Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-04
4 Shocking ! TRAGEDY
Murder o. Walter Koeller One Of
the strangsst in History Of
Chicago.
Killed BY Two Boys, Apparently
Without : Motive for the
Crime.
Two Suspects Arrested With All
Kinds Of Weapons in Their
Possession.

Chicago, Sept. 4.LWalter +. hoeller
was called to the door of his sleeping
apartments by two men Saturday night
and without word of warning two
keen knife blades sank into his breast
and he fell back dead. Not word was
spoken by the mysterious assassins,
and, their work done. they sped into the
street and disappeared.
Koeller was 20 years old and his home
was in Herman, Mo. He completed
years business training at the normal
school in Dixon, Ill.,, less than a month
ago, and came at once to chicago.
where his brother George is employed
as station agent for the Chicago q
Northwestern railroad. Walter made
mis- home with his brother, who was
staying with Mrs. +. NJ. Alexander OF
SS0k Fulton street.
He secured a position at once with
the Griffin Car Wheel Company ana
worked there as stenographer until Sat-
urday, when he was made Ill by the
excessive heat and compelled to return
to his room.
Shortly before Q O'Clock at night two
smooth faced young men, whose dress
indicated to Mrs. Alexander that they
might have just arrived from the coun-
try. called at the house and asked to
see the young man. Mrs. Alexander
said he was too i'll to talk with anyone,
and referred them to his brother. They
returned again In a few minutes ana
declared the brother had given them
permission to talk with Walter, and on
the strength of this she ushered them to
the room occupied by the koellers IN
the front part of the second floor. the
door was closed and the lights in the
room had been extinguished.
Mrs. Alexander stepped into the bath
room, which was next to Koeller's
apartments, just as the strangers
knocked softly for admittance. Mrs
Alexander heard the young man rising
| from the bed and striking match,
Then his door creaked back on It's
hinges and the next instant there was
blood curdling shrek. Before the cry
had died away the murderers were clat-
| tering down the stairs and into the
| street and the police could get no trace
| of them when they arrived.
| Koeller was found lying just inside
| the door, There was deep cash in hi:
! right breast, and cut in the left breas
/ showed where second knife hat
4 reached his heart. Besides these wounds
there was a cash on the right wrist am
a cut on the left hand indicated that tn
4 victim must have tried to arrest one
the blows by selling the descending
4 knife blade.
George Koeller denied that the mys
4 FERROUS callers had seen him at all an
he could give no idea as to their iden
4 tity. His brother had frequently writ
il ten him. he said, of his happy life a
4 college and complained of but on
4 trouble. He had three rivals for tn
hand of Miss Jessie Horn. of Shirley
i Ill, whom he was engaged TO marry
land he said they annoyed him by thei
Very evident hatred of him for his sue
cess with the young woman. But h
. had never said anything to indicat
J, that he believed his life in danger o
this account.
The police are satisfied that the mur
derers hailed from Dixon, and clos
watch was kept on all trains leayin
I the city, but no trace was had OF tn
: asSassinS.