THE MURDER OF ANNA WIESE - ARTICLE 4
Green Mountain, Iowa
Evening Time Republican
Saturday, September 2, 1893

HEADLINES

A Pretty Thin Story

That Brakeman's Revelation Much Exaggerated -

Progress in the Wiese Case

     There certainly are people in Marshalltown - even on the police force - who have missed their calling and ought to be writing sensational books or editing sensational newspapers simply because of their genius for exaggeration. It will be remembered that a possible clue was discovered in the Wiese murder mystery when the story was told of Brakeman Petrican and the two tramps that boarded a Great Western train at Green Mountain soon after 11 o'clock last Saturday night. The clothes of one of these men, it was said, were all bloody.
     This morning Marshal Waters and Deputy Marshal Eichorn visited the train of the brakeman in question and asked him about the affair, all these other stories having been from hearsay. At first the man seemed unwilling to talk, but he was finally prevailed to tell the whole story, which was like this. Two tramps did board the train in question soon after 11 o'clock Saturday night. One was tall and the other rather short. The shorter man wore a light suit and had one hand bandaged. There was a stain on his coat sleeve, but the brakeman did not notice of what nature it was. He saw no blood unless this stain was blood. HE asked the bum how he hurt his hand and was told that he cut it "making ornaments" - of what nature "dependent saith not." The men jumped on while the train was in motion and were put off at the next station. Neither conductor nor brakeman paid particular attention to them, though they thought afterwards that these men might have been the murderers of the girl at Green Mountain.
     The officers consider the clue thus furnished hardly worth following up. The sheriff and a number of others spent nearly all day yesterday at or near the scene of the murder. They burned the slough grass over a large area, but found nothing that cast the slightest light on the mystery. Sheriff Pence went to Des Moines this morning on business connected with this case.

HEADLINES

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1893

Grand Jury Wrestling With the Wiese Case

     A goodly portion of the population of Vienna and Marion townships has been in town today, the grand jury having undertaken an investigation of the Wiese murder case, chiefly for the purpose of getting facts on record.

HEADLINES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1893

Latest and Wildest Theories Relative to the Murder of Anna Wiese

Still Building Theories

Some of the Latest Regarding the Murder of Anna Wiese

     Gladbrook, September 12 - Special: A well circulated report is to the effect that the body of Anna Wiese has been again exhumed, and portions of it, including the eyes, sent to Chicago. The theory is that a photograph of the eyes will show the form or features of the murderer. It is also stated that a Pinkerton detective secured such a photograph before the girl's burial. Public opinion here is settling down to the belief that the murderer is here in our midst, everything in the vicinity indicating that two persons sat down by the roadside; then the torn and trampled ground and grass implies a struggle, first for her honor, and then for life, with the result already known, the assassin evidently killing her to prevent her charging him with the crime of attempted rape. Although the interest has died out somewhat, still an undercurrent crops out that means short and sure removal of the murderer when evidence is forthcoming.
     Reports are also rife today that a dirk clasp knife has been found and the owner is known, who can prove that he loaned it to a man who was seen to pick up a club and go toward the scene of the murder. All of the names are given, but suppressed here for obvious reasons. It is more than likely that an arrest will occur soon, to give the accused a chance to disprove these charges.

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