Jones County IA Archives News.....The Keil Murder July 21, 1896
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Ken Wright kenneth565@aol.com August 5, 2009, 12:40 am

Maquoketa Excelsior July 21, 1896
Maquoketa Excelsior, Maquoketa, Iowa, July 21, 1896

THE KEIL MURDER!

The Preliminary Examination

Large Crowd at Bellevue—All Saloons Closed—The Mob Makes a
Demonstration—Prisoner is Removed to Anamosa

Friday will long be remembered in Bellevue as the day when a few words from a
resolute leader would have caused the death of some of its citizens and probably
resulted in the lynching of Chris Eckerlebe for the diabolical murder of Mina
Keil. Fortunately, that leader was not in the crowd and the law was allowed to
take its course without incident, save for one exception.

Never in the history of Jackson County, the state, was a more foul murder
committed and while it was at first shrouded in mystery, the officers are now in
the possession of evidence which apparently weaves a hempen noose about the neck
of Chris Eckerlebe, evidence which can scarcely be successfully controverted by
his attorneys. The motive for the commission of so dastardly a crime is now the
great mystery, although the victim’s contempt for the prisoner, her failure to
requite his love, and the development of an insane jealousy which culminated in
her slaughter, constitute the generally accepted one.

The town of Bellevue was crowded Friday, the country people having abandoned
their pursuits for the day to hear the evidence which would be offered at the
preliminary examination of the accused. Many came from Sabula, LaMotte, Dubuque,
Preston and there were present at least forty from this city. All the saloons
were closed early in the day, by order of Mayor Bittner, and a posse of about
twenty-five special deputies was sworn in as a safeguard against any violence
and as a result of these precautions the crowd was held well in hand. Sheriff
Mitchell took the prisoner in from Andrew early in the day, and from the time he
arrived until he left in the evening Eckerlebe never left Justice Campbell’s
office.

The hearing was held before Justice J. C. Campbell, the state being represented
by County Attorney Keck and D. A. Wynkoop and Longville and McCarthy of Dubuque
looking after the prisoner’s interests. The defense demanded the exclusion of
all but those interested in the case and the members of the press, much to the
disgust of the crowd, and at 1 o’clock the examination of the witnesses began.

The first two witnesses were the little brothers of Eckerlebe by whom it was
shown that he possessef a self-cocking nickel plated revolver and that he had
left home on the morning of the Fourth at 9 o’clock with the avowed intention of
going to Bellevue to attend the dance at Harmony Park.

Sophia Keil, mother of Mina, told of the relative position of the Eckerlebe
homes, of a mysterious man seen dodging in the trees near her house, of
Eckerlebe striking at her daughter for refusing to dance with him at Hamarand’s
in May, of Mina finding the poison on the gate, of Mina’s complaint that
Eckerlebe had insulted her, etc.

Henry Keil, brother of the deceased, told of her failure to come to the party at
Guenther’s and the dance at Hoff’s on the afternoon of the Fourth, of the search
for her on the 5th, the finding of the body, of the finding of the flint rock
(identified the stone) and the removal of the body.

Wm. Hennegar, deputy sheriff told of finding the several parts of the revolver,
box of cartridges and the box of salve (which proves to be rat poison) in
accordance with the directions furnished by a certain communication received.
(Identified revolver)

At 5:30 o’clock the case was adjourned to Wednesday and the prisoner was hustled
back to Andrew. The prisoner sat smiling all the afternoon, save when a mob of
three or four hundred insisted on gaining an entrance to the court room about 3
o’clock. Somebody yelled “Hang him!” and but for the presence of the deputies
and a nervy address by Justice Campbell, the trick would have been attempted,
undoubtedly. He merely looked out of the window and resumed his seat with a
smile. When the pistol was produced for identification by Hennegar, Eckerlebe
flinched and his attornies turned pale. The communication alluded to by the last
witness is but one of several written by the tramp Murphy, who carved a fellow
tramp with a razor at Bellevue early in the Spring. He is also an inmate of the
steel cage in the Andrew jail and pumped the whole story out of Eckerlebe. He
would write what he learned on pieces of common wrapping paper and smuggle it to
the jailer wrapped up in a dirty “sheet,” etc. and there is enough of it to show
that the murder of Catherine Ging, Pearl Bryan and the Sa Francisco girls were
refined affairs in comparison.

It was the intention of the people who live in the vicinity of the scene of the
murder to take Eckerlebe  Friday to that place and hang him. Failing in this,
some thirty or more assembled at the county jail about one o’clock Saturday
morning, but again they lacked a leader and Jailer Tubbs retained his prisoner.
That day, however, he received reliable information that the jail would be
visited by a determined mob Saturday night, so he brought the prisoner to town
in the afternoon and Deputy Sheriff Gurius and Fred Fischer conveyed him to the
Anamosa Penitentiary that evening. Should he be taken back to Bellevue tomorrow
trouble should surely ensue. It is believed now that he will waive further
examination.

Eckerlebe told Murphy that he intended to commit suicide after killing the girl,
but he hammered her head with the revolver until it was utterly destroyed for
shooting purposes the more is the pity. He is a conundrum. When the girl’s body
was found he helped load it into the wagon and drove the team that drew it
home., her feet lying between his. At the trial he was the calmest person in the
room. He has either a wonderful nerve or else a total lack of realization of the
terrible crime of which he is accused.

Much sympathy is felt for the prisoner’s father and the dead girl’s mother. Both
broke down and wepy piteously in the courtroom. The father is an honest,
hardworking, respected farmer, who says that his boy has ever been an
industrious, dutiful son and he feels it is his duty to defend him; that if he
is guilty he should be punished. The poor old man is almost heart broken.

Later-This morning’s mail brought to County Attorney Keck notice from
Eckerlebe’s attorneys that they had cocluded to waive further examination of
evidence and that one of them will appear in Justice Campbell’s court tomorrow
morning to enter a formal waiver. Therefore the prisoner will not be seen again
in Bellevue before his trial occurs, and in all probability he will never be
seen there again. 


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