New-York tribune., 1899-03-27
THE EEL TNERS IN JAIL.
END OF THE REMARKABLE SIEGE AT
HUNTSVILLE, OHIO.
THE TWO MURDERERs GUARDED FROM
THE MOB BY MIIIT1A-wOMAN WHO
HELPED THEM LEFT IN THE HOUSE


Bowling Green. Ohio March 26.-The murder
ers Of f. II. Westehaver of North baltimore
and Of Clarence Wttenmyer, Of Hoyisvihe' are
now in Jail here. where they were lodged to-day
at noon. after 4 siege AT the Zeltner homestead
lasting all Yesterday afternoon and all night
Paul and John Zetner surrendered. and it is
| thought Mrs. John Zeltner will also be locked up
! within the next twenty-four hours.
The two men and the woman held six hundreu
mon at hav til the crowd was augmented by
two companies Of militia the Bloomdale Rnes
and the North Baltimore Cadets. often during
the night men endeaVored to creep under cover
/ Of darkness 10 within such distance Of the mouse
/ that concerted dash could be executed, nut the
occupants Of that well-barricaded fortress were
ever vlgilant, and every time shot from 'ne
rife OF one ~ the brothers or the women sent
the approaching men scurrying back lnto 'he
darkness Of the woods which adjoin the He''"e'
place Again and again efforts were made !"
work some ruse by which few men could get
| inside the house. but every effort OF the Nlhd
failed sgnally.
The Zeltners asked several times for Nilliam
Hood OF Hoytsvllle the lawyer whom they hao
engaged 10 defend them in the case before JUS
tice Burgeon yesterday. hut he steadfasuy re-
fused to go 10 them he believed they meant
TO kill him They did most OF their talhhs
through Henry Smith. a neighbor. who was de-
tained last night by the Deputy Sherin "heh ne
ATTEMPTED to enter the Zetner house after their
repeated calls and signals to him Ihe crown
would not allow Smith to 60 into tho house un-
lese acconopanied by some one else. as the opin-
ion nrevailed that Smiths presence IN the mouse
would simply mean greater strength for the De
sieged party.
TIL, Surrender NEGOTIATED.
A. las, u was decided to send for ox-Sherih
"Dick" Riggs Of Bowling Green Riggs arrived
about tho time the dawn was breaking. Mean
while. the Bloomdale Rifles had appeared ana
the North baltimore Cadets reached the battle
qround about the same time Riggs
Piers despite the warnings Of the hundreds
NJ men and soldiers standing about. started
toward the house When he was about TWO
hundred feet from the front John Zeltner called
out 10 him. and asked him TO come In ana pr'hs
Smith with him without seconds hesitation
the two entered the house, the door pe'ns
opened by one Of the women.
l. took ONLY n few minutes learn that the
Ze1tner brothers we're willing 20 surrender
protection should he guaranteed. They to'd
Riggs they would deliver their arms and amnu-
milton 10 the authorities II he would promise
that the two military companies would project
them till they were landed in the Jail at BOWL
ing Green. twenty miles away. riggs al once
left the house and hunted up the present Sheriff
Kingshury. and tho two returned. kingsbury
was told what the Zeltners had stipulated, ana
he agreed TO 1t.
The soldiers We're drawn up IN lines ana the
men handcuffed and brought from the house
The women left behind locked all the doors ana
pulled down all the blinds
The crowd which now numbered fully SIX
hundred men, began to make hostile demon
strations and parley Of short duration fol-
lowed They finally said they would not inter
fere with the militia il they were permitted 70
see the Zeltners before they were taken away
This request was acCedod 10.
Under escort OF the militia. the prisoners were
then marched six miles through mud and snow
TO Custar Station, where they took a train Tor
Lontoeany there changing again and iandins
place at least fifteen hundred men had congre-
gated. but the Zeltners were hustled into jail
without further trouble
SORRY THEY kILLED THEIR NEIGHBOR
The prisoners expressed their regret at the
killing Of Clarence Wittenmyer last night. They
said It was unintentional and that he must have
been hit by a stray bullet during some of the
rapid and at times indiscriminate firing As
10 the third man. who was supposed to have
i.aen killed his wound was not severe. but he
dropped for safety and remained so long that
j, was believed he was killed. Neither Of the
Zeltners nor the women Of their household cx-
pressed the slightest regret over the killing -
Westenhaver.
When the men turned over their arms and
ammunition 70 ex-Sheriff Riggs and Sheriff
Kinesbury. they had four rifles two revolvcrs
of IS calihre and seventy-hve rounds of am
muniuon for both kinds Of weapons This
would indicate that they had prepared for a
siege. They must have used up several boxes Of
cartridges yesterday afternoon and last night.
The Zeltners are men Of much more than
fa' 'iplrr and "a 81 & Ito -l4
farmers An idea Of what sort OF woman
Mrs John Zetner is NAV be formed from the
fact that last evening. when the mob started
toward the house she stepped out on the porch
and deliberately shot five times into the crowd.
fortunately inAicting only slight injury.
double guard has been placed about the jail
tonight.
THE MURDER OF WESTENHAVER
F. H. Westenhaver ex-solicltor. Of North
Baltimore. had been counsel for the Zeltners in
numerous cases and sued them for his fees.
The jury ard Witnesses had been sworn yes
terday before Justice Burgoon in the township
house, at Hoyts Corners. when Paul Zeltner
demanded some papers from Westenhaver. and
attempted to take them from his pocket John
Zeltner then Joined in demanding the papers.
and Immediately fired the shot that killed Wes-
tenhaver. As the Zel;ners had their horses ready
for mounting and escape. II is thought they had
arranged 10 get Westenhaver into a hght for the
purpose Of doing him" They did not give their
victim time to make any demonstration toward
them.
1t is not believed here that there will be an
attempt 10 lynch the prisoners. The services II
Company II, of North Baltimore which was
taken aboard the special train. were not needed I
and the company was not even disembarked. .
The Sheriff concluded this afternoon that the
presence Of militia here was unnecessary, and .
the Bloomvile Rifles were sent home.
RESIGNATION or 4 RICHMOND PASTOR /
Richmond Va. March 26 (SpccaD.-The Rev Dr /
T. T Sweeney OF the best-known preachers Ia /
the South and formerly Minister TO Turkey to-