KinSource - Tale of the Week - The Ready Pistol

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Minnesota Sad Tales

The St. Paul Morning Globe, October 11, 1880, p. 1

THE READY PISTOL

A FATHER THE VICTIM AT HANDS OF HIS SON.

Adolph Mueller, Sr., Shot by his Only Son, Adolph, Jr. - A Full and Complete Account of the Whole Affair Secured by the Globe - A Visit to a Distracted Household - Terrible Agony of the Wounded Man - The Frantic Mother's Grief - Sympathizing Friends - Probing for the Ball - It is Lodged in the Spine - An Eye Witnesses Story - The Boy's Narrative - Wonderful Nerve of the Lad - He Gives Himself Up.

Simultaneously with the appearance of the GLOBE's editorial article under the caption "The Omnipresent Pistol," even before the paper had reached many of its patrons, and while, perchance, a very few of the earliest risers were reading the article referred to, there occured in this city a sad and shocking instance of the evil results of the practice denounced by the GLOBE. This fearful tragedy - for it is nothing less even though death should not result - could never have occurred but for the fatal facility with which all classes may procure the means of murder - the "Omnipresent Pistol."

Early yesterday morning, before well to do people were out of bed, and ere the early risers had tasted the morning meal, Adolph Mueller, Jr., shot his father. The ball is in the vertebra and cannot be removed. Had it not been stopped by the bones of the spine, the bullet would have caused death almost instantly. The circumstances which led to the shooting, as near as could be gathered from the contradictory statements of those who knew most regarding the relations existing between the family, and the varying impressions made by these relations upon different casts of mind, are as follows:

Adolph Mueller, Sr., is the proprietor of a store and saloon on the corner of University and Farrington avenues, which he has carried on for the past six years. Adolph, Jr., a lad of about sixteen years, is a bright, promising appearing boy, the only son, and the very idol of his mother. According to all reports, the father is a drinking man, and when in his cups, is arbitrary and domineering in his family, especially towards his son. This it seems has, on various occasions, given rise to disagreements between husband and wife, the mother invariably siding with her son. Last Friday night Adolph, Jr., left home for some reason, and did not enter the store again until an early hour Sunday morning, when his father commenced to reprove him for being away and not attending to his duties at home. It seems to be the general impression among those Germans who knew his habits, that he was slightly under the influence of drink; indeed some of them declared it to be the case. However that may be, there were high words, when the son came suddenly out from a side room adjoining the store, and fired a shot from a 32 calibre revolver at his father, whose back was turned at the time, with the result above stated. Mr. Mueller sank to the floor, and the son, appalled at what he had done in a moment of insane anger, and with a full realization, left the store and came directly to the city hall where he gave himself up to the authorities. With a self command beyond his years he appeared before the authorities and told his story without a tremor, but was as persistently reticent as to details and circumstances as if he had been counselled by an able criminal lawyer. During the whole day he maintained a stubborn silence in regard to the causes which led him to commit the dreaded act, though frequently importuned by various parties to do so. Even his own countrymen, neighbors whom he knew and was friendly to, could get nothing from him. Many times he was moved to silent tears, but with a powerful effort of the will few men could command he choked them back and resumed a stolid composure wonderful to witness in one so young.

A GLOBE reporter visited the scene of the shooting about 2 o'clock P. M. and remained until 5. The scenes he witnessed were harrowing beyond description. The living rooms are above the store. In a small sleeping chamber on the second floor was the agonized victim of this terrible tragedy, sitting on the edge of the bed, supported on either side by a strong man and writhing in the most intolerable anguish. Moaning, groaning, and at times breaking forth into heartrending cries, wrung from him by the most exquisite nervous torture, the wretched victim was a picture to unnerve the stoniest heart. Below stairs the mother was walking to and fro, constantly in motion, wailing and weeping without cessation, calling on God with every other breath, and between her adjurations of the diety exclaiming in German, "Oh, my son! Oh, my son! My only son! My Adolph! my Adolph. Oh, my God, my Adolph! What will your mother do without her boy?" Several times she left the house and went to the barn, where she was always closely followed by a sympathizing female neighbor, evidently from fear that the frenzied woman would commit suicide; which, indeed, she threatened to do, in case her husband died, though apparently her mind was running more on the consequences this event would entail upon her child, than on the loss of the husband and father. The house was thronged the whole day through with sympathetic friends and neighbors, but the distracted mother paid little or no attention to them, though she would occasionally seize the hand of a new comer, and wring it convulsively, breaking out anew into lamentation a moment after, and turning away like Rachel, refusing to be comforted.

