Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-04-02
GREWSOME CRIMINAL BATCH
Remarkable Series of Bloody Deeds
Laid at the Door of An Hi.
nOis Suicide.
STRANGE STORY TOLD IN MINNEAPOLIS
An Attempt to Wreck the Mississippi
Capitol-Suspeored of Being One of
the San Francisco Strangers
Results of Missouri Row.

Rock Island, ILL.,, April 2.-Hnndreds
of persons to-day visited the Bastian
farm, which is in the possession of Sheriff
Hemingway and corps Of deputies.
The finding of the deoomposed body of
John Louderbach under pile of rubbish
on the farm yesterday strengthens the
belief that Henry F. Bastian committed
suicide on March 80 last because he feared
that his criminal record was about to be
laid bare. ss.A
Following is list of the men VIII.
worked upon Bastian's farm, and myster-
iously disappeared shortly after they
were paid off aud discharged, all of whom
are believed to have been slain by Bas-
tian:
Fred Kuschmann, whose body was
found month ago by the roadside, a
mile from the Bastian farm.
John Louderbach, whose remains were
uncovered yesterday, more than year
after he Disappeared.
Frieze Kiernzen, not seen or heard
from since the year of 1884.
Marshal Lewis, who disappeared in
1882
BAsTIAN's TESTIMONY.
Bastian testified at the Kuschmann in
quest that he paid Kuschmann $40 the
night of his death.
He said Kuschmann rode fractions
horse, which returned 70 the farm without
n saddle.
He said he then went in search of
Kuschmann and found him lying dead by
tn. side of the road mile away.
On this testimony the coroner's jury
returned verdict of accidental DEATH"
A local newspaper called attention to
the significant facts ignored by the coro-
ner's Jury.
Kuschmann's overcoat had been found
in the road, folded up, with marks of
bloody hands upon this back.
Two silver dollars we're all the money
found in his pockets, although Bastian
swore that he paid him $79 an hour be-
fore the finding of the body.
The doctors examination of Kusch-
mann's head after the inquest showed that
the wounds had been inflicted by club
instead of by horses hoofs.
When Bastian learned that he was sus-
pected of the murder, he told contradic
tory stories. His name was also con-
nected with the burning of Farmer No
Laughlin's barn.
STRANGE STORY OF oRIME.
Minnaapolis.-Wm M. Hale, who dis
appeared on March from Syracuse, N.
Y, has turned up in this city with
strange story. He claims that he was
slugQed 10 the central railroad yards at
Syracuse, bound hand and foot, robbad
OF $24O, and thrown into box car.
For three days and nights he lay with
out food or water. His hands grew thin
and he slipped the ropes off, managed to
open the car door, and, when the train
slowed up, jumped out.
He called at farm house and learned
that he was near St. Cloud, MINI.
For three weeks he WAS cared for by a
farmers family, and then, having re-
gained his strength, walked seventy-five
miles to point where ne sold his mac
kintosh and obtained money enough to
pay his passage to this city. He is still
very weak.
ATTEMPT TO WRECK STATE HOUSE.
jackson, Miss.-Last night the secre-
tary of state found several men digging
at the wall Of the state house. They ran
away.
Had the work gone on little longer,
the wall would have fallen, thus wrecking
the whole building.
Strenuous efforts were made by the re-
cent session of the Legislature to provide
new building, but nothing was done.
It is thought that some miscreants took
this means of securing immediate action.
SUSPECTED OF BEING A sTRANGLER.
San Francisco.-Julius Fastner, who
arrived In this city from Omaha on March
90, was arrested last night and held pend
ing an investigation as to his sanity. He
ia accused of insulting young woman.
Fastner answers the description of an
alleged strangler, who has been operating
in this city, in every particular. He is
about 80 years of age and has large blue
eyes and light hair, worn rather long.
When accused of being strangler,
Fsstner admitted that he knew Irene
Phillips, brt denied that he attempted to
murder her. He confessed to having
attem pied to strangle his wife.