Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-06
THE SCHULTZ MURDER
Further Particulars Of the All.
legged Confession Made BY
George Mantatne.
Mental Condition !, OF the Young
Man Has Been Called
Into Question.
duplicates His Father. Uncle
and Himself in the al.
legged Crime.

ton of the sanity or insanity of George
Montague possibly depends the unrav-
cling of the famous murder, which oc-
CURED in Cherokee county eight years
ago. George Montague is % years old
and has made a confession which impli-
Gates his uncle, John Montague; his
father George Montague, as well as
himself, in the murder of the Schultzs.
Young Montagne's confession is suf-
fciently explicit, but there seems to be
some question as to his mental con-
dition, and this fact, in connection
with others, is at present being in
vestigated by the grand jury, now in
session at Cherokee.
| The murder of which young Mon
tagne profeses to know occurred eight
years ago in Tilden towship, sixteen
miles southwest from Cherokee It at
tracted national attention and has re-
manned one of the deepest mysteries on
the pages of Iowa criminal history.
! The victims were an old couple named
Schultz. both of whom had passed the
age of 60 years. They had come from
the east upon the invitation of Mrs
Schultz's brothers. George and John
Montague, and had taken up their resi-
dence on a farm owned by John
Montague. The old couple had been
buffeted about by the storms Of life,
but had hoped to find in the west an
opportunity to recoupe their fortunes
and to save enough money to make
their last years comfortable. With
this idea in view they had brought
their boarded savings with them, and
every cent they could save after their
arrival here was carefully put away,
with the intention of buying the farm
upon which they were living. They
We're supposed to have about 500 in
their possession, part Of which was
concealed in an old family bible. One
morning a neighbor calling upon them
received no answer to knock on the
front door. Passing around to the
back door he was Mortified to find Mrs
Schultz lying upon the floor of the
summer kitchen, her face bathed in
blood. An investigation developed
that she had been murdered, her head
crushed in with blunt instrument.
The husband had been murdered in the
bed in the same manner. He had made
no struggle. but the wife had evidently
fought hard for her life. About $500
of the alleged $500 was stolen.
| Detectives Immediately commenced to
work upon the case, but the mystery
baffied every effort to unravel it. With
in year after the murder one Jack
Skinner was arrested on suspicion of be-
ing implicated in the crime. but was dis
missed. Within eighteen months Oscar
Nellis. at that time living on South
Dakota ranch, was given hearing, but
was also dismissed.
During this long period of inyestiga-
ton excitement over the case has been
rife in the community in which it oc-
Cured AT one time John Williams
claimed that the tombstone which had
been erected over the bodies of Mr. and
Mrs. Schultz was undergoing peculiar
transformation. He insisted that the
outline of a face was making itself APP
parent. The people of the community
believed that thesface would prove to
be that of the murderer, but it never
reached further stage than that of a
slight discoloration induced by the
weather. In the meantime whitecap let
tiers of threatening nature have been
sent to various prominent members of the
community. The authority of these let
tiers has heretofore remained mystery.
Among those who have received such
letters is John Williams. who professed
to have seen the face of the murderer
On the tombstone. Mr.. Williams has
been badly frightened and has placed
the letters before the county attorney
The letters We're written on variously
shaped papers. They contained skull
N IN
corner and date in the right.
One such letter. received by Mr. Will
Jams and submitted to the grand jury
for investigation read as follows:
To John Williams: You have been
found out and we now know who did the
deed You must now come forward and
tell the facts, If not your days will be
numbered. We mean business and our
company is 500 strong. Unless you com
ply you must take the consequences
"COMMITTEE."
The letters are well written and to
their authorship young Montague now
confesses.
Up to within few days ago the Off
GERS of the county had concluded that
the last word had been said in the case.
when young Montague came forward
with his startling confession This he
told to several people, including Sheriff
John Hill. w. H. o'Nein, George Good
rich and his uncle. John Montague. He
also reduced 1t to writing. According to
his story. he assisted in the crime by
driving the team In which the other
rarticipators rode to within a compare
lively short distance Of the Schultz
house. Here he held the horses under
the shade of some trees while the older
men left him. He claims that the BROTH
ers obtained some money and that they
gave him $50 as his share, which he
buried beneath an old tree in tin can.
He has also turned over to Sheriff Hill
The instruments with which the deed is
alleged to have been done. They consist
Of an old harrow tooth and a lever from
reaper.
This story he told with sufficient de-
tail to County Attorney ]. A. Miller,
never finching in the recital. Hbw-
ever, under severe croM-examination,
ne explained that he had told, the whole
matter as Joke; that there was no
truth in it. Taken before the grand
jury, he again told the story as abso-
Lutte truth, but again Withdrew his
statement, saying that the whole mat
ter was Joke. The contradictory
character Of the statements has aroused
doubts as to his sanity, and yesterday
ne was examined by the insanity COM
mi M MI