Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-03-15
STABBED BY HIS
BR0T|4fR.IN.LAW
Christ Bauer Killed by Ernest
Meyers Near the Town Of
Rock Branch.
WAS DEFENDING HIS MOTHER
Murderer Brought to Sioux City and
Jailed The Coroncr's Verdict
Against Him.--D "Details Of
the Crime.


Saturday evening murdered his bre.
ther-in-law, Christ Bauer, who owns u
farm at the edge of Plymouth county,
in Garfield township.
In a quarrel at the home of Meyers
between Myers and his mother-n-law.
who is Mrs. Dora Bauer the mother of
Christ Bauer, the son took his moth
cr's part against the son-inlaw, who
WAS quarrelsome from drink, and was
stabbed with pocketlinife in the
jugular vein. His body was found in
the road some sixteen rods away,
where he had staggered before he fell
ifeless. His body lies in a granary
awaiting the convenng of coroner's
jury.
Meyers is bound and surrounded by
Il posse of indignant neighbors. He
was found fast asleep ON lounge in
his home. not ten feet from the spot
where he had reclllessiy drawn his
knife and lunged with fatal effect at
the son. who had commanded him to
cease beating the mother, who is Il
woman of 10 years.
Saturday Meyers and Bauer went to-
gethcr with load of hogs to Kings
ley. where they trade. Meyers became
partially intoxicated On their qeturn
to Meyers home he left the wagon be-
fore he horses We're unhitched and as
soon as he entered the house began n
quarrel with Mrs. Bauer. Finally he
struck her with his fist. Mrs. Meyers
interfered and received Il blow and
was roughly handled.
Bauer entered and protested at
Meyers conduct. Instantly big
pocketlSnfe flashed out of Myers
pocket and Bauer cried out a moment
later that he was stabbed With Il
crimson stream squirting from the
jugular vein he reeled off down the
driveway to the road. He died there
alone.
At midnight the Sioux City police
were notified of the crime. Deputy
Sheriff Pecaut and Coroner Wade were
in turn notified and at 12:45 they
started off on the long thirty miles
ride over bad roads to- Rock Branch to
take charge of the prisoner and to
hold the inquest.
Ernest Meyers, who. at o'clock Sat
urday evening in the dooryard at his
farm, two miles west and two and
one-half miles north of Rock Branch,
killed his wife's brother, Christ Bauer,
by stabbing him with a heavy joclset
knife. sevcring his .iuglar vein, was
brought to Sioux City yesterday and
locked up in u cage at the county Jail.
The prisoner cried almost all the
way to the city, but had nothing to
say further than that he could not
remember anything that had hap
pened. When he was taken into the
corridor of the Jail his sobbng in
creased and his only replies to ques-
tons were mods and shakes of the
head. He held a handkerchief to his
mouth to suppress his convulsive mo-
tons.
Al the Meyers farm, when the killing
took place the body of the murdered
man had lain all night I'm a wheat bin.
Meyers. guarded by neighbor, had
slept all night i'm an alcoholic stupor.
About daylight he looked out of the
window of his room and asked John
lIopp, the neighbor. what the crowd
of people out by the barn meant. He
wanted to go ont and learn. Mr..
Hopp. however. compelled him to sit
down and would not allow him to
leave the room. Meyers continued to
ask what the trouble was. but MIR.
Hopp did not tell him until Deputy
Sheriff Pecaut and Coroner Wade
reached the house at o'clock. They
had driven thirty miles over the
toughest kind of roads to arrive upon
the scene as early as possible.
count of the facts as they were known
Il I ,,.1,.,
Meyers was lying down. The curtains
of the room were pulled down and it
was dark. Mr. IIopp pointed TO Meyer
and Pecaut said: "Mr. Meyers, YOU
are under arrest and you will have to
go to Sioux City
Meyer appeared TO be greatly sur
prised and he asked what he had done
to be arrested for. When he was told
that he had murdered his brothcr-n-
law, he said he could not believe it;
that Christ Bauer was his best friend.
The deputy sheriff said the man was
dead, though. and that Meyer was UNI
der arrest for the murder. Meyer still
appeared skeptical and Pecant asked
him if he wanted to see The body add
ing that surely that would be sutli-
cient proof that Bauer was dead.
Meyer said he would like to see for
himself what they said was true.
The body of Bauer had not been
touched since it was carried into The
granary by neighbors the night be-
fore The mistaken impression, quite
common, that the body must not be
handled until the coroner could view
it, had prevailed and the sight was Il
frightful one of gore. The hemor-
rhage had been terrific. From the
three-inch cash in the right side of the
neck blood had $purted out and GOV.
cred the mans face and saturated his
clothing, as though bucket OF blood
had been poured over him. When
Meyer was conducted to the bin where
his wife's dead brother lay he walked
with an elastic. step and there hXas no
sign that be, realized the horrible
sight he was about to look upon.
When he saw the eyes Of the dead man
bulged from their sockets and staring
wildly he drew back with shudder
and said. my best friend; Il don't u5-
derstand" He then began to cry md
was led away. He was a peaceful,
obedient prisoner and while handouts
were placed upon him at first, they
soon were taken Off and he accepted
the courtesy alphabetically He of
fered no resistance: in any way, but
did everything Ahe officers told him
to do. During the night Mr. Hopr
had tied his feet together with a rope,
but he had kicked this loose in his
sleep, and he was so docile that nc
further restrainFwas placed upon him
,rha4 nhildran tall FOR their apes arn