Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-21
BRUTAL MURDER At ASHLEY
PARTICULARS OF THE MURDER
OF CHRIS. ROTT At
ASHLEY.
SET UPON AND BEATEN TO
DEATH IN BLIND PIG.

Half . Dozen Russians Make a Com.
bined Assault on Rott and Injure
Him 80 that Death Ensues-Partic-
ulars Of the Crime.
The Kuhn Messenger has the follow
ing regarding the recent murder at
Ashley:
Christoph Rott, a popular citizen OF
Kuhn, a former prosperous farmer
and a trusted employee of Gackle &
Co., met a fearful death on Sunday
night in "blind pig at Ashley. Nc
Intosh county. to which place he had
gone to collect an old debt for his en-
ployer.
Six Russians carefully planned and
deliberately murdered him, after a
bloody battle lasting for several hours.
An "old grudge' seems to be the only
cause for the awful deed.
On Saturday Mr.. Rott left Kuhn In
the best of health and spirits, perfectly
sober. and with a bill for $40 given
him by Messrs. Gackle & Co. to col
lect from Henry Heuter, of Ashley.
On Saturday night at 10 o'clock,
Henry Heuter paid Christoph the $14O
which the latter paid over to the Ash
ley Bazaar. Heuter then calmly sug-
gested that they have q glass OF beer
together, to which Rott consented.
Heuter then led his unsuspecting VIC
tim to the trap prepared for him,
which was the 'bl;nd pig" conducted
by a m named Winter. Within
the place at the time were the pro-
prietress, q printer on an Ashley paper
and Andrew Schlapps, Gottlieb Schaf-
fer, John Maggie, Peter Ensminger n
Henry Heuter. AS DON as Christ en-
tered the place he recognized several
old enemies among the crowd.
Schafer started the ball rolling by
requesting the printer to leave. which
he refused to do, and he was knocked
on the head by a piece OF board.
Schlapps then knocked the lamp
from the table, and then every man in
the place jumped at ROtt. using beer
bottles, clubs, hammers and hatchets.
They pounded the unfortunate man al
most to insensibility. and when he
starated to crawl beneath the table and
begged for mercy. the cowardly Rus
slams yanked him out and made him
promise to treat the crowd seven
times, which he agreed to willingly do.
and also offered to give $25 to his as
sailants to cease clubbing him. After
they had secured .he drinks and the
money they started in to finish the
Door man, who was now bleeding from
many places on tie head and face.
Christ started for the door. and at
the same time drew his iacknife to
make a last desperate struggle for
life, but his assailants outnumbered
him, and they seized the knife and
hacked his hand to pieces.
Reidinger then struck him on the
head witha big club as he opened the
| door. and the a almost dead. fell
forward on his face, exclaiming:
ooh, my God, Andrew"
Gottfried Gross. of Ashley, saw the
man brought to the hotel, and after
Schlapps had left, he entered the hal
and spoke to the dying man, but re
ceived no answer. The hotel CLERK
then came in. but on account of the
darkness. and thinking that the mar
was intoxicated. they let him lay there
and went to bed. But in a little while
they we're awakened by a noise ant
FASTENED to the side of the dying mar
to find him bathed in a pool of blood
and two big gashcs in his head from
which the blood was pouring.
A doctor was hastily summoned. bu'
at 6 o'clock Mondav morning ChristOpl
Rott gave up the struggle and diet
from the effects of. the terrible beatins
received at the hands of six Russian
scoundrels who hated the man fOl
some trivial cause. and who calml!
and deliberately trapped him will
every intention to commit the murder
That it was deliberately planned
may be seer from the fact hat another
man-Wilhelm Ley-had been asked
to meet the crowd at the pig" Sunday
night with the intention of numbering
Christoph. but, unfortunately for him
he could not arrive On time.
Those who participated in the muir
der were Immediately arrested and
carefully guarded from injury. They
IT is expected that they will receive
a quick tril! and carted away before
any outbreak can be made by the
friends of the dead mar who is vel
known and liked by farmers for hun
dreds OF miles around.
Christoph ROtt leaves a widow anf
a fine family Of eight sons anf
daughters.
The Canton Masquerade.