The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-06-14
GRAND RIVER TRAGEDY
Mrs. George Overholtzer Shot and
Killed at Grand Riyer--fiusband
is Charged with Crime.

CnFOWn lnUO SFoaU eNClCemenU laSU sun
day evening at about 10 o'clock by the
shooting and killing of Edna Clark
Overholtzer, the young wife of George
Overholtzer. There were no eye wit
nesses to the tragedy, but several citi-
zens We're in the immediate vicinity
and heard the report of the revolver
and saw the flash.
The circumstances of the shooting
seem to be about as follows:
OverholtZer and his wife, who lived
in the country some three miles from
the town of Grand River, had been mar
caused by the husbands excessive use
had been happy. On last Sunday morn
and Overholtzer drove over to Van
Vert to attend ball game, leaving his
wife to spend the day with friends, and
returned about 9:30 p. m. Ed Ward tes-
titled that he had been drinking during
the day but that he was not intoxicated
when they arrived at the church in
Grand River, where they waited outside
until the services were over and Mrs.
OverholtZer had come out and passed
on down street, and that he and John
Ward met her at the corner of the
Boeger building. AS noted above there
were no witnesses to the shooting, but
the accused testified that in company
with his wife as he was going past the
Boeger building, when at a point about
10 or 15 feet west Of the corner, some-
body shot from the other side of
of the street and that he caught his
wife as she fell and then ran to Ed
Gales for help. That he ran west from
the point where the shooting occurred
to the alley thence north to a vacant
lot and across the open space east to
the street and across the street to Ed
Gales, where, as Gale also testified, he
asked that a doctor be got, and said
THAT someone had shot Edna Then
he returned to the place where the
crime was committed. In the mean
time w. d. Beatty who was on cross
street near the scene had heard the re-
port of the revolver and ran to the
woman's assistance. She was uncon-
scious and brea thed but twice after he
reached her. Her death was almost
instantaneous. The body was taken to
Drews undertaking establishment, and
Coroner Bowman was called by phone.
Upon his arrival an inquest was held,
John Dale, Selby Stanley and R. G.
Young being impaneled as jurors, and
after listening to the testimony of the
accused and of other witnesses, and of
Drs. Bone, Landes and Bowman, who
made a post-mortem examination, the
jury returned verdict to the effect
that the deceased had come to her death
from internal hemorrhage caused by
gun-shot wound from a pistol in the
hand of George overholtzer with mur-
derous intent. Overholtzer was at once
placed under arrest, and Sheriff Wallace
brought him to Leon Monday and placed
him in Jail to await the action of the
grand jury.
On Tuesday he waived examination
before Justice of the Peace Holden and
was held without bail. The weapon
used was an automatic pistol Of the
latest pattern, shooting nine shots with
out reloading. The ball was 80 calibre
of nickled steel and passed entirely
through Mrs. Overholtzer's body, enter
ing from the front between the second
and third ribs and perforating the right
shoulder blade. The pistol was found
after the shooting on the vacant lot
where OverholtZer had run across to
reach Gales. The belt and empty hol-
ster were also found short distance
away and were acknowledged by Over
holtzer to be his. The prisoners testi-
mony, when asked about his revolver,
was somewhat conflicting. The pistol
found was identified by several wit
nesses as being Overholtzer's, and an
empty shell found within few feet of
where Mrs. Overholtzer fell fitted the
weapon and was of the same make and
identically in form and size to the cen
ter-tire cartridges still in the magazine
of the revolver.
Thomas Taylor, who was about two
blocks east of the place of the shooting
testified that he saw the flash of the
gun and heard the woman scream,
and from the position of the flash he
thought that the pistol was held at
about the center of the street. He saw
nobody running.
Rev. R. H. Bacon was with Mr.. Taylor
and did not see the flash but heard the
shot. James F. Hines and Tom Edwards
accompanied OverholtZer to meet call
OF nature after the shooting and it was
at this place that the empty hostler and
belt to which it was attached was
found.
Mrs. Overholtzer's funeral was held
Tuesday afternoon at Grand River. The
attendance was very large and many
were the expressions of sympathy
at the cutting short of her young life.
Respected and loved by all who knew
her, an active worker in the church, a
vocalist of ability and the tragical end
ing of her earthly career appalled, the
little city of Grand River. Geo. Over
holtzer is the son of w. G. Overholtzer,
worthy and respected citizen. The
stricken parents have the sympathy of
all in their great trouble. Our Grand
River correspondent referring to the
tragedy says, George Overholtzer was
all right when not under the influence
of liquor" but when drunk Overholtzer
was quarrelsome and overbearing.
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