The Dickinson press., 1889-03-02
HOMICIDE SUICIDE
John I1oller Shoots His
Wife and Takes His
Own Life.
He Also Burned His
House, Barn, GRAIN,
and Machinery.
Great Excitement Over the Sad Affair
and Sympathy iUr the Orphaned
Children.
A Full Report of the Horrible Crime Of
the Red Handed Assassin.
The Coroner's Inquest and Funeral.

y oilllIl'lilllN Nh' 'tNiNtN " W.
intense excitement last Tuesday just
after dinner Ivy Patrick Patton riding
into town horseback and announcing
that IL terrible tragedy hal Just been
enacted at MS place. by which John
IIoller killed his wife and then him
self. The news soon spread and the
excitement WAS high and many rc-
marks were made the effect that the
old rnllim had saved the community
from taking part i'll Il nrrktie party 10y
taking his OWN life. His inrrndiAry
and murlcluuS acts We're the most de-
l~iheratcly planned and cold hl"oded
that ever took place iii this section.
\ great many Will and heart rcndIng
ruuorS regarding the crime are ailoat
a; number of which when traced mp
are iuuud untrue. yet the facts. which
we have taken grrt pains t" secure.
ny Interviewing all who knew amy
thing ut the crime are bud enough.
John "IIullrr was u German about
50 years of age and his wife MAS
about ~. 1t is slil that he had been
married before and his first wife died
under suspicious circumstances and
he aftvrward hurried the % III
whose life he took lust Tuesday. They
came here about five years ago and
he took up Il quarter section ni GOV
eminent land about three miles Gust
of town ;uud built IL small slllrk ON the
same. hut did not make his residence
there. In Il year OF 50 he hullt quite
II large frame house in town and re-
sided i'm it with his family until one
night the cry of lire aroused o'r rltl-
Gems aud they hurried to the scene I"
,in,l his house almost 4; solid mass of
had heavy insurance um this building
and was arrested and lodged in Jail on
suspicion of setting it attire to obtain
the insurance. hut subsequently re-
leased. The Insurance company could
mot get sufficient evidence to convict
him. vet they were so we'll satisfied
of his guilt that they refused to pty
the insurance. lIollrr sued the cOn-
p.ilv and the cas-" had been pending
until last january term of court when
it came to trial all WAS decided
,gaiust him. After the burning of
his house he moved TO mis- iatd ana
continued to reside there with his
family. making additions to the house.
farming. accommodating stock and ma
r~hincrv.mntil they wtr" in prosperous
circumstances. Occasional qnarrclS
arose between himself and wife To
mar their hnme life and the trouble
that culminated i'm the horrible crime
arose over the fact that during his
Wife'S absence the old man sold 80
bushels OF wheat and refused to ac-
count to or give ihrr amy satisfaction
as to what he did with the money
which was to be applied in payment
of Il mortgage on some farm machine
~. This trouble arose about Il week
before the shooting and during that
time the two had many stormy words
and one day the old MAJ loaded his
Winchester. IL siX.sllootcr and shot
gun and Threatened the lives of his
family. Matters grew from bad to
worse until last Tuesday when his
wife. fearing that she would he milr-
Iere' lett MIN and went to aneiyii-
bor's. the Plttons $. The old man fol-
lowed and asked her to rcttrn home.
hut she refused and told him she
| would no longer live with him. The
old muil then left the house muttcring
unimtrlligible words in broken Ger
| man and went to his OWm home. y.
short time after this MI. Patton saw
the hlril,limyS and hay stacks burning
and ii red to 20 To them.hut had not
rome lIl w MN tlIt ol'l llIulI tttilIt Wy
a rlvine towards the house. with ii
I'm on his shoulder and thinking that
turned to his house. when Uuller came
y told him not to colme in the house
WHEN the cd man lrveled the gun a.
Mr.. Patton and ordered him to 90
away OF he shot and told him to put
Mrs. II. ont of the house that he in.
tended to Kill her. Pal'len then went
into the house and placed Mrs. IIollcl
and his family in the cellar ont of
danger. H. then Went ont and told
the old man to come into the house
and get his wife. thinking ly this
means he could trap the old tiend an(
talk the gun from him. iNt the OLD
man was not to he tliwartcd in hi:
hclliSh designs i'm that Way and re
fused. but ordered Patton To take hi
family and get out Of the iu}Sr.at tn,
same time carrying ont IL threat Is,
firing his gun. Patton then went int,
the house and got his faunilv teilin!
Mrs. IIoller to comt with them. II
then took his f,nily ,ad started dowI
ar"vtne supp mins Mrs. IIoIlrr va
coming with them. ht;t Sll" prula'l
feared the res 1T and |rcnailrl in>ll
and rs sool rs Patton and family ia,
left the house the old man openr
fire on the bnilling. two shots goin
through the door an'l % hers through
the front of ath" ho Ise an going II
to the doc it i, supposed his vii,
800, +b.r ;nu+ .,,,i,r fr.,,, ia. nal