her
taking oil. The terrible Oiur Of decoIn.
posing Dash drove the men from the hous.
before they could iinish their investiga.
ton. They had surmised the cause OF It
all when they stumbled across the form OF
Jacob Schaler. a man forty-fivs years old,
who hal b-en employed As n farm hand
by the widow. His bOiy lay on the floor,
his head hanging TO one side IN the lounge.
while the bullet hole in hi, neck and the
revolver near his outstretched hand made
il almost certain that he had first killed
The widow and then himself.
The ~neighbors were very reticent whom
concerning the relations Of the
only two occupants q the house, who had
resided there alone for six years past.
The murdered woman. who was tifty-five
FEARS Of age came from Germany twenty.
five years < with her husband, August
and located in Wyandotte. They
in that city about four years and
purchased the little farm near Bra.
mans Hill After living there for some
time, il is said that Miller hung himself.
Mrs. Miller aiterwnrd married Seidrich
and they lived together for several years
before Seidrich's death, which is said to
been due 10 a mistake in taking the
medicines too frequently.
About SIX years ago Mrs. S.idr.ch had .
man named Potwin tending her farm.
who vas forty-fve years I'D.
10 her house about that time AMI
was discharged. Schaler had
in the SANE. house with the old lady
since that time. and had managed
he little farm for a share 1t the proceeds.
10 is said bv the neighbor> that they
had quarrels over ,r'fIug mat
'-rs, but nothing serious had occurred.
hen asked il the couple had tesn living
rs husband and wife the neigh |
bors had little TO say, hut tue son. Adolph
Nll.er, WIS quite emphatic in asserting
hat no such relations had existed bet con
he two. Schalcr had Simply lived in the
aouse Is his mothers hired man. THE |
ION added that he was addicted to drink |
frequently went on sprees that lasted
or a week. The neishbors also said tina,
had been drunk q great deal
ately. |
The house in which the tragedy occurred
xas the scene of a similar tragedy about
years ago. Ii is aid that Q
moved into the house whom IL wos
irst built and after living there about .
GEAR the neishbors discovered the dead
,odics OF the man and his wife. Tn.
.heory was 1t that time that it was a case
Il murder and suicide. but the oldest resi-.
Of the locality could not rccollect
he name.