One remarkable feature noticed by the reporter and freely commented on by many present, was the strange apathy regarding the sufferings and probably fate of Mr. Mueller, exhibited by both the wife and daughter. The latter seemed to be more touched by her mother's grief, than by her father's distress, though she kept away from both as much as possible. Dr. Stamm was first called to attend the case, and Dr. Murphy afterwards came. Both agreed that medical science could do nothing in the way of cure - nature must be left with that, if cure be possible. About 4 P. M. Drs. Stamm and Brisbine came up, and Dr. Brisbine probed for the ball. He found it to be imbedded in the spine too deeply for extraction. As to the probable result to the wounded man both doctors expressed diplomatic opinions - he would not die yet; he was very dangerously hurt, but might get well.

AN EYE WITNESS.

Mrs. Frederick Gerstadt entered the store just in time to see the shot fired. The reporter questioned her to elicit, if possible, the provocation, if any there was, which the son might have thought a justifiable cause for the shooting. She could throw no light on this point, or if she could, the reticence natural to Germans when serious trouble involves those of their own nation, kept her silent. All she could tell was that just after she entered the store, Adolph, Jr., came out if the side room before alluded to, presented the pistol at his father and fired. He stood within a few feet, not four or five, of his father when he pulled the trigger. He then put the pistol in his pocket and walked out of the store. Mr. Mueller samk to the floor immediatley upon being shot. [Mrs.] Gerstadt, on being more closely questioned, said that Mr. Mueller was scolding Adolph when she came in. Did not see Mr. M. strike, nor offer to strike, the boy. Did not see him offer to strike Mrs. Mueller. Mr. Mueller was facing toward his wife, and had his back to Adolph when the shot was fired. This is all Mrs. Gerstadt had to tell. There appears to have been no other persons in the room at the time of the shooting besides the four as mentioned above.

ADOLPH'S STORY.

Between 6 and 7 o'clock last evening a GLOBE reporter visited Adolph in his cell and was met with the same collected, prepared, wary manner with which others had so far been confonted by the boy during the day. At first he maintained silence, except saying at the reporter's entrance, "You want to see me, I suppose." The reporter sat down beside him, and knowing the futility of questioning the boy, remarked that he had just left his father and mother, and asked, "Would you like to hear from them?" With drooping head and heaving chest the lad sat silent for a full minute struggling for composure; then with a boyish turn of the neck and head, and a peculiar confiding manner and expression that goes far to explain his mother's fond love, and in strong contrast to his former cold self-expression, asked, "How is father?"

He was told the exact truth, and his mother's condition also. It was the first word he had heard from home since he left it in the morning. He was evidently much affected by what he heard and battled painfully a couple of minutes with his grief before he spoke again. All his distant reserve was swept away by the full realization of the gravity of his situation and the natural desire to palliate his crime by relating mitigating circumstances. His story is subjoined in nearly the language with which it was told: "Last Friday father got drunk and he's terrible when he gets that way. That is why I went off. I staid out on the prairie that night. Saturday I went down and helped on the express wagons. Then I went back and staid on the prairie in the same place all night again. I hadn't ought to have gone in the house - I didn't mean to; I was going to turn off to the right and go across the swamp on to another street, but mother was standing in the door and wanted me to come in. When I got in my father was there and had been drinking. He began to scold me and I went into the feed room. In a minute I came out, and he made to strike mother. I couldn't stand that, and I did it. It wasn't because he scolded me. I couldn't see him hit mother." Then, after a long pause, "Well, its pretty hard. I expect they will send me over the road, but it can't be helped now." This was all the story he had to tell. It will be noticed that his version of the circumstances in the store at the time shot was fired, agree with Mrs. Gerstadt's statement except in regard to the attempt of Mueller to strike his wife. He related it in a straightforward and apparently ingenious manner, and if he was suppressing anything or coloring the facts to screen himself, it did not appear in the narration of them. The affair is lamentable and sad in every way. Here is a whole family plunged in misery, and a young life, pregnant with promise, ruined forever, and all because the instrument of doom was so easily procurable. When we consider these cruel consequences, flowing from conditions which are duplicated every day, but could not often have such fearful sequels as this were it not so easy for every small boy to own his pistol, and with it start his own private graveyard, is it too much to ask that it be made a criminal offense to sell pistols to minors?

The latest news received from Mr. Mueller, was brought to the GLOBE about midnight, and was to the effect that there were small hopes of his recovery.

The St. Paul Morning Globe, October 12, 1880, p. 2

Arraigned for Shooting His Father.

The babble of tongues was succeeded by a holy hush in the police court yesterday when the name of Adolph Mueller was called and all eyes were turned in the direction of the boy fraticide. The defendant, a slender stripling, with calm gray eyes, blonde complexion and badger colored hair, was imperturable. He wore a blue flannel shirt, relieved at the neck by silk scarf, