The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-11-17
MURDERER HANGS HIMSELF.


) Ernst Messmap, who was charged wit
The murder of MIR. and Mrs. John Bah
OF Mischioott, commIttedi suicide IN b
cell at the county jail on Sunday fore
noon. The deed vas committed hetwes
$50 A. Nj. and Il Id. At the former tim
Frank Mutb, the sherlff's SOD, opened / b
outer door OF Messmsn's cell and fouut
hun sitting on the bed, smoking. Franz
| was asked OUT to dinner on Sunday, ant
WAS prompt IN furnishing Messman his
| dinner. He opened the olter DIOR qn1"k
| Iy and was confronted by Messmau's
! dapgllng body with tongue protrud' rs
and eyes butglng from their sock rs
| Messman b. taken the towel and tied il
to The bar OF the gratei door, after piac
| ing 1t about his neck securely. ae stooc
on al iron bucket while doing this AND
| then kicked the bucket away. He had
! removed his shoes SD as to make no noise
| on the iron floor. His feet touched the
| floor, thus showing how determined be
have relieved his neck of the weight OF
his body. He must have arranged all the
pre- iminarles noIselessly, as Franks Of
fee is immediately below the cell occu-
| pied by Meesmsn aid he heard 90 sus
picious signs 10 the mnrderer's cell.
Messmau's purpose to destroy him set
did not come from a sndten impulse Ev
| had asked the sheriff for a pipe aud to
oacco and they were furnished hun to-
/ gether with box of matches. He had
| eaten off the coating of the matches, but
! 1t was of the red variety and ! ~ 10
duce the desired effect Most of the
| food with which be had been furnished
| was found concealed 10 his bed, evi0e t.
| ly with the purpose OF starving himself
1t was learned after he had commit ed
| suicide. that on Friday he had made a
| clean breast of the affair to the sher. If
| He was interviewed on Thursday night
| by Mr.. Thorval Torrison, The sentinel
| correspondent. The sheriff WIS with him
| and Messman WAS questioned closely re-
| gardlng his whereabouts. He WAS s arp
enough to notice discrepancies IN ID &C
counts he gave OF bis movements and
| was aware that his sister-in-law was un-
| acquainted with the statements he had
mads to prove an abb.
The sheriff refused to permit Messman
and hlE sister-ln law to have a meeting
and thus 1t became difficult for them to
agree upon story If 1t was her purpose
to save him. On Friday night the sher-
if visited Messman and told him that
there was a disagreement between bis
statement and that of his sister law as
to the time OF his arrival at her house.
Other inaccuracies were mentioned and
Messman evidently thought the whole
thing was coming out and made some ia
eliminating admissions. He finally told
the whole story which in substance is as
follows:
He had spent Thursday night, Friday,
Friday night and Saturday at Bahls'
On Saturday about 6 p. m. be asked
Bahls to show him to the barn where be
slept. Bahls was in advance, After en-
terlng the barn Messman noticed an axe
which he seized and with which be struck
Bahls on the head He struck him sew
erel times after he lad fallen. He then
entered the house and killed the old lady
with stone. His purpose was robbery
as he knew the old people had money.
de began his search, bu0 became alarm
ed over the number of people who were
passing. When the band began play
ing, his alarm Increased as he thought
the failure of Bahls aud bis wife to
appear would attract attention and lead
| to inquiry and SO he quit the house by
the back door and cut across lots to the
| main road and proceeded to his brothers.
he secured 10 money. HIS presence in
| the house was not known until the morn
ing following when his nephew reached
home from ball.
Messman, it ls thought, feared lynching
10 case his guilt was established at the
e1 animation which was set for the Dist
instant. There was rumor that num-
Der of Mishicott people had organized
for this purpose. There was not much
danger to be apprehended from this
source though Messman's guilty con-
science no doubt magnifed 1t.
His body was taken to Fraziers un-
dertaklng establishment Word was sem
to his relatives but they declined to take
charge of the boiy and Ii was buried ir
the Potters field on tuesday.
The trustee of the Insane ASYLUM