The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-01-16
4 PROBABLE MURDER
Steve Molner a Paroled Convict
Beats Up Mike Locker.

Using chair in what he claims
was self defense, Steve Molner at
Givin, five miles southwest of Oska-
loosa, almost killed one Mike Lock
er, Saturday night, pounding him up
in frightful manner, breaking two
chairs to kindling over his body and
leaving him unconscious and helpless
on the floor. Mrs. Molner, divorced
wife of the man who did the mis-
chief, was badly hurt in the melee.
She claims to have suffered at the
hands of her former husband. being
badly cut about the head and face
and having several teeth knocked out.
Molner was arrested at the house of
a friend in Givin by Deputy Sheriff
Briney and is now in jail in Oska-
loosa. Locker is at Givin in, a pre-
carious condition and small hope for
his recovery is entertained. Mrs.
Molner was able to leave her home
for help following the fight, and the
officers were Immediately summoned.
Molner takes the affair coolly. He
says Mrs. Molner told Locker to
shoot him; that he was a bad and a
dangerous man. .t.. .... e.
Mrs. Molner's story is somewhat
disconnected, She admits that the
men were fighting on the bed but
there are facts in connection with the
case that have not yet been brought
out.
Steve Molner was paroled from the
penitentiary at Fort Madison last
Saturday mroning, where he was
serving five year sentence for
stealing horses. He was sent up
from Mahaska county in 1910. The
cause of the trouble was Molner's
first wife, he being divorced from her
in the spring of 1908, and married to
another woman in Kansas City in the
fall of the same year, who was also
divorced from him. in 1910. When
he went to Fort Madison he had
lot of miners and carpenters tools,
two suits of new clothes, watch,
and a lot of old clothes. His first
wife said that she would take care
of these and give them to him on his
return, While he was serving his
time she wrote several letters to him
and told him whenever he got out to
come back to her. One of the condi-
tons of his parole was that he was
to leave Iowa and go to his father In
! Pueblo. Colorado. He decided to go
to Givin and get his property and
later have Mrs. Molner come to him.
When he got to the house he found
another man, one Mike Locker, with
his former wife. The man answered
his knock at the door and on finding
out who it was asked the woman IL
he should admit him. She told him
to open the door. The three then
lSat around the fire till late, when the
woman went to her room. Locker
followed her and while there, some
trouble arose, and Molner hit him
over the head with chair. Part OF
it broke out and hit Mrs. Molner on
the head, causing a severe wound.
Deputy Sheriff Chas. Briney, to-
;gether With County Attorney John
McCutchen and John Carnego, went
out to Givin Sunday morning about
two O'Clock and arrested Molner and
brought him to this city.
Molner was seen at the Jail by a
Herald representative this morning
and the prisoner furnished verifica.
ton of the above story. He claims
that the woman told Locker several
times to be careful of him and If he
came towards them to shoot him. he
says that the only way that he could
have got out of the place alive was TO
fix the man so he could not shoot
him. Locker boosted of what he would
do to other fellows who had come
around the place and was AFRAID OF
him. ] was not looking for trouble,
but just wanted to get my property
and get away"