Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-03
A MURDER MYSTERY.
Henry Kiel, Of This County, Found
Dead,
With Bullet Hole Through His
Body-He was on His Way Home
From This City, and was Found
Lying by the Road ide-A Post
Mortem Last Evening.
Was it murder or accident?

in the minds of many people in Full
ton and vicinity over a strange and
inexplainable fatality which occurred
yesterday at noon east of Fulton.
Henry Kiel, a well-known milkman
who lives of Stackyard Hollow, about
a mile from the stackyard motor sta
ton, was shot to death not over four
hundred yards from his home. The af-
fair occurred at one of the most lone
some spots of this lonely road; but at
broad MONDAY. Further than the vic
tim was shot and probably instantly
killed, nothing more is known as to
the causes that led to his DEATH
-iiel had a milk route in Wheeling
and was returning home. He passed
the toll gate just at the foot of the hol-
low just about twelve o'clock, and at
the time was noticed as sitting in his
milk wagon, driving his horse with
one hand and holding the strap at
tached to a can following behind with
the other hand. A half an hour after
wards Miss Annie Shanholts, a young
lady who has been nursing the sick
wife of Kiel, had returned from Wheel
ing, where she had gone for a doctor,
got off at the Stackyard Hollow sta
tiOn and started up the road TO the
Kiel homestead
She had arrived about quarter of a
mile from her destination, when she
noticed the form of a man lying in the
middle of the road ahead of her. She
FASTENED on and perceived that it was
Mr.. Kiel lying with his arms outstretch-
ed across the road and motiOnless.
Thinking that the horse had run away
and thrown Mr. Kiel from the wagon
and hurt. she retraced her steps and
ran down to the residence OF Chas.
Hess. about a quarter of a mile down
the road and gave the alarm to John
Yost and two young men who were
standing at the gate. These two gentle
men, with Chas. Hess, JOS. Thalman,
VIM. Bayhs and John Lorentz, ran to
the spot where Kiel was lying.
Life was extinct. He was lying face
UPWARDS. with his feet to the north,
showing that he had fallen with his
face turned towards home. His arms
were stretched out and his palms open,
indicating that he had been engaged IN
no struggle.
His head rested in a pool of blood,
which was issuing from a deep cut in
the back of the scalp, which was caused
bv striking a sharp stone in railing.
If 4 murder was committed, it was not
with the intention of robbery. While
Kiel was comfortably financially SIT
mated. he carried only enough money
with him to make change on his route.
This money he carried loose in his vest
nocl,et Pieces of silver amounting to
81. So were found scattered around his body
,,itbin n radius OF five or six feet. There
was no disarrangement of the clothing
and the money undoubtedly dropped out
of his rockets when he fell kiels ire
less body was picked up and carried 10 ms
home.
Tho hearers had a doubly sad mission
for r. was necessary to break the news
Of his death to Mrs. Kiel. who is lying
sick and expected to die at almost any
r,o,nort An investigation was made inn
mediatelv afterward of the injuries which
resulted I'm Kiel's death. 1t was soon dis
covered that death had resulted from
brlIet wound. which had penetrated clear
through the body.
Last night Drs w. 2. McGrail and }. a.
Campbell made a post norton eXamina-
tion of the body and found that a large
bullet evidently of IS calibre, had passed
through the upper part Of the body, enter
ING the back Just to the left of the spine
and about nine inches from the neck cut
ting into one of the large arteries to the
heart. and coming out at the right breast
about two inches above where 1t entered.
Tho clothing across the breast was badly
torn and the wound. where the ball came
out. badly lacerated. showing that the
missile of death had about spent i18
enood The indenture where the bullet en-
tered the back was upward, proving that
r5iel had been shot from below where he
had been standing. The ball cut through
the body a wooden jacket, vest and two
shirts.
After Kiels body was picked up his
horse and wagon was found about one
hundred wards further up the road. The
cow which was attached to the rear Of
tb, WAGON by strap. had broken loose.
II Is the presumption that Kiel was shot
while seated i'm the rear end of the wagon
and that he fell backwards out Of the
WAGON on the road The fall probably
caused the COW to break loose and the
horse to start Off.
The whole matter is shrouded by mys-
terry. Many conjectures are offered. but
there is no solution and not the faintest
clue as to who did the shooting. Two eX-
nIanations are suggested. one that Kiels
death was caused by stray bullet from
hunters gun. and the other that kiel was
deliberately murdered i'm cold blood.
While the consenus Of opinion Is in favor
Of the latter idea. yet no reason is offered
why the assassin should choose the bright
MONDAY as the time for committing his
d,etardlv deed. While Kiel met his
death in an unfrequented spot. there We're
times more opportune for such deed for
J,ieI always left early in the morning on
his milk route.
II is not known that Kiel had any per
eonal enemies. although he was man
very spirited and much outspoken in his
views. The real cause of his death win
nrobablv never he known. The deceased
was &c years Of age. but in the possession
N strength and vitality far beyond one Of
his wears. He leaves a wife and nine chill
dren. four of whom are living at home.
For over twenty-five years he lived at the
nresent homestead and attended a milk
route in Wheeling. Coroner J. W. Schultz
was out yesterday and summoned the
following neighbore. as jurymen, to pass
upon the question of Kiers death; Henry
Hess. Chas Hess. a. Vincent. J. a. Lor-
entz ]. o. Thalman and W. z. Stuler.