The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-05-02
DID HE POISON THEM?
Dr.. Bert B. Bruce is Accused of
Poisoning His BrOther-in-Law
and Wifc's Step-Eather.

and Wife's Step-Father.
DR.. Bert B. Bruce, a young man we'll
known by many persons in Leon, having
visited with relatives in this city on a
number of occasions, is under arrest at
st. Joe, charged with the murder of his
brother-in-law, and his wife's step
father, by mixing white arsenic with
medicine which was prescribed for them
by physician.
The accused is a graduate of st. Joe,
med cal college and former president
Of the Bruce-Self Drug Co., whose place
of business was in the Tootle Theatre
building, and was the scene of a myster-
ious fire which partially destroyed the
drug store on the nj night of May s, 1905.
DIR. Bruce is about 3S years of age, and
has had according to the reports pub
lished in the ST. Joe papers rather
checkered career, having been married
three times before he was 35 years old,
and since his arrest on the murder
charge other stories connecting him
with shady deals and mysterious deaths
are reported.
The indictment under which he is now
under arrest charges that he caused
the death of his brother-in-law, James
S. Self who died Nov. 8, 1905, after be-
ing sick a week, and his wifes STEP
father, Ernest ]. Geisler, who died April
4, 1906. Both of the deceased carried
considerably life insurance, and it is
claimed that Bruce poisoned them in
in order to secure control of this insur-
ance.
Ernest J. Geisler, according to the
Indictment was taken with his last ILL
ness March 20, 1906, and died April 4
eleven days later. Self was taken sick
November /, 1905, and died November 8.
Both were buried at Mount Moral ceme-
try.
Mr.. Geisler's death occurred at his
home, 212 South Twelfth street, at 0:30
o'clock Wednesday evening, and he was
buried the following Friday. There was
no inquest in his case. His life was in
sured for $4,000, and his widow, jose
phine Geisler, was the beneficiary.
He was past eminent commander of the
Knights Templars, st. Joseph Com
mandery No. 4, and members of the order
attended the funeral in body.
Until his death, James Stephens Self
was employed by the Union Terminal
Railway Company as an engineer. He
was ill about one week before his death,
which occurred at 3 o'clock Thursday
afternoon, November 8, 1905. Kidney
trouble was given as the cause. He
was son of John Self, a stepson of
Earnest j. Geisler, and partner OF Bert
B. Bruce in the drug business. which
was conducted in the Tootle Theatre
building at Fifth and Francis streets,
under the firm name of the Bruce-Self
Drug Company. His sister, Mamie Self,
was married to Bruce about four years
ago, and it was with the Self family
money that the drug business was estab-
lished.
Sells death occasioned considerable
talk, and it was currently reported at
the time that there had been foul play.
His life was insured for 81, 1000 in his
mothers interest. He was member of
the Order Of Eagles, and some of his
was some probing into details by the
police, but for some reason an inquest
was not held, and there was no autopsy.
A sinister fatality seems to have been
associated with the career of B. B.
Bruce. Several relatives besides those
mentioned in the Indictment have drop
ped off suddenly, and under circumstan-
ces suspicious, to say the least. There
is report that he was married three
times before he was thirty-five years
old. His first wife is said be living
somewhere in st. Joseph, and common
report has it that his second wife died
at Plattsburg, Clinton county. There
was an inquest in her case, and it was
whispered that she died of poisoning
but the verdict of the jury accused nc
one, and there was no prosecution.
Then there was the death of Mrs
Schweitzer, sixty-eight years old, widow
of Christopher Schweitzer, and grand.
mother of Mamie Self, which occurred
ut the Geisler home, 212 South Twelfth
street, June 2, 1908. She was found
dead in her room about o'clock on the
morning of that day. The gas was
turned on. There was coroner's in.
quest, and the verdict was that she came
to her death accidentally by inhaling
Illuminating gas" However, there were
circumstances attending the death
which were never explained.
Bert B. Bruce, who was in the house
at the time of Mrs. Schweitzer's death
made the following deposition before
the coroner's jury:
"Somebody woke me up about 5 o'clock
the morning of the End of June. | i'm
mediately detected the odor of gas, and
forced the door, and found the dead
body of grandmother on the floor. The
odor of gas was very strong in this par
ticular room. Mrs. Schweitzer, in my
opinion, was not accustomed to gas"
There were two more dispositions, one
by Ernest j.. Geisler, and the other by
his wife, Josephine. Geisler's deposi
tion was the same in substance as thai
of Bruce. Mrs. Geisler, however, went
more into detail. She told of awakine
at O'Clock in the morning and hearing
her mother speak to the dog. Hel
mother arose and put the dog out, ano
then stopped in the kitchen to make
some beef tea, but found some already
made, and drank that. When she Mrs
Geisler) went up stairs, she saw the gas
burning in her mothers room. "Mothel
had always seemed to be happy" con
cludes the deposition, land have nc
reason for believing she intended to al
low the gas to escape"
An autopsy was ordered in the case
of Mrs. Schweitzer the day after hel
death, but for some reason was counter
i,o,oad;o+aIx, Tbo l,al,