The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-17
TRAGEDY OF HAUNTED HOUSE
Slain BY the Knife With Which He
Committed Murder

Earring. s. D.@special.)- Charles r,
Casmer is in Jail here. charged with
the murder Of Frank w. Hoppe April
2. His defense is that the crime was
committed by a man already nearly
five years in his grave.
The residents Of the neighborhood are
so firmly convinced Of something super.
natural in the killing that 1t is doubtful
If jury can be found in the country
to convict prisoner who alleges such
manifestations.
In the summer of 1892 Hoppe and
Thomas Barber formed a partnership.
bought bunch Of cattle and engaged
In business as ranchmen Both were
bachelors and lived in a sod house
eleven miles north Of this place.
For two years they got on we'll to-
gether. Then a dispute arose concern.
Ing a division Of profits. Hoppe left
the ranch and commenced suit against
his partner for an accounting. Before
the case came to trial a settlement was
effected, the partnership was re-estab-
lished and the men resumed housekeep-
ing together.
About two months afterward Hoppe
rode into town and gave himself UP
to the authorities with the explanation
that Barber had assaulted him and that
he had killed him in self-defense. On
visiting the house the officers found
Barber lying where he had fallen. He
had evidently been sitting or standing
In front of rude fireplace and had
been killed by knife thrust between
the shoulders. The fact that he was
stabbed in the back gave the case an
ugly look.
| Heppe's version was that Barber was
reaching for a gun kept over the fire.
place. AS there was no witness to
controvert this story the prisoner was
acquitted. Public opinion was SO
strongly against him, however, that he
sold his interest in the ranch and left
the country.
While Hoppe was in Jail the knife.
with which Barber was killed, disap-
peared in a most mysterious manner.
The night before the case was called
the prosecuting attorney saw the knife
In his safe. He locked the safe and
sat down for an evenings work. Before
leaving he reopened the safe and was
astonished to discover that the knife
had disappeared. He had not left the
office during the evening nor had any
ne but himself entered it. Nothing else
In the safe, which contained a consid-
cradle sum of money, was disturbed.
| Soon after Heppes departure it be-
gan to be whispered that strange things
were happening about the deserted cab
In. Passing cattlemen said that groans,
imprecations and shrieks for aid issued
from the windows. and sometimes q
figure was seen moving inside. The
majority spurred by at top speed after
dark. The holder scoffed at the tales.
but no one cared to investigate closely.
So far as known. the hut was never
entered from the time Hoppe left 1t
until the night Of April 10.
Hoppe himself and Casmer were the
nrst to revisit it. After spending nearly
ave years on the Texas cattle ranges
Hoppe returned to the northwest and
obtained employment on ranch nearly
100 miles north Of Earling. Winters
storms drifted many head of his en-
ployer's cattle to the southwark. and
Hoppe and Casmer, a fellow herdsman,
were detailed to ground them up
On the I'd they entered Fresno coun-
ty. Toward evening snowstorm set
in. Both men were exhausted and
f@I Nl HHxv rkoA
riding into Earling for shelter. On the
way, Hoppe led him, either by accident
Of design, toward his old sod house.
Hoppe proposed stopping there for the
night.
The house was in very dilapidated
condition. but the cowboys built a fire
on the hearth, produced their provis-
ions and flask Of whisky and were
soon comfortable. 1t was late when
they arrived, and when, after partak-
Ing Of their impromptu luncheon, Hoppe
seated himself on stump in front Of
the fire. on nearly the same spot where
Barber had been stabbed five years be-
fore. Casmer thinks 1t was between
1? and o'clock.
casmer says he had stepped to the
door to see whether there were any
signs Of a cessation of the storm when
he was startled by yell Of agony from
his companion. Rushing inside he
found the latter lying on his face in
front Of the fire, his forehead actually
in the embers and knife sticking in
Ills back. Afraid to stay in the house
longer, he mounted his broncho and
started for EARRING. He was unfamil-
lar with the country and soon became
hopelessly lost.
Such was the story he told when
found early the next morning, wander
ing aimlessly over the prairie. His
rescuers accompanied him to the cabin.
Hoppe was still on the floor with the
knife sticking between his shoulder
blades. On drawing 1t out the specta-
tors were Mortified to discover that II
was the same weapon which had 80
lmysteriously disappeared from the
Fresno county prosecuting attorneys
safe.
! Casmer was brought into town and
/ annlxnd IN Tshouuh ha yoi0hf have