Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-02-04
Burglar Shot and Killed,

Last Tuesday evening was an occas-
ion that will be remembered many q
day by the people of Calmar. The
hardware store of j. A. Closing had
been burglarized several times re-
Gently and in order,to insure the safe
ty of his goods Mr.. Closing then had
two of his sons sleep nights over the
store and also had a hole cut about a
foot square in the floor SO as to readi-
ly hear any noise down in the store
III case burglars should enter. On the
evening above mentioned j. A. came
home from DEBORAH, on the late train
and having some papers that he wish
ed to place in the safe, the store was
kept open until about 10 o'clock.
The boys, Fred and Henry, had been
in bed but a short time when crash
was heard (the smashing of the south
window and immediately some one
was heard to go to the corner where
the safe stood and in q minute the
burglar was over on tho side of the
room where the show case full of
knives, revolvers and razors was, and
was rumaging in the show case. Fred
jumped out of bed us soon as he real
lied what was going on aud seized a.
loaded shotgun. poked it down the
hole in the floor and fired at random
in the direction from whence the
sound came (there being no light
used, Fred said he could not see the
burglary, and then all was silent for a
few moments; presently the boys
heard some one from the outside call
cautiously, "Slimn "Slimm Cant
you answer, .Slim?" Then all was
quiet again. The boys then saw
Christ. Jaeger across the street on his
way home from his meat market, and
the boys called to HIM for help. He
ran up to the Pete Meyer house to
give the alarm and get fire arms; he
fired a shot to rouse others and in less
time than it takes to tell it the store
was surrounded. Pete Meyer was
one of the first to appear on the
scene, and noticing q strange man
move away from the premises, Peter
cooked his rifle and called to the man
to halt which the fellow did after the
fourth call. After some delay, owing
to the trouble to get the key to work,
the door was unlocked and search
made. The form of man was seen
reclining against the wall in sitting
posture, under the shelving back Of
the show case. After several CON-
mands to come out and no response a
closer investigation was made, and
the man found to be dead. The shot
gun charge had entered his neck,
breaking it and severing large
artery. From appearances he was
instantly killed.
The other man was locked up and a
team and driver at once dispatched
for Coroner Gibson who arrived early
next morning. A jury consisting Of
c. w. Giesen, A. j. Grundeland and
A. w. Isbell was impanelled and an
inquest held. There was nothing
about the dead person by which to
identify him, and his accomplish
would not recognize him, and denied
all connection with the burglary.
One of Mr.. Geising's revolvers was
found in the dead mans pocket and
two more were on the floor beside
him. By the verdict of the jury Fred
was exonerated from any blame.
On the morning following the bur-
glary five other traInps were arrested
and the whole gang taken to DEBORAH
and tried before Justice Gibson, and
given sentences, four being fined $25
each to be worked out at hard labor
at 70 cents day, and the others given
80 days in Jail. Two had burglar tools
in their possession which they tried
to drop one at a time in the snow, un-
observed.-Calmar Courier.