Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-27
kutzlcbcn Contrsscs HcWrccked
Rock Island Fast Train
Thru Curiosity
MAN MAY BE DEmENrEo
After Preparing For the Wreck He
Grew Frightened and Ran Away
Says He is Scr. German Noble
mantle May Have Had Accom-
pliccs.
special to rimes-Republican.


Des Moines, March 7.--Rock Is
land officials inNeNtigating the cause
of the wreck of the Rocky Mountain
limited passenger train near Home
stead. Tuesday morning last, nave
secured n. confession thru Sheriff Diet
rich from an insane man, Eric kutz-
leven, of South Amana, that ne pulied
the spikes and rails loose for the pur-
pose of gratifying his curiosity as to
what would harpen. The confession
was made Saturday night at Marengo,
where Kutzleben is in Jail. The sheriff
of Iowa county wired II. b. McLaugh-
lin. the Rock Island detective here, of
the confession.
kutZleben is q German and talks in
broken English. He came to South
Amana short time ago, declared that
he was a German nobleman who had
been forced to leave the fatherland on
account of some trivial offense against
the kaiser. He told the story so
straightforward and gave such details
that the people Of the community gen.
orally believed. They thought he act
ed strangely. but ascribed it to being u
foreigner Now they believe that he is
demcuted.
Kutzleben WAS suspected of the
crime shortly after it was discovered
that the wreck had been caused by
parties tamperiag with the rails. He
was taken into superintendent Small
1a,y yt
firmly maintained his innocence. He
declared that he was at his home in
South Amana The night of the wreck
and that he had retired about s o'clock.
The first intination of the Germans
possible connection with the crime was
secured from "A school teacher. The
teacher had met kutzleben the night
prior to the wreck on II bridge near the
scene of the accident. They had chatted
for some time together Kutzelben hav-
ing bottle Of wine, from which he
drank freely, In some manner or other
he talked concerning the possibilities
of a wreck anG what a great sight the
wreckage would be. At the time, the
teacher paid little attention to it. After
the wreck he put two and two together
and later told his suspicious to the Of
Gals who placed Kutzleben under ar
rest. Since then he has been in the
Iowa county Jail.
From the proprietor Of the house at
South Amana where Kutzleben stopped,
it was learned that he had not returned
home until about o'clock the morning
of the wreck, and that he got up and
left about O'clock the same morning.
This was used in putting him thru the
sweat box, after which he made the
confession.
He stated that he secured the tools,
part of them from section foreman's
tool house. After fixing" the track
he threw the tools in the river.
After preparing for the wreck he
became frightened and fled, not hav-
ing the nerve to gloat over the acct
dent he had caused.
There is some question as to whether
kutzleben had an accomplice. The gem
eral opinion is that he did it alone,
his strange mania or insanity causing
him to do it for the reason he gave
curiosity. Rock Island officials
will endeavor to have an example made
Of Kutzleben as this is one of the worst
class of criminals the road has to deal
with