Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-04-18
FARMHOUSE TRAGEDY.

FARMHOUSE TRAGEDY.
Jacob Sohaler Murders His Mistress sAd
Takes HIS Own Life.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. April 12.-In Ray
mond's undertaking establishment there
lies the body of Jacob Schaler. The bull.
let hole through his neck tells the story
either of suicide or murder, ana possibly
Of both In a little farm hvcse located
four miles west of Kansas City, Kan. ON
the line of the Northwestern road and very
near the track Of that line, lie the remains
Of Mrs. Wiimatha Seidrich, who was last
seen alive last Friday afternoon.
When thereport OF . suicide and 1zurder
drst reached the coroner yesterday after
noon q reporter went to the scene OF the
crime and ascertained facts leading up to
the two tragic deaths
It appears that Mrs. Eeidrich, widow,
owned . farm of sixty-ave acres on the
line OF the Northwestern read, four miles
directly west of this place Between it and
the houses OF neighbors lie plateaus and
wooded sections of land, and on this az
count but few people visited them or
passed by the place. Friday afternoon
Mrs. Seidrich was seen working about the
house by children of q neighbor 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 ne;ghbors consider
an investigation necessary. AS two OF the
farmers approached the house the cattle
rushed toward them lowing and apparent
~ starved to death. One of them was un-
able to move and was moaning piteously.
At the door Of the two story frame house
lay shepherd dog and as the strangers
walked up the pathway he would get up,
go into the house and then come cut and
lie down again. As the farmers got
to the steps the dog began saarling
and made an attempt to keep them away.
Forcing him to one side the men looked in
at the door and in the sleeping apartment
just beyond the kitchen witnessed
horrible sight. On the bed lay the body of
the woman. her feet hanging over and
touching the floor. A bullet hole through
her left breast and another through the
stomach told the terrible method of her
taking off. The terrible odor of decom-
posing flesh drove the men from the house
before they could finish their investiga-
ton. They had surmised the cause OF it
all when they stumbled across the form OF
Jacob Schaler, man forty-five years old,
who had been employed as a farm hand
by the widow. His body lay on the floor,
his head hanging to one side on the lounge.
while the bullet hole in his neck and the
revolver near his outstretched hand made
it almost certain that he had first killed
the widow and then himself.
The neighbors were very reticent when
questioned concerning the relations of the
only two occupants of the house, who had
resided there alone for six years past.
The murdered woman. who was fifty five
years of age, came from Germany twenty
five years ago with her husband, August
Miller, and located in Wyandotte. They
lived in that city about four years and
then purchased the little farm near Bra
mans Hill After living there for some
time, it is said that Miller hung himself
Mrs. Miller afterward married Seidrich
and they lived together for several years
before Seidrich's death, which is said to
have been due to a mistake in taking the
physicians medicines too frequently.
About six years ago Mrs Seidrich had q
man named Potwin tending her farm.
Schaler, who was forty-6ve years old
came to her house about that time and
Potwin was discharged. Schaler had
lived in the same house with the old lady
ever since that time, and had managed
the little farm for a share of the proceeds.
1t is said by the neighbors that they
frequently had quarrels over trifling mat
tiers, but nothing serious had occurred.
When asked if the couple had been living
together as husband and wife the neigh
bors had little to say, but the son, Adolph
Miller, was quite emphatic in asserting
that no such relations had existed between
the two Schaler had simply lived in the
house as his mothers hired man. The
son added that he was addicted to drink
and frequently went on sprees that lasted
for a week. The neigh ors also said that
Schaler had been drunk a great deal
lately.
The house in which the tragedy occurred
was the scene of a similar tragedy about
twenty one years ago. 1t is said that q
family moved into the house when it was
first built and after living there about a
year the neighbors discovered the dead
bodies of the man and his wife. The
theory was at that time that it was a case
of murder and suicide, but the oldest resi-
dents of the locality could not recollect
the name.