The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-04-18
FACE ON
TOMBSTONE
Profile Of the Murderer
Appeared Thereon.

CHEROKEE. Ia, April fs-A
real or faneied similarity between
his features and those shown In the
velning OF the marble slab over the
graves Of Mr.. and Mrs. Martin
Sehul,E. Of this place. has landed
Oscar Nelils. % Lodi. =, d. In the
county jail here with charge OF
murder hanging over him. The case
e. one % the most remarkable In the
criminal history NJ the state.
Mr.. and Mrs. Schultz were an aged
couple living ON a farm near Cher
okec. They were supposed TO have
between $1,000 aud 5000 concealed Ia
their house. Though frequently adj
vtsed that u was unsafe 60 keep so
large sum by them. they persist
ently refused tn bank 81.
On the night OF August IL, 1888.
both were brutality murdered and
about $500 taken from their horde,
In hts haste the slayer had evident
~ overlooked the balance of the
money. Shuifs's head had been al
most sawed OF with What must have
been an exceedingly duh knife. one
OF his wrists vas also deeply gashed
as II his assaIlant had slashed across
II to compel him 90 relax his grip
on the latter.
Mrs schultz's body lay Just out
side Of the trent door. The suppcsi-
ton Il that che started 10 run out
when her husband was attacked.
but Was pursued and cut down In
the doorway by the murderer. She
was slain with an an.
A reward of 5000 was offered for
the apprehension % the murderer.
Several arrests were made. but the
suspects invariably succeeded In Sc
curing their seaultsal. Finally all
hope Of ever apprwhsndtnE the Grim
inal was ahandonet---by all but one
man. lie was pursuing hls investl-
cation on a method distinctly his
own.
When the Schaltnes were buried
n plain marble tombstone was erect
ed at the head of their graves At
FIRST no one saw anything remark.
able about u. Subsequently super
ssitious people began 20 say that aa
the stone grew more and more stain
cd and w~ather-bsaten the features
of a ~ough-tcoking man were ap-
pearing In the delicate traeery OF tho
marble. The reese N biance 10 a hui
man face was not very striking.
Hard-hearted people declared tina,
they could not see II at all others
said that II was perfectly plain to
them. and the opinion continued to
gain ground that the face was that
OF the aged couples assassin
Ethan Hartngtt. a young farmer
In the neighborhood. and one OF the
schulsxes best frfsndA was one of
those who firmly believed this story.
He made a rough sketch Of the face
In his notebook and carried u con-
stantiy with hmm. iooklng for a man
whose features eorrraponied with
those on the stone.
About a year after the murder ne
declared that he had found the Grim
fnai In the person OF Oscar Sellis.
then 9 resident of this county. Hs
was anxious for the iattcr's arrest.
bu, WINS laughed a, by the au,hort-
tie.
Neills subsequently,. u1ovei TO Ok
fshorna. thence 20 Nebraska. and at
last settled az I,ofl In the near
time Hartnett had been Industrious
~ working up the case aEains, him
He had discovered that the police
were incretiuious concerning the
value Of the evidence Of the tomb
stone. 50 he determined 20 gather
facts which must convince them.
on March q. nearly sin years AFT
ter the date OF the murder. he sue
eeeded. Just what IL the nature Of
the evidence secured the officers
have declined to make public thus
far. They profess to he sure Of
conviction. however, and lost no
time n arrcstinx Neilis after Hart-
nett's latest conference with them.
NeIiis claims to be able 10 prove
an aIibi. He IL an Industrious farm
er. ~ years Of age. and has n wife
and four children.