The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-10-02
MURDERER HAD NERVE.
Answered Telephone Calls After His
Return From Pelliberg's.
Wanted to Kill Himself Rather Than
Go to The Penitentiary.
Abstract of The Evidence Taken at
the coroner's Inquest.
Said He Shot His Wife When She Re-
fused to Kiss Him.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
The coroner's inquest over the remains
of the late Mrs. Augusta Grams was
held at the house of Herman Pelliberg,
her son by her first husband, where the
shooting occurred. The house is a small
one, and sad contrast with the large
and spacious home from which the muir
derer had driven his wife by his course
of i'll treatment toward her. Grams
home is a ten-room house, well built, and
there are ten out buildings, including a
large and fine granary and barn and a
machine shed. There is every evidence of
prosperity about the place.
Grams children seem to show n feel
ING of relief now that their father is
away. They thought a great deal of
their mother
1t developed from the evidence that
Grams had said Thursday morning that
if he did not shoot any chickens he
would shoot an owl. 1t is supposed that
this expression referred to his wife, who
wore spectacles.
The evidence points that Grams had
planned the murder for at least two
DAYS. and probably a week or more,
and was nerving himself to commit the
crime. Two weeks before the murder he
draped his marriage certificate, that was
framed and hung on the wall. He hung
his wife's bonnet and his cap that he
wore in the German army upon it. and
below it attached pipe that his wife
had given him the day the trouble be-
tween them began.
The nephew, Emil Grams Jr., was de-
termined to turn the old man over to the
authorities. and he showed a good deal
of pluck in taking him alone and UNI
armed, against the mans wishes. He
remarked afterwards that he was not
afraid that his uncle would get away,
for had he jumped from the carriage and
started to run the younger man would
have overtaken him, as Grams is af-
ficted with asthma and would soon have
given out.
The following is the substance of the
evidence taken at the coroner's inquest
yesterday:
Richard Nyquist said that he lives in
GAINESVILLE and is fourteen years DID,
Thursday morning was at the home OF
Herman Pelliberg. | was in the barn
door and Emil Grams was standing by
the little stand near the porch door. First
saw him coming around the corner of the
house. He was talking with his wife,
who was straining milk outside the
door. l stood there and watched them.
/ knew there had been some trouble be-
tween them First he came around the
corner on the house and then he reached
out his hand and shook hands with her.
He had his gun standing by his left
side, holding it with his left hand, point
ing up. They talked together few
moments. Then he drew the gun up and
she stretched out her hands, trying to
keep the gun away, and then she cried
out and said, "Oh, Emil" and then he
shot her. She had nothing in her hands.
She was standing about three feet from
the door, and just reached the knob with
her hand. He was about eight or ten
feet from her when he shot. He backed
up from where he had been standing be-
fore he shot, about three feet. She fell
when he shot, and then he turned and
walked northward to the woods as fast
as he could. He did not run. Then
went down to the corn crib, then to the
house Mrs. Grams was lying in the
doorway. He shot her a few minutes
before seven o'clock. He used double
barrelled shot gun, and shot but once.
He did not look back toward the house
as he was going away. She never got
up after she was shot; she died where
she fell.
Emil Grams Jr. said that he lives on
Emil Grams Sr.'s farm west of Indian
Lake Have rented the farm and per-
sonal property except some Grams was
going to sell, for the coming year.
Herman Pelliberg lives southeast two
miles straight across. Am married,
and Grams with his four children lived
with me. l have one child, four months
old. Got up Thursday morning about
5 a. m, and Grams got up next. | went
to do my chores, and he was putting on
coats and putting shells in the belt He
had a ten guage double barrelled shot
gun with him. He said: Il am going
out hunting to the south end of the farm.
| will shoot some game. If | don't get
no chickens I'll shoot an OWL" Then /
went out towards the barn to do my
chores, and he came out of the house and
went into the workshop near the house.
He had on his wife's Astrakhan winter
jacket. Then he had something under the
jacket and went to the granary. Then
he put quite little stuff, | don't know
what, in grain sack tied around him
with binding string. Then he took the
dog from the chain and struck out for
the south end of the farm. He went to-
ward the southwest corner of the farm,
half a mile away. / noticed him over
eighty rods from the house, and he was
going straight ahead. l saw no evidence
before he left or at the time he left of
his being intoxicated. l did not see him
again until he came back about 7:20
or 1880 a. m. He said to me then: 81
shot her." / thought by 'her" he meant
his wife. said: "You're just joshing"
He said "no,' and then he walked off, He
walked down toward the house, and did
not stagger. soon walked toward the
house, and heard some one calling and
the dinner bell rang at the same time. I
walked fast toward the house, and his
daughter, Rose, met me. She said: Pa
killed ma and wants to kill himself" /
walked to the house then. Grams was
coming from the parlor into the dining
room, and he said Here's all of them
papers, I'll give them to you to take care
of them. There's those two little girls,
/ want you to protect them" Then the
telephone rang and Rosie went to it..
August Dunder of GAINESVILLE told her:
s'Did you hear your pa killed your ma 2"
Then Grams took the receiver from the
girl and talked to Dunder. He said once
in while mo- and "you must be off,
Then he hung up the receiver and walked
away couple of steps, and it rang
again. Then I went to it and central
told me to look out for Grams, that he
had killed his wife. Then I hung up
the receiver and he said to me, "Who was