The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-30
STRANGE MURDER.
Charles Kaiser, jr., Is Held for the
Death Of His Wife...Queer Story
Of Highway Robbery.

Norristown. Pa, Oct. "a murder
unparalleled in the annals Of crime in
Montgomery county was committed
early last evening on a public road in
Upper Merton township, near Bridge
port. Mrs. Emma Kaiser, the young
wife Of Charles Q. Kaiser, was shot
down as she rode along with her hus-
band, who an hour later was receiving
the coincidence of friends, but who to-
day stands accused of the crime.
The first information Of the tragedy
was received when Kaiser drove into
Bridgeport with the body Of his wife
beside him. The only witness of the
crime was the alleged murderer him
SELF and the only details to be had were
CLEANED from him first by Frank s.
Mancil, of the Farmers hotel, and
later by the police.
Mr.. Mancil. accompanied by his
daughter, was driving to Norristown,
and when he reached a point on the
road skirting William p. David's farm.
near the Trenton cut off railroad. he
saw Kaiser circling wildly about the
road shouting murder" help" In a
carriage standing in the road lay Mrs.
Kaiser dead. Alighting from his
vehicle, Mr.. Mancil listened to Kaiser 8
story of u highway robbery and the
shooting of himself and wife. Kaiser
appeared to be frenzied with agony
and Mr. Mancil suggested that prob
ably the woman was only unconscious
and that the best thing to do was to
drive to the office Of physician. Kaiser
was finally persuaded to drive ahead
Of MIR. Mancil's team to the office of
DR.. Mann In Bridgeport. Kaiser prop
hn hat 10 q RI }ar n N n
the carriage curtain, the blood stream
ing from the wound and clotting on his
coat. The body was carried into the
Office. and when 1t was placed on the
floor, exposing a ghastly wound in the
left temple, Kaiser twice tainted.
Kaiser said that his wife was shot
as she was drawing her watch chain
over her head to hand 1t to the bandit,
ana that he raised his arm and re-
ceived the bullet near the shoulder that
was intended for his head The police
doubted the story and began an in
yGstlgation, and this morning Chief of
Folice Rodenbaugh, Coroner KurtZ an /
Mr.. Mancil recovered the alleged stolen
articles.
From inmates of the boarding house
where the couple lived 1t was learned
that Kaiser and his wife carried a
Joint insurance of 1000 on their lives
the policies being so written that the
death of either would make the other
the beneficiary; and that several weeks
ago Kaiser and his wife each executed
a will. each making the other executor
ard sole legatee. Kaiser is "a years OF
age, and his wife was 80. The couple
came here from Lancaster on June l.
having previously lived in Altoona
Mrs. Kaisers' maiden name was Emma
p. Rule, her father being George Rule
of Penn Village, Lancaster county. The
officers found the alleged stolen articles
secreted along the fence near the scene
of the shooting. A mans gold watch
and a revolver with two empty cham
| bers. and purse containing 81 and
supposed to have belonged to Mrs.
Kaiser were found. Kaiser is at his
! boarding house in the Gust cdy of De-
tective Shearer. 1t is understood that
q formal warrant will be issued for his
| arrest.
Kaiser this afternoon was formally
placed under arrest on suspicion OF
! having killed his wife, and was taken
| from his lodgings to Jail here. Through
out the afternoon and evening Kaiser
was piled with questions. but accord
ing to the police made no admission
and stuck to his story that his wife
was killed by highwaymen.