Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-27
STAND OFF A CROWD
Duo Of German sharpshooters Defy an Ohio
Mob and Militia.
HOLD THEIR FORT FOL, EIGHTEEN HOURS
Remain in Their Ban>,x2>,ty1 Against
Threats of Vid>L w.
SUPPLIED WITH ARMS AND AMMUS>
Bloodshed is Avoided,
FINALLY SURRENDER AND GO TO JAl
Pair of Murderers, Shut Up in Their
House for siege, Cnpitulnte After
Being Threatened with Dynn-
mite and Cannon.

BOWLING GREEN, o., March 26.-The
surrender this morning of Paul and John
Zeltner, the murderers of Lawyer Weston
haven who, for eighteen hours dehed ar
rest at their home at Hoyts Corners, has
been attended by an almost complete sub
sidenco of the excitement.
After hG wing been threatened with being
dynamited out of their barricaded house, OF
being burned out and of being sheled out
by slx-pounder cannon, the murderers sur
rendered to Sheriff Kingsbury this morning
on seeing the military present, fully armed.
Lieutenant Bryant with Company ~, second
infantry, marched the prisoners across the
country to Custar, where they boarded
train for Bowling Green. They are now
in Jail.
Peaceable methods finally prevailed, al
though It is doubtful IL the capture would
have been effected except for the fact that the
Zeltners were nearly out of ammunition and
they knew surrender was the only method
of saving themselves from an infuriated
mob. The militia had planned to make
stand about daylight and strict picket duty
was maintained by the Bloomdale rifles all
night, the men being stationed around the
house to prevent the Zeltners from picking
the men off. Several narrow escapes from
bullets happened during the evening, for
the Zeltnens, being German sharpshooters,
were picking out and shooting at every one
venturing within 500 yards.
Were Ready for Long Siege.
At $3.50 this morning ex-Sheriff Riggs, ac
companied by a neighbor named Brown,
started toward the house. The Zeltners Of
fered no resistance to their approach and
they were admitted to the house. Mr. Riggs
plainly told them that the militia was ready
to make an attack on the house and that
..t.r
they had better give up peaceably.
The ZeLner5 seemed not disposed at first
to give up and stated that they feared the
mob, 200 of which remained outside the
militia line. They tried TO induce hir.
Riggs to accompany them through the tim
Der, but he refused and they were told they
would not be molested IL they gave up their
arms and accompanied him to jail. After a
lalf hours talk they agreed.
The Zellners gava up their arms.
They had two good Marlin repeater3 and
brace of Smith & Wesson revolvers and
ammunition to burn. They might have held
the officers off for indefinite period.
There were seventy-fve rounds of rifle am
muntion and two boxes Of revolver car
tridges left in the house The men were
taken from the house and conveyed to the
train, and under the protection of the militia
they were taken to the Bowling Green jail
without molesation. A thousand people
met the train, but there was no demon
stration. The prisoners said that they
regretted the death of Clarence Wetten-
meyer who was killed during the attack
on the house. The older brother, Paul, said
81 am glad l killed him" (meaning Western
haver), while the younger brother John, re-
fused to say anything on the subject.
story OF Bloody ZeItner Affair.
-
John and Paul zeltner indicate that they
not only deliberated over the bloody defiance
of law, but also prepared for it, by haying a
large stock of ammunition in their resi-
dence two miles from Hoyt's Corners.
u. II. Westenhayer, ex-sclicitor Of North
Baltimore, had been defending them in nu-
merous cases and had sued for fees Wit
nesses had been called for the trial yester-
day in Westenhavers suit to recover fees.
Paul Zeltner demanded some papers from
Westenhaver and attempted to take them
from his pocket. The other brother then
Joined in demanding the papers and i'm
medately fired the fatal shot that killed
Westenhaver.
AS the Zeltners had their horses ready for
mounting and escape. II is thought that they
had arranged to get Westenhayer into a
fight for the purpose of doing him. al
thought they did not give the victim time to
make any demonstrations toward them
The Zeltners kept up their firing till they
mounted their horses and continued 1t as
hundreds of citizens pursued them for two
miles to their residence. After they reached
their house they kept up constant firing the
rest of the day and during last night. They
not only went to the trial fully armed, but
they had ammunition at home for continued
fusilades,
While the feeling is intense around North
Baltimore on account of the murder Of
Westenhaver it is equally intense around
Hoyts Corners and on account OF the killing
of their neighbor, Clarence Wettenmeyer
who was with the shiriffs posse last night.
When Wettenmeyer fell volley after volley
was poured into the crowd from the upper
story OF the Zeltner house and the Zeltners
knew that they were firing on their neigh
bors as we'll as on the sherif and his depu-
ties Before the arrival of troops, during the
night, a cannon used in shooting oil tanks
when they are on fire and quantity OF
-glyoerine had been secured, so that
there would have been trouble after sun
rise II troops had not arrived.
The Zeltner brothers and their families
We're no doubt saved by the prompt arrival
of the troops under the orders OF Governor
Bushnell The troops stopped the firing
from the house and the enraged crowds and
not only captured the desperadoes but also
protected them from violence all the way
from the southern boundary of this county
and to the jail distance of over twenty
miles, with excitement at the highest pitch
all along the route.
The connection with the participation of
the two women and four children in the
Zeltner barricaded house, 1t is stated, as
f,,pt bar ,fl
ners transferred their farms and other prop
erty on Friday to Mrs. John Zeltner.
Fietcher's Remains Taken Home.