The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-02-21
TEGELER
GIVEN LIFE
SENTENCE
Third Trial Of Man Charged
With Murder Of Telephone
LIneman
Special to Daily Leader.

Special to Daily Leader.
Oklahoma City, Of1a,, Feb 2O.-
I'VE find the defendant guilty OF
murder as charged in the first count
of the Indictment and we fix his pun
lshment at hard labor in the peniten-
tiary for life was the verdict the
jury in the district court brought in
against Rudolph Iegeler, after many
had despaired of an agreement, and
believed the defendant would have
to be tried a fourth time for the
murder OF Jhmes r Meadows ON
June 4. 1907.
This ends, for the time being the
most hard fought and complicated
murder case in the history OF Okla
homa county Attorneys for the de-
fendant still will fight the case in the
criminal court Of appeals.
The case has been a long one, On
the morning of June ), 1907, James
r. Meadows, an employee Of the Pion
eer Telephone company did not show
up for work, Inquiries at his home
in Capitol Hill failed to reveal his
whereabouts. After a few days a
systematic search began for him with
no results. Detectives were put on
the-case and Rudolph Tegeler a young
German boy, in the employ OF the
water works, was watched as it was
alleged that he and the wife Of Mead
ows, Mrs. Lila Meadows had been
and continued to be intimate. They
were seen together in a resort on
North Broadway. and the Telephone
company through its interest in the
case had the wires of Mrs. Meadows
telephone tapped, and took note OF
| their conversations.
Mail Intercepted.
There was also a supposed clairvoy-
ant, called "Moter Myers" in whom
Tegeler had confidence. Mail to her
through error, was delivered to an
other Mr.. Myers, and in this way fell
into the hands of the police. Them
came a letter from San Antonio, Tex.
to the chief of police, giving a dia-
gram, and showing where the body
of Meadows was buried in corn
field near CAPITOL Hill. The writing
of-the letters was similar and Tegeler
and Mrs. Meadows were arrested,
charged with the crime
On the night OF June II, 1907 Teg-
eer was taken by detectives and po-
lice to the spot supposed to be on the
a spade around the field Tegeler him
self took hold OF it, and unearthed
the body 1t was brought to the city
and identified by many as the body
o Meadows, although it was contend
ed by the defense in the trials that
the body was not that of Meadows
but some one else, and hat Mead
ows was alive and well, having flown
the country.
Mrs. Meadows and Tegeler were put
on trial for the murder. A seyerence
was granted and after a trial of thir-
ty days in 1908, Mrs. Meadows was
acquitted.
Tegeler was tried in February, 1905
and after three weeks was found
guilty, and sentenced to a life term
in the penitentary District Judge
Lowe, who presided, died before he
had certified the appeal and for this
reason the criminal court of appeals
granted the defendant a new trial
In y.-s first trial Charles Tegeler,
stepfather of Rudolph Iegeler, Frank
Gage and A. F. Wilderman were in
dicted on charges of having commit
ted perjury in swearing that Mead
ows was still alive and other mat
ters Their trials are set for today
in district court
The second trial, the longest and
hardest fought. began September 6,
1910, and ended October A. 1910,
the jury failing to agree In this
! trial Mike O'Brien, alias Milton Nc
Graw. testified that he had seen
Meadows alive since the supposed
crime was committed; that he had
seen him in New Orleans, and that
Meadows told him he was going to
Panama. The prosecution had
O'Brien arrested for perjury. He was
tried several weeks ago, and sentenc-
ed to serve ten years in the peniten-
tiary
Teger. after the disagreement of
the jury was released on bond. and
has enjoyed his liberty until Satur-
day.
Another charge of perjury arose in
] this last trial Jimmie" Woods, who
claims 10 be in the government ser
vice at Leayenworth, Kan, testified
he had seen Meadows alive since the
alleged murder He was arrested on
a charge Of perjury and is
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