The history of Jefferson county, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches, Part 53

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 714

USA > Wisconsin > Jefferson County > The history of Jefferson county, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches > Part 53

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Early in the spring of 1868, Adolph Schnepf was murdered on his farm in the town of Watertown. The first rumor concerning the bloody affair was that Schnepf had been missing from his home for several days, and this led a neighbor, named Clark, to make an investiga- tion. Mr. Clark certainly had well-founded suspicions, and going to the spot where a large " log heap " had but recently been burned by Mr. Schnepf and his son, and where the missing man had last been seen, an examination of the ashes revealed pieces of charred bones, suspen- der buckles and metal pants buttons. Sheriff Joseph Giles was apprised of the fact, and young Selinepf was placed under arrest and taken to Watertown. The excitement was very great in the community, and threats of lynching were freely made. On this account, preliminary exam- ination was waived, and the prisoner was hurried to Jefferson, where he was confined in the County Jail. He was indicted by the Grand Jury. and at the September term of court, an affidavit was filed by his counsel, asking for a change of venue, on the ground that a fair and impartial trial could not be had in Jefferson County. The request was granted, and the trial held at Portage City, lasting nine days, and resulting in the acquittal of young Schnepf. The arguments of counsel for the defense were based upon the testimony of Prof. Carr, of Madison, who gave it as his opinion that a human body could not be completely consumed by fire in the short space of time elapsing between the burning of the log pile and the discovery of bones, buttons and buckles by Mr. Clark ; and also upon the testimony of a Mrs. Kniesel, who swore that she saw the deceased three days after the revelations of the mysterious aslı heap. During

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the trial, one of the chief witnesses on the part of the prosecution hanged himself, and this was seized upon by the defense, who set up the plea, by inference, that the suicide was the real mur- derer. Counsel for defense were Hon. II. S. Orton, Henry Mulberger and Myron B. Will- iams ; District Attorney Weymouth was assisted by Col. G. F. Thorn.

In December, 1874, the people of Jefferson County were again shocked by another bloody murder in the town of Watertown, the victim being a man named Borchardt. In the evening of the day the murder was committed, Borchardt's step-daughter, Johannah, went to the house of the murdered man's son, Charles, about one and a half miles south of the paternal roof, and told him that "a stranger had hit the old man on the head," and that he was very sick. The son notified the neighbors, who went to the house and found the old man on a lounge, dead. Officers were sent for, who came in company with a Justice and two physicians. A post-mortem examination was held, revealing the fact that Borchardt had come to his death by three blows upon the head, inflicted with a blunt instrument. A search of the premises was made, and a hammer, covered with blood, was found. The evidence pointed very strongly to certain mem- bers of the family as the perpetrators of the crime, and, accordingly, Mrs. Borchardt and her daughter, Wilhelmina, were taken into custody, and brought before Justice C. M. Ducasse, of Watertown, who held the mother for trial and discharged the girl. A few days later, District Attorney Steinaker visited the scene of the murder, made a thorough investigation of the prem- ises and closely questioned the occupants. He discovered evidence, in his opinion, implicating the girl, Wilhelmina, and she was arrested and brought before Capt. Nelson Bruett, of Jefferson. and by him held without bail to appear at the February term of the Circuit Court. A joint information was entered by District Attorney Rogers (who had just come into office) against both the mother and daughter, and they were brought to trial. While in prison, Wilhelmina wrote a letter to hier sister Johannah, of which the following is a synopsis : "You have always sworn against me and mother, and if you persist in doing so, mother will tell the whole story. You know a stranger came in and struck the old man; that we had nothing to do with it." The prosecution insisted that if the prisoners were guilty, it was murder in the first degree, and the jury so found. After a motion for a new trial, which was denied. both were sentenced to Waupun for life. The counsel for defense were Daniel Hall and C. H. Gardner. The District Attorney was assisted by Harlow Pease and N. Steinaker. Borchardt was a drunken and quar- relsome individual, and it is believed that his death resulted from an encounter with his wife and daughter.

