The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-28
DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT La COSTA.
Murderer Informs Sheriff of Crime
Then Kills Himself.

Murderer Informs Sheriff of Crime
Then Kills Himself.
From the Fort Myers (Fla.) Press.
Word reached Sheriff Fangford Saturday
evening that a murder had been commit
ted on La Costa Island, with the request
that he proceed there with the coroner
TO hold an inquest. Strange to say. the
first information of the tragedy came
from the self-confessed murderer, J. c.
Scholl, who addressed the following to the
sheriff:
La Costa Island, Feb. IS. 1S99.-4Mr. T.
w. Langford: My Dear Sir--I am sorry
to inform you that 1 shot H. r. Linsey at
my home two days ago. Come down and
investigate and take charge of his prop
erty. Your truly. j. c. Scholi.
On Feb. 10 Mr.. w. L. Bryant wrote Mr..
Z Whitesides al St. James, notifying him
OF the tragedy and informing him thar
"Scholl says the man is dead in his boat,
which is anchored at Scholrs place II
has been two days since he shot him. so
Scholl says he should be buried as soon
as possible or soon as inquest can be
held.
From this il appears that Scholl must
have committed the deed on Feb IS. and
afterward decided 10 bury the body him
self, as it is supposed he did the buryins.
Monday morning Sheriff Langford
County Judge G. w. Powell and DR.. j..
c. Washburn started for La Costa Island
the sheriff to secure the murderer, and
the others to hold an inquest. They left
the steamer near Useppa Island, and were
rowed in small boat to the scene of the
murder, on La Costa Island, three miles
distant.
When they first came In sight of La
Costa they could see a man walking from
the detached kitchen to the main house on
Scholfs pace. 1t was evidently the man
they were after, and he undoubtedly saw
them coming as soon as they discovered
him. Some of the party claimed they
heard a gunshot soon after this
Arriving at the landing. the sheriff
went on ahead to secure Scholl, expect
ing that he would take 10 the bushes. He
approached the houses, and on looking
through the door into the bedroom discov-
cred a man lying on his back with all
his clothes on. Across his body was lying
a gun with the muzzle lying close to the
right ear. He at first thought the man
was asleep, but second glance showed
him that he had another dead man on
his hands, for the man was SchoIl,
and he had committed suicide by blowing
out his brains, which were scattered over
the ceiling. Dr. Washburn examined the
body, and found the heart had stopped
beating, but that the body was still warm.
1t was also discovered that food in the
kitchen was still warm, and it was evil
dent that Scholl had hastily left the
kitchen and gone into the house and killed
himself, on seeing the party approach.
The coroner's juries summoned alter
found that Linsey had met death by heavy
blows on the face and temple and by a
shot from rife, the ball lodging in the
left breast, which ranged downward 10
his left hip. inflicted by party unk nown.
In the case of Scholl they rendered YER
dict of death from the shot of rifle in
his own hands.
1t appears that both Schon and Linsey
were men with unenviabe regulations, the
former being considered a desperate man..
1t is evident that they had both been
drinking. Scholl had written a number OF
letters to different parties. In one he Of
fered his dog to Sheriff Langford An
other, dated Feb. 20, addressed to David
Wright, a relative, he said: ''You will
never see me again. If you receive the
residue from my estate, you will divide
with all male cousins, not forgetting ia
cob K" In another letter addressed to
w. S. Hancock, he said he had concluded
not to go to Myers, the remorse was too
ligious crank, and instructed him TO Gre
mate his body until the last vestige was
consumed. In still another letter he says
that: CAS- to the killing of II. r. Linsey,
1 can only say that he made a murderous
attempt on my life I am sorry il hap
pened. 1 guess rum was the cause" All
these notes were written in pencil, but
there was one written in ink, which goes
to show that the man was unbalanced on
religious questions. He speaks of not
knowing the right road to travel, says
he has been trying to locate heaven and
hell and finally seems 20 accept Teed' 8
ideas that I'VE are cooped up in a globe
of 5000 miles diameter, from which there
is no escape. There being no heaven or
he'll the souls would never leave the uni
verse. and are in constant demand, as soon
as a soul leaves one body 1t enters an
other" He adds that he pities the crea-
ture that falls heir to his soul. All CO.
ing TO show that he was crazed by re-
liglon and his crime put him in a frame
of mind to take his own life,