Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-07-09
THE MYSTERY
IS SOLVED!
VIM. Rinehardt was Killed on the
Night Of the Fourth Of July
by Bullet Shot by Nels
Morris.
SHOOTING WAS ACCIDENTAL
Riding in Buggy With Two Young
Ladies Near Bank Street
Bridge When Shot
was Fired.

The jury empanelled by Coroner
Foster to investigate the shooting
and killing of VIM. Rinehardt on the
evening of the Fourth of July, while
Mr.. Rinehardt and his brother-in-
law, R. Holkins, were crossing the
Bank street bridge on their tay to
the Chautauqua, have located the
party who is responsible for the ter
rible tragedy.
It seems that Nels Morris, an en-
.ployee of the Little Chicago Cafe,
was out riding with two young la
dies on the evening in question and
was shooting a 32 automatic Colts
revolver presumably in celebration
of the natal day while riding about
the town. It developed at the in
vestigation by the jury that Morris
and his companions drove along the
road east of the Bank street bridge
at the same time that the tragedy
occurred; that some drunken fel-
lows were lettering in a sand pit in
the locality of the bridge and that
Morris fired his weapon two or three
times while passing them in a spirit
of intimidation Of the drunken
gang. 1t is supposed that one of
these shots was the one which kill
ed Mr.. Rinehardt. These facts We're
brought out by an examination of
the two young ladies who were with
Morris.
AS soon as this was learned by
the jury a search was started for
Morris, when it was discovered that
he had skipped the town. 1t is sup
posed that he left on the south
bound train last night at 1917
o'clock. This would seem to indi-
cate that Morris knew he was gull
ty of causing Mr.. Rinehardt's death,
although he did not know it at the
time the fatal shot was fired by
him. It is supposed that the killing
of Mr.. Rinehardt by Morris was
purely accidental. However, the
promiscuous shooting indulged in
by Morris was criminal carelessness.
as the terrible tragedy which oc-
cured clearly proves, and he should
be made to pay the penalty of such
an act.
The people of the community will
be glad to know that the one who is
responsible for this terrible tragedy
has been discovered. 1t will also be
a matter of great satisfaction to
know that the case was not one of
premeditated murder.
Sheriff Brown returned to the
city Sunday night alone after search
ing Des Moines and other towns ON
the Chicago & Northwestern for
Nels Morris, the young man who
fired the shot that caused the, death
Of VIM. Rinehardt.
According to the evidence of wit
nesses before the coroner's jury the
young man left Friday evening on
the 10:17 train going south. 1t was
reported that he purchased ticket
to Des Moines. Saturday afternoon
Mr.. Brown boarded the train and
went to the capital city. However.
q thorough search proved unsuccess-
full. AS Morris now has a three
days start it is probable that he
will never be apprehended. At the
time of his leaving it is said that
Morris had but three or four dollars.
This amount would pay his way on
the train but a short distance. On
the night of his departure it is prob
able that he changed trains at
Jewell or Ames, as no trace OF his
whereabouts over the Des Moines di-
vision of the Northwestern could be
found. He has had plenty of time
to have reached several hundred
miles from here and is probably out
of the state. However. descriptions
OF the man have been sent broad
east and the search will be kept up.
As Morris is not an ordinary look
ing man the authorities think the
Prescriptions sent out will be the
means Of locating him.