The last murder occurred but two years ago, the particulars of which are substantially as follows :

Late on Sunday afternoon, December 16, 1877, the city of Fort Atkinson was thrown into a fever of excitement by the announcement that the body of a man had been found on the line of the railroad to Jefferson, the victim of a brutal murder. The body was found by A. Allen, lying near a brush heap in a grove a few rods west of the railroad track, and about opposite the cemetery. The body was described as that of a stranger, of medium height, dark hair, com- plexion, whiskers and eyes, and indicating his occupation by his general make-up and appear- ance to be that of a laborer. His bundle of clothes was scattered about over the ground, and on his person was found $1.41 in cash, together with a paper on which was written " Milwaukee avenue 341, J. Christianson." From investigations in Chicago, the man's name was supposed to have been John Murman, as such a man left Chicago on foot a few weeks before in company with a companion named William Anderson, and came to Wisconsin, as they said, to cut Christ- mas trees, since which time nothing had been heard from them. His companion, William Anderson, was supposed to have been the person who committed the murder. The body of the deceased was covered over with brush, and the remains of a camp-fire were near by. Ile was evidently killed with an ax, and it was thought to have been the result of a quarrel.

Investigation was at once begun and additional facts were brought to light which fully estab- lished the identity of the murdered man as Chas. Peterson, brother of a Mrs. Christianson who resided at 341 Milwaukee avenue, in the city of Chicago. That lady, upon being interrogated,

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stated to Sheriff Newton, of Jefferson, that Peterson left her house on Tuesday, December 11, 1877, to come to Fort Atkinson, where he hoped to obtain employment. When he left he had $20 in cash in his possession ; and, further, that he was a steady, hard-working, inoffen- sive man, who was not addicted to the use of liquor, and had not, so far as she knew, an enemy in the world.

The investigation was continued; the inquest held, but beyond the discovery of blankets, and some clothing supposed to have belonged to the murdered man, nothing definite was ascer- tained to locate the crime, until the 29th of December, 1877. when a young man by the name of Charles Whitney, living at Kaukauna, Outagamie County, confessed to a Mr. Rice with whom he was living, that he was an accomplice in the murder of Peterson. He afterward related the same story to Sheriff Leinan, of that connty, by whom he was arrested and confined. Word was sent to Sheriff Newton, who went to Appleton and brought him to Jefferson on the follow- ing Monday. When arrested, he had on the boots belonging to the murdered man. He also gave information concerning one Ed. Eckart, whom he alleged was the instigator of the deed. Armed with the necessary authority, Sheriff Newton proceeded to Outagamie and arrested the man Eckart, whom he found seven miles from Appleton in the woods, engaged with a gang of men in getting out stave bolts. He was arrested and brought to Jefferson and safely lodged in jail on Tuesday.

He was represented as a young man apparently about twenty years of age, whose parents resided in the vicinity of Fort Atkinson, and were bowed down to the earth with the weight of their affliction. The self-convicted murderer had passed most of his time in the northern part of the State, where he had led a reckless life, visiting Fort Atkinson the spring previous to the murder, where he was for a short time employed in the furniture factory. Ilis story was sub- stantially as follows : After leaving Fort Atkinson some time in the summer of 1877. he went to Pittsburgh, Penn., where he fell in with this man Eckart, with whom he took a tramp to Little Rock, Ark. Thence they turned northward, working their way along. On the night of the 12th of December, they met Peterson on the railroad between Milton and Janesville. Peterson asked the way to Green Bay. Whitney told him to follow the track and it would lead him to that place. Eckart and himself then came on, and when they reached Koshkonong they got aboard of the night train which arrives at Fort Atkinson at 10 o'clock. Here they were put off the train, but went north of town a half-mile, where they stopped, kindled a fire. and after taking some boards from the fence, lay down. About 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning, Peterson came along and, seeing the fire, came to them and lay down to sleep. Whitney states he was awakened by Eckart, who pointing to the sleeping man, said, " I am going to shoot him." To this, -Whitney said, "Oh, don't " Eckart made no farther reply, but drew his revolver and fired at Peterson's head. Peterson screamed "Oh ! Oh !" and, springing to his feet. started to run. Eckart then tripped him down upon his face, shot him again in the head, and placing one hand on the back of Peterson's neck, held him down, while, with the other, he pointed the pistol at Whitney, and ordered him to strike Peterson with a hatchet, or he would kill him. Impelled by terror, Whitney states he struck Peterson one blow on the back of the head, and then threw down the instrument, declaring he would not strike another blow. At this, Eckart took up the hatchet and struck the victim a number of blows. They then dragged the body to the brush heap and left him covered with brush. When asked how it came that Peterson was found outside of the brush heap, he said he could not tell ; that when they left him he was groaning, and if he got out, it must have been by his own struggles. Whitney farther stated that. after the murder, Eckart took Peterson's boots, blankets, a pair of pants, a pocket looking-glass, coat and a shirt. He does not remember seeing any money. They then started north on the track and, at the culvert near Cobb Creek. they secreted the blankets, shirt and several other articles. Eckart foreed Whitney to travel ahead. threatening him with death if he turned back. On their arrival at Kaukauna. Whitney stopped with Mr. Rice : but the memory of the terrible deed he had witnessed, filled him with horror and remorse. until, as he expressed it, " I could see the murdered man in his sleep." Driven by this feeling, he at

