Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-10-06
ONE OF THE TWO DROVE JOHN
BEILsTEIN TO DO MURDER.
KILLS A FELLOW BUTCHER
HIS FRIENDS BELIEVE HIM TO BE
DERANGED.
He and Edward Clark Had Worked
Side by Side for Ten Years and
Neither Had Ever Spoken
Word to the Other
in Anger.

Edward Clark, skilled butcher and
well known resident of Kansas City, kas.,
was shot and instantly killed yesterday
morning at about $50 o'clock in the cattle
killing department OF Armour's packing
house by John Bcilstein, Il butcher who
has been working with Clark al the plant
for the past ten or twelve years. From
the evidence thus far obtained by the au
thOritieS and from Beilstein's own state
ment, the killing was deliberate, prompted
by fear on the part of Beilstein that
Clark had determined TO kill him.
The first lot of cattle had just been killed
and were being arranged on the beef beds
for the butchers TO work on when sud-
denly two pistol shots rang out through
the room. Nearly all of the butchers en-
ployed on the beef beds We're present, and
all eyes were turned in the direction of one
of the entrances. The men looked in time
TO see Clark fall face downward on the
floor of the slaughter room. Beilstein,
with a smoking revolver in his hand,
stepped by the body and started out the
door to go downstairs, but was met by one
of the special officers at the plant and
placed under arrest. The men rushed to
the side of Clark and lifted his head from
pool of blood which flowed from a large
hole in the head. Life was then extinct.
Not u Word Was Spoken
The tragedy was enacted in fewer than
sixty seconds. Beilstein arrived in the
slaughter room few minutes ahead of
Clark and had stepped into closet near
the entrance. As Clark walked up the
stairs and started TO enter the room Bell
stein stepped out of the closet The two
men met face to face. Not word had
been spoken by either up to this time
Beilstein. according TO his own statement,
will
here" Before Clark had an opportunity
10 speak Beilstein thrust "A revolver in his
face and fired. Clark, who was CARRYING
his dinner pail in his hand, reeled half
way around and fell Beilstein firing a sec
ond shot as his victim toppled over on the
floor a corpse.
Clark's body was removed TO Raymond
undertaking establishment and Beilstein
was locked up at No. 2 police station He
appeared to be perfectly calm when visit
ed by reporter for The Journal At first
he declined to talk about the shooting
stating that it would not help him any to
talk for publication. He finally related his
story Of the killing and what prompted
him TO do it.
Il have been working as a butcher at
Armours for the past fifteen years" said
he and Clark and | have always been
| very good friends until about a week ago
when | heard he had made insulting re-
marks about my wife. Since then several
| parties have told me that Clark had II in
for me and would take my life If he ever
| got good chance. Tuesday evening while
| at work on the beds. dressing the last cat
| tie. the boys kept changing positions so as
| TO place me in easy reach Of Clark Charles
| Lockwood who worked next to me. told
| me that Clark intended to stick a knife
| in me and had better look out. / never
| turned my back to him that evening or
! guess lie would have carried out his in
| tentions.''
Asked if he and Clark ever quarreled. he
| replied that they had not. II never had
| any words with him and don't know why
| he should turn on me and seek to take
| my life. But there Is no doubt that he in
| tended TO kill me. For some time he and
some of the other boys have been putting
| up all sorts of jobs to get me fired. L have
! been watching them all the time