The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-02
Butte Department..
EDLA MEYERS DEATH
The Story of the Brutal Crime and
Subsequent Suicide.
AN INNOCENT YOUNG GIRL
Philip Ramer. Her Slayer. Crazed
by Fiendish Jealousy and Nour-
ished Hatred-Her Brother Is
a Resident OF Butte.
Butte Department.
AN INNOCENT YOUNG Girl

Concerning the brutal murder of Edl'
Meyer. sister of Louis Meyer of Butte
at San Francisco last Saturday morn
ing, the Chronicle of that city gives tbs
following particulars:
"A little love, a long-cherished thirs
for revenge and a sudden spasm o.
jealousy unite yesterday morning anc
made one of the bloodiest double TRACE
dies San Francisco's overloaded morgut
records can show. AS most often hap
man murdered.
The scene of the tragedy was the lit.
tie waterfront saloon at Drumm and
Sacramento streets kept by Anton Mey'
er, and comedy 20-year old Edla Meyer
daughter of the house, was the victim
with Philip Ramer. or Ramos, a short
broad, swarthy, well-featured East In
dian. as her slayer and instant executor
toner of himself. 1t was soon over.
About a. m. a woman's screaming
was heard issuing from the upper
story of the dingy little building, and a
moment later the hapless girl stumbled
out of the narrow street door, blood
streaming from her terribly gashed
hands. from wounds on brow and chin,
and from a deep, deadly cash in her
round white throat. She burst into the
saloon and fell dying almost at her
fathers feet Upstairs, in a blood
spattered back room, the murderous
East Indian had already paid his own
life for the life he had taken. A deep
cut across his throat had ended the
story. If there had been a skillful sur
geon at hand, the girls life might have
been saved, but help was slow in COM
ing and she slowly bled to death, with
a green-clothed pool-table for her couch
of agony.
THE murderer had long been famil-
lar figure about the water front He
had been heard to say that he loved
his victim, but lately he had made
threats to her companions. 1t was only
last Thursday that he swore to be even
with her. A few days ago IL was an
nounced that the girl would wed her
sailor lover, Fritz Plat, first mate on
the bark Ceylon as soon as he returned
from sea, in June. At that time Platt
was to be made captain and at the
same time was to lead his sweetheart
to the altar. This announcement was
one of the immediate causes of the dou-
BILE tragedy
The revenge of Ramos, however. had
quite another motive. 1t had been
smoldering in his hot East Indian blood
for a month, and only needed the news
that the girl would shortly be well
cared for and happy to make IL shoot
up into a sudden and murderous blaze.
THE girls father is a master me-
chanic. but his temperament did not al
low him to work in peace by the side
of the Celtic laborers in the Union Iron
works, where he was employed. Ten
years ago he bought the saloon bust
ness on Sacramento street. Edla, the
elder of the two unmarried girls, was
then a child In short dresses. She ran
in and out of the bar room, and as she
grew older she saw no reason to change
her habits. She and her sister, Clara,
a year and a half younger. while not
bad girls in any sense, were known to
all the men who frequented their faith
.er's place. Among these was the silent
East Indian, who was contemptuously
dubbed THE Niger"
For some years Ramer had been a
cook on coasting vessels, and lived,
when ashore, at McCann's boarding
house, III Drumm street. He owed
long bill there. and was helping to work
Ii out by assisting in the cooking for
the house. He hung about the Meyer
place, and, the neighbors say, admired
the fair-haired, rosy Edla, though she,
in her Teutonic contempt for his dark
skin, would have nothing to say to
him.
Last November, Edla Meyer was
aroused in the night by someone cover
ing her mouth. She called for aid,
while the hands closed around her
throat. Her little brother, who slept in
her room, awoke and shrieked Justify.
The assailant ran. leaving behind him
his hat and a policeman's club. He was
arrested and a short French butcher
knife was found upon him. The first
charge against him was burglary. but
IL was reduced to assault. on the wit
ness stand Miss Meyer failed to identify
her assailsnt and he was convicted of
petit larceny because of some dresses
of the girls which were found in his
room. He was imprisoned for three
months. and was released about a
month ago.
"Since then Kramer has hung about
the Meyer place. though he was forbid
den to enter the house. The man was
familiar with the habits of the house
hold and knew that Clara was accus-
toned to help her mother in the tiny
room behind the saloon. Uttered with
skillets and saucepans. and dignified
by the name of kitchen.
Promptly at 1880 o'clock every
morning Edla was in the habit OF going
up the sagging Drummond street
staircase to make the beds in the
lodgings. where the family and their
dodgers live.
AT O'Clock yesterday morning the
girl had finished her bedmaking and
was standing before an open trunk in
her parents bedroom-the trunk
where some of the wedding clothes and
household napery was already stored
The street door at the foot of the
stairs was fastened with a crazy latch
and the door behind the girl was
locked Ramer. who was of powerful
build, unlocked the lower door and
burst open the upper one. The pass
age between the bed and bureau is not
wide enough for two persons TO pass
The murderous East Indian must
have leaped quickly upon the STOPPING
girl. 1t is presumed that she fell and
attempted TO escape under the high
bed. She made for the door-her sole
chance for life-but between this exit