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last made the confession. When Eckart was arrested, he stoutly denied any part in the mur- der ; but the fact that he had on a blue coat belonging to Peterson, placed his guilt beyond a doubt. He had a very bad, brutal appearance, and looked, as if by nature and education both, he was well fitted for such a deed. The murder, the circumstances attending it, the actors in the bloody tragedy, one of whom is a son of one of Fort Atkinson's respected citizens, all con- spired to make a chapter in erime, the like of which has never been duplicated in this section of the State.

An information for murder was filed by the District Attorney on the 11thi of February, 1878, to which defendants, when arraigned on the following day, pleaded not guilty, and issue being joined, the trial was proceeded with, beginning on the 9th of April and continuing five days. Hon. David W. Small presided ; W. H. Rogers, of Fort Atkinson, prosecuting, and Harlow Pease, of Watertown, defending. Whitney turned States' evidence against Eckart, and upon the stand stated more particularly the facts connected with the commission of the crime. After detailing his acquaintance with Eckart, his roamings and the coming of Peterson to the camp Eckart and witness had prepared, near where the body was found, he continued, that : "In the night Eckart woke me and told me he was going to shoot Peterson. I told him not to, but he would not listen to me, and Eekart went over to where Peterson was sleeping. put his loaded revolver to Peterson's ear and fired. Peterson put his hand up and said, 'Oh,' and then Eckart fired again right back of the ear. Then Peterson began raising up, and Eekart shot him again in about the same place, and then Peterson got up on his knees, and Eckart shot his revolver right into his eye. And then the man got to his feet, and Eckart threw him down and jumped on his back, and put his left hand on the back of his neck, and coeked his revolver with the other, and then told me to strike Peterson with the hatchet, and I didn't move as quick as he thought I ought to, and he asked me if I was coming, and so I had to come, and so I struck him about four times with the back of the hatchet on his head. Then Eckart got off him, and Peterson got up and staggered against a tree, and Eckart told me to strike him again. I told him, no, I had struck him all I was going to. And then Eckart went up and struck him with the edge of the hatchet by the tree, and then when he had him down he eut him three more times with the hatchet, and then he pulled off the man's boots, and took a piece of tobacco out of his pocket, and then heaped a pile of brush over his body." Whitney further testifies that he and Eckart then started on, taking with them some of the clothing and blankets of Peterson, and went up north as far as Appleton, where they parted.

The manner in which the witness detailed his extraordinary statement on the witness stand strongly impressed the jury with its entire truthfulness. All the circumstances, moreover, cor- roborated his evidence. The body of Peterson was exhumed, and, on a more careful examina- tion, the physicians found the bullets in several places in his head, as stated by Whitney. They were fired from a small kind of revolver, and would not of themselves have produced death. But the strongest evidence of the guilt of Eekart was his own conduct and course of action upon the trial. Throughout the entire proceedings, he manifested the most entire indifference, and even refused to avail himself of his right and privilege to take the witness stand in his own behalf, and deny the fearful charges made against him by Whitney.

After being summed up by the respective counsel, the ease was given to the jury, under a clear and impartial charge by the Court, and, after a brief deliberation, they returned a verdiet of guilty.

A motion for new trial was made by counsel for defendant, but denied, and on Saturday, the 13th of April, sentence was pronounced. His Honor, upon the prisoner's being presented for final action, asked him if he had anything to say, to which he responded, " No," and Judge Small thereupon commented briefly upon the leading features of the most wanton, deliberate and atrocious murder ever known, and tending to an entire absence in the defendant of the ordinary sensibilities of humanity. Nothing remained for the Court but to impose the penalty prescribed by the law of the land, which was as follows : " The sentence of the Court and the law is that you, Edward Eckart, be imprisoned, at hard labor, in the State Prison of this State,

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for and during the term of your natural life. and that the first day thereof be in solitary con- finement."

