, 1905-01-20
brutal MURDER Of
FIRST STREET GROCER

room to the bedroom. Gerber was evi
IDENTIFY trying to reach a pistol which
lay on a box at the end of a counter
but a foot or W from where he fell
The pistol was partly hidden under
some papers that lay on the box. Jus
as he put out his hand to grasp the
weapon he was no doubt struck from
behind with one of the bolts of iron
falling to his knees and then back
ward, his feet being doubled up under
him as he lay with his face upward
The knife was found sticking straight
up in the mans throat by the members
OF the jury, one of whom removed il
and turned it ovcr to Coroner Robin.
son. The wound in the neck showed
that the murderer had slashed the man
across the throat and driven the knife
deep in and left it there. The knife
is an ordinary buckhorn-handled wea-
pom, with a blade about three inches
long.
There are a number of blood-stained
tracks on the floor leading from the
body to the front of the store. One
of these is very plain, and mingled
with the blood in hat part of the
track made by the toe of the shoe
was a lock of hair, indicating, in the
minds of the officers. that the wearer
of the shoe had either kicked his vic
tim or deliberately stepped on his face.
The tracks were measured and dia-
grams made Of them for purposes of
identification.
The discovery of the murder was
made by the Knadler brothers, who
went to the store shortly after noon,
attracted by the report that the light
in the store was still burning and no
one had been able to get response to
knocking or the door and calls to Mr..
Gerber. The ear door was forced
open and the body of the murdered
man brought to view. The body lay
30 that it obstructed the passageway
except across the form, and Coroner
Robinson gave instructions to prevent
this until he could investigate the at
fair. There was a large pool Of blood
to the left Of the mans face and a
small stream of blood running through
the open door into the bedroom. The
door between the store and the bed
room was partially closed and blood
stained near the bottom, showing that
the nan had fallen with the first blow,
the blood squirting onto the wood of
the door.
AS oon as the discovery Of the foul
murder had been made Under Sheriff
Knadler took possession of the build
ing and notified the oroner. Mr.. Rob
inon was not long In making his ap-
pearance, and the inquest had been
started in less than half an hour, the
jury having been sworn, the body
turned owe to the undertaken and the
rooms placed in charge of the watch
man.
Al examination of the interior of
the store bore mute but unmistakable
evidence OF murder for the purpose OF
robbery. The mattress Of the bed was
found torn to pieces, the bed clothes
pulled to the floor and the whole room
Uttered up. In the store the cash
drawer OF the north side Of the store
wa found on the counter, with all the
papers scattered about the counter and
or the floor. A few pennies in a cor
ner Of the drawer was all the cash left,
II there had been any when the drawer
was forced open.
On the south side Of the store there
were evidences OF a search among the
boxes and packages under the
ter. Two cigar boxes that contained
papers and may have contained money
were found, with the papers showing
evidence Of having been roughly gone
over. A clock vas found lying on the
door. This had stopped at $40, but
u Nj. Gerber was seen alive after that
time last night, little can be guessed,
even, from the stopping Of the clock.
The works started when the clock was
taken from the floor and placed upright
on the counter.
Mr.. Gerber was dressed a. he would
have been during business hours. in
pantaloons, vest and coat. His pockets