Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-02-04
WILL STEAL NO MORE
Last Tuesday Night an Unknown
Burglar came to an Untimely
end at Calmar, Iowa.
SHOT FIRED BY FRED !. GIESING.
The Burglar was Rifling the Showcase
in J. A. Giesing's Hardware Store
when he Received the Wound.
HE NEVER KNEW WHAT STRUCK HIM.

Last Tuesday night about ii O'Clock
Fred j. and Henry Closing, who had
just retired in their sleeping room over
their fathers hardware store, were
startled by crash and the sound of
falling glass and the rattling of cast
ings, and were soon made aware of the
fact that some one had gained entrance
to the store by breaking a glass i'm the
south window. They next heard some
one rumaging through the drawers of
the desk in the store, and then heard
the burglar, for such he proved to be,
go to and open the showcase, which
held the revolvers and fine cutlery.
AT this Fred jumped out of bed, reach
ed his shotgun, rushed to where there
was hole in the floor, and pushing
the muzzle of the gun through this
hole, fired a shot i'm the direction from
which the noise seemed to come.
Everything was dark above and below,
and strange to say, the whole charge of
shot lodged in the right side of the
burglars neck, fracturing the same in
the region of the third to the fifth servi-
cal vertebra, and killing the man in
stantly. After the shot was fired a
voice was heard outside cautiously call
ing; "Slim, Slim; can't you answer
me?"
AS soon as Fred had fired the shot he
ran to the front window and called for
help. Christ Jaeger heard the cry and
stepped into Peter Meyers and told
him of the appeal for help, and Mr..
Meyer got his rifle and they went to
the scene of the shooting. AS soon as
they got there they noticed a man 60
ing quietly away from the building.
Mr.. Meyer called to the fellow to halt,
which he did at the fourth call, and he
was given over to the officers. Fred
Closing then came down stairs and
unlocked the front door, and several
parties went in with lantern and
found the dead body of the burglar
lying just where he had fallen when he
received the death wound.
Wednesday morning about o'clock
Coroner r. f. Gibson was awakened
and told that man had been shot at
Calmar and that his services were
wanted there as soon as he could get
ready and 60 A team had come from
Calmar to take him over, and he, ac-
companied by the writer, G. o. Hewitt,
Immediately started for that place, ar
irving there at twenty minutes before
five o'clock. When we got there a
jury was impanelled, composed of c.
w. Giesen, A. j. Grundeland and A.
w. Isbell, who made an examination
of the surroundings, and also of the
dead body of the unknown person
found in the store, and then called and
examined several witnesses. After
making thorough examination the
jury returned the following verdict,
which is i'm accordance with the evil
dence
STATE OF IOWA,
W1NNEEHEIK COUNTY.
An inquisition holden at Calmar, in
Winnesheik County, on the 29th day
of January, A. ID. 1896, before r. +.
Gibson, Coroner of said County, upon
the body of a person unknown to this
jury, there lying dead, by the jurors
whose names are hereto subscribed.
The said jurors upon their oaths do
say:
The man was in the act of commit
ting burglary in the store of J. A.
Closing, and at about IL o'clock i'm the
night of January 2Sth, 1896, came to
his death by shot fired from shot
gun from an upper story of the build
ing through hole in the floor, by
Fred j. Closing; said shot being fired
in the DIRK. Fred j. Closing was left
in charge of his fathers store. Shot
was fired from the boys sleeping room
over the store.
We further exOnerate Fred j. Gies-
ing from all blame, and consider he
did his duty.
In testimony whereof the said Jurors
have hereuntO set their hands the day
and year aforesaid.
&. w. GIEsEN,
A. j. GRUNDELAND,
A. w. IsBELL.
Attested by r. F. GIBSON, Coroner.
Attention! Comrades Col. HUGHES Post