The prisoner was soon after taken to Waupun, where he now is serving a life sentence.

THE TEMPEST'S TRACK.

One Thursday afternoon, in 1878, a terrible tornado swept across the State from Iowa, tak- ing Jefferson County en route. killing one man and injuring several others. besides inflicting damage to houses and farm property estimated at $50.000. The columns of the Banner and Union of that date contained graphic accounts of the terrible visitation, from which-the follow- ing selections are made. After reference to the unexpected and unprecedented violence of the storm, the journalists note the strange agitation that was observed in the clouds. and that a deep roaring sound, accompanied by an incessant faint glimmer of lightning, filled the hearts of all with alarm. It soon became evident to those who are posted in such things that a tre- mendous cyclone was approaching from a point a little south of west. As the track of the storm became more defined. it was seen to pass north of this city, about two miles. The fear- ful. ominous roaring, that filled the air with an oppressive, overwhelming sound, gave ample token of the terrible disasters that lay in the path of this monster of the air. An extraordi- nary discharge of rain accompanied the storm, although the air was cleared in an hour. Soon, messengers began to come in for medical assistance, and the town was full of rumors of the destruction to life and property that had taken place.

The tornado is supposed to have started near Dubuque, Iowa, and, after passing through Mineral Point, entered Jefferson in the township of Oakland from Christina, Dane County. Here it passed aeross a part of Cedar Lake, and those who saw it state that the water was drawn up to the clouds, creating a sight fearful and grand to behold. The water thus sucked up by the eyclone was precipitated, with immense force. upon the land farther to the east. The country there looks as if it had been swept by the Mississippi. Gathering force with every current of air, it struck the large barn, 36x54, lately built by William Ward, and crushed it like an egg-shell. In the barn were three horses, two of which were instantly killed by the falling timbers. Although the house was next east of the barn, it was but little injured: vet large hickory, oak and poplar trees, standing all about the house, were twisted into basket-stuff. Mr. Ward's orchard lies south of his house, and was completely ruined. His damages could not have fallen far short of $3,000. A few rods east is what is known as Oakland Center. where stood two churches, a brick schoolhouse and the parsonage of the Free-Will Baptist Soci- · ety. ocenpied by Rev. O. II. True. In a short area of space, the havoc was tremendous. The Baptist Church was a large, square two-story briek building, with the upper story occupied as

a dwelling by Widow Hall and her daughter. In an instant and without any warning, the entire upper half of the building was crushed to atoms down to the second floor. Both of the women were overwhchned in a whirling avalanche of bricks and timbers. Mrs. Hall was caught under a part of two walls and her left collar-bone broken. besides being severely cut about the head with flying bricks. The daughter managed to go through the terrible ordeal with less bodily injury. Finding she could not extricate her mother. who was crushed under the ruins, she screamed for help. Rev. O. H. True heard her cries, and, with others. finally succeeded in taking both from their perilous situation. The brick schoolhouse and the new brick Moravian Church were quickly demolished, the latter an absolute mass of ruins; a part of the west wall and the ends of the schoolhouse only remaining. The parsonage was moved over a foot to the east, the west side badly injured and the west cellar wall blown in. Mrs. Truc stated that the cvelone seemed to her as if some mighty power had struck the house a sudden blow with a weight like a mountain. Mr. True, while attempting to go to the assist- ance of Mrs. Hall, was caught by a second gust, but seized a limb of a tree to hold on, when the force of the wind straightened him right out in the air. His two children, Edgar and Lucy, were in a small outbuilding, with a young man by the name of Johnson. Johnson

SS. Curtis

FORT ATKINSON

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.

was blown over the fence into the road, a distance of five rods. Edgar was blown against , tree, and managed, by holding on, to save himself from being drawn up into the air. Lucy vas blown against the road fence.

