Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-08-27

the murder Of George Hetders ms part
ner in sawmill on Trail creek, south.
west Of Livingston.
coming to the mill. Taking combina-
ton shotgun-rifle zidmair went TO the
mill early. Soon he saw Reider driv-
ing up with q team and sled. zidmail
called to him, asking: Where are my
canthook and shovel2" Zidmair later
declared Reider grabbed an ak anc
that he shot in self-defense. zidma1r
then started home, leaving Reider lying
partly out Of the sleigh and holding
the lines of his team. On the trail lid
mair met Jack Held, told him Of the
point of a gun, to the sawmin. Held
previously had been employed by lid
MAR.
Shoots Him Again
Reider stin lay as he had fallen. lid
MAR tried to release the lines from his
hand. Reider, still alive, opened his
eyes and looked at Zidmair, who yelled:
II fix him dis ttmel"
zidmair stepped back q few PAGES
and fired another shot into Reiders
body, bringing instantaneous death.
Reider's team and personal possess
sions, including watch, were taken
to Zidmair's cabin. Zidmair was adj
Vised by Held to go to town and sur
render. He started, but on the way he
stopped at the home of his brother,
CaSpar Zidmair, and told his story.
Andrew Weidenbauer, who was st the
Caspar zidmatr home, was outside the
cabin and heard the confession En-
tering, he admitted he had heard the
story. He advised Zidmair to bury the
body and say nothing Zidmair re-
turned home, taking Weidenbauer with
him. He offered Reider's watch to
Weidenbauer, who refused the offer.
The two hid Reider's body in the
bottom of burning Sawdust pile. It
was learned that when former Sheriff
Frank Beley searched the pile he came
so close to finding Reider's body that
Zidmair, badly scared, moved it to
another hiding place, where 1t was
found after zidmair's arrest.
After the sawdust burial zidmair
took Weidenbauer and Held to the
Weidenbauer cabin, where the men and
Mrs. Weidenbauer were forced to take
an oath of secrecy. All were virtual
prisoners of Zidmair from that time
forth. Weidenbauer, however, had been
an enemy of Reider, and was friendly
to Zidmair. Caspar Zidmair died in
1902. Zidmair then frequently remarked
It would not be long before the others
we're gone. At this stage Weidenbauer
fell out with Zidmair. Fearing for his
life, he managed to get his story to
Attorney Stark.
Tried to Poison Him
Mrs. Weidenbauer testified at the
trial that one time zidmair brought
her some strychnine and ordered her
to put it in Reider's coffee. She re-
fused.
A story developed that zidmair con-
sidered Reider the betrayer of his
and after that discovery he
was never exactly sane. The prosecution
shattered this story, however, despite
,he fact that Zidmair claimed, as did
he daughter, that Mrs. zidmair had
zilled herself in grief over the girls
blight. Local rllmor was that zidmair
mad killed his wife as -bloodedly
rs he had killed Reider, and that the
zirl had been used Ia an attempt to
force Reider to deed over his share
If the Sawnnill. The extortion plot had |
JAILED, and the other events followed.
After conviction. Zidmatr secured
new trial on errors In Instructions to
he jury. The second trial brought an
)ther guilty verdict and q sentence of
ieath by hanging. The execution was
20 occur Sept. 4, 1908.
While in Jail Zidmair wrote his own
tory in German and translated it for
! newspaper reporter, TO the effect
hat charges current that he had left
Bavaria as a fugitive from justice fol- |
owing the murder of a game warden
we're false. Rather good evidence was
Is was nephew and Andrew Weiden-
)auer.
Mr.. Robertson says that efforts toll
connect Weidenbauer with the German
rhine brought the information that
every five years the criminal courts
we're wiped clean of old cases, and that |
hey would be unable to convict Weld
snbauer and the younger zidmatr.
Married In Livingston
zidmair left Germany In 1884, leav-
ing behind his two small daughters
and their mother, not then his wife. |
Later the woman and children came |
70 America and Zidmair married her In /
Livingston. He charged Reider had
whipped his son, born in this country, |
rendering him half crippled. Robertson
says the son was not a cripple. He /
charged Reider with betrayal of his
daughter and with killing his live
stock, and that Reider was an habitual
Inc PUBIC bOOk puG ugtie /
stock In Zidmairs claims.
county Jail at the courthouse. The
present city jail plus some nearby
buildings housed county prisoners. lid
nair was put in the bath" ceIl for
The death watch He had TO be moved at
lines to other quarters TO permit other
prisoners to use the bathtub.
After such transfers the cell was
carefully examined and zidmair was
searched.
Sheriff Robertson, two days before
he execution date, was called to Mis-
Soula in connection with an attempt 30 /