The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-31
MURDER OF REIDER NOT I'D.
MAIER's ONLY ONE.
he SHOT A GAME WARDEN
Forced to Flee from the Old Country
for Completely in
Homocide.

Taking for true the statements
made during the last few days by
witnesses who appeared at his recent
trial, when Martin Zidmair walks to
the gallows Tor the murder OF George
Reider he will expiate a double crime,
for in addition to the death of Reider,
he is also charged with completely
in the taking of another human life,
although not in this country.
AS told by old country friends OF
Zidmair now in and near Livingston,
December 20, 1888, the condemned
man and a man named Virgil ltanE
murdered a game warded in a lonely
spot in the mountains of Bavaria.
The alleged murder was committed
near a town called Schlicresse and
the man whom they are charged with
having murdered was Thomas Luidli.
Zidmair, whose real name is said
to be Zehetmier, and Rank were hunt
luS Ou d ltoIC OoIoCO Alo - oAO
a deer. The game warden heard the
shot and frightened away the two
poachers, who left their game be-
hind. Luidli concealed himself ear
by and after waiting a short time the
two poachers returned and were in
the act of skinning the deer, when
the warden undertook to arrest them.
A fight followed and Luidli was shot
to death. The murderers effected their
escape and fled to America. A large
reward was offered for their apprenen-
sion, but they were never found. Both
settled in Park county. Rank died a
few years ago IN his ranch near Liv-
ingston, where his family still resides.
Although many of his fellow country
men knew his secret, none ever di-
vulged it and Zidmair was safe.
Reider, the man for whose murder
he is now under sentence of death,
was also a fugitive from German jus.
tice, having been connected with an
organization similar to the white
caps and was implicated in some
sort of an outrage. He was arrested,
but escaped before his trial. But
there are others connected with the
trial who are under a cloud. Andrew
W%iedenbauer, one of the states prin-
cipal witnesses, had to leave his ma
tive land for his own good. He was
counting the daughter of the keeper
of a hotel. The girls father objected
to his attentions and one night for
chilly elected him from the house.
Wiedenbauer shot at him and for this
served 1S months in prison. After
his release he returned and one night
burglarized the hotel. He made his
escap successfully and came to Amer
lea, settling near Zidmair's ranch.
A copy of a newspaper published
at Waarkirchen, Bavaria, has been
received at Livingston in which is
published an account of the offenses
of Reiter, W~iedenbauer and Zehetmeir
in that country and also their sub
sequent doings in Montana. The ar
ticle states that for a long time after
their arrival in Park county the three
fugitives kept up a correspondence
with their former boon companions
especially often did Keller write.
Suddenly his letters ceased and those
to whom he had been writing wrote
to acquaintance at Livingston ant
were informed that Reider had dis
appeared while hunting and had I'm
dOubtedly been killed by a bear
Since Zehetmeir's second conviction
however, Johan Gerheg "a witness OF
the trial of the condemned murderer
wrote again, saying that Reider hat
not been killed by bears, but ha,
been shot by Martin Zehetmeir an
that the latter and Andrew Wieder
bauer had burned his body.