Farther to the westward was the Cambridge stage, which was struck with the storm and verturned, frightening the horses so that they broke loose and ran. There was a lady pas- enger in the coach, who was uninjured, however. The barn of George Champney was next inroofed, and considerable damage done to his other farm buildings. The track of the tor- ado from here lay for a mile and a half through timber and open fields. Old veteran oaks, hree feet in diameter, were twisted and broken like pipe-stems. The barn of S. Chapman vas partly unroofed ; also that of P. Eversohl. Striking the hill on which stood the house f John Daniels, it demolished a large new barn. hop-house and wind-mill. The house stand- ng near the scene was uninjured, except in the loss of chimneys. George Horton was in he basement of the barn, standing close in one corner, when the barn came down. He barely scaped being killed, as a large beam struck the ground, passing close to his body. There was terrible desolateness seen at the residence of R. Hawk. When it struck this place, John Daniels, Willie Daniels, Mrs. Kreuger, George Hallan and a hired man by the name of Charles Schmidt, were in the barn. In an instant, the barn was crushed into fragments, and Schmidt, who was standing near Daniels, was struck on the head by a falling piece of tim- er and instantly killed. Mr. Daniels caught hold of a post and held on to it. The two boys, Willie Daniels and George Hallan, slid down into the basement, and escaped unhurt. Mrs. Kreuger was dashed against a beam, and somewhat injured, her clothing being com- letely stripped from her person, except a small portion at the waist. That any of the occu- ants of the barn escaped death was considered a miracle. A valuable horse and cow were killed in the basement. Near the house of Mr. R. Ilawk stood a large oak-tree, which was blown across the roof, partially crushing it in, but preventing, no doubt, its farther lestruction. Mrs. Hawk was blown through a bedroom door, and against the north end of of the house. A large oak rail was driven into the roof endwise, like an arrow. The house was moved from its foundations, and badly racked. All about is a wide-spread scene of lestruetion. A large pasture lot was covered with the fragments of the barn and outbuild-

ngs.

Next east in the track of the storm was a log house and stable occupied by Mr. Kreuger, tenant of Mr. Hawk. Everything was completely wrecked here. Mrs. Witchie, an old lady, was taken up bodily, carried a distance of eight rods, and dashed with great force against the oad fence, two of her ribs broken, and she receiving such injuries about the head and breast as rendered it for awhile very doubtful if she lived. The house of William Northy, a log tene- nent, was next made the scene of disorder. The cyclone swept the house from its foundation, burying three occupants in the ruins. Mariette Frary, who had called in, was caught by a fall- ng stove, resulting in a fracture of her right leg. No other persons were injured. The cyclone here seemed to have changed its course, striking the residence and barns of Christian Gross, with all the power of its center vortex. The scene here baffled description. The whole prem- ses were a wreck, and the fields for a half-mile covered with broken boards and building mate- cial. The family, at the time, were in a room in the south half of the house. The wind moved he upright portion of the house clear from the cellar, and dropped it on the ground on the east ide. That portion in which the family were was unroofed, and the beds blown no one knows where. The stove was thrown down, and the fire scattered about the room. The doors were so ammed together as to prevent any chance of getting out, and the family was in imminent dan- ger of being burned alive. Mr. Gross, although very ill at the time, managed to get hold of a peck measure, and with the contents of a swill barrel standing in the room. put out the fire. A large barn, 50x32, a smaller barn, three granaries, a smokehouse and a wind- nill were blown to atoms in a moment. The smokehouse was full of meat, but not a ves- ige of the same could be found. A hired boy, who had just taken the team into the base- ment of the large barn as the storm struck it, was lifted into the air, carried sixty rods and

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landed against a fence. He was rendered completely dazed by the occurrence, and for hours could scarcely speak. Another boy stated that he saw the hired man carried over the wind. mill. A field of rye lay to the east of the house, and this was stuck full of broken lumber. The heads of the rye in the track of the storm were cut clean off, as with a reaper. An oak-tree, as large as a man's body, was broken off and landed fifteen rods away in the rye- field. One granary contained 300 bushels of oats, and not a kernel of the grain could be found. A large farm wagon was carried twenty rods from the barn. The damages to Mr. Gross cannot be less than $3,000. At this point the cyclone took a due east course, and struck the new barn of Fred Musschel, on the Jefferson Road, two miles north of Fort Atkinson, completely demolishing the same, unroofing the barn of widow Hopson. and tearing up a number of trees in front of her house. A lumber wagon was standing but a few feet from Mr. Musschel's house, which was landed fifty rods east on the marsh, yet. strange to say, the house was not injured in any manner. After crossing Rock River in a due east course, the cyclone demolished the barns of A. Hake and E. Hake, and continued on through the towns of Hebron and Sullivan, occasionally striking the earth and tearing things to pieces wherever it touched.

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The history of Jefferson county, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches, Part 53

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 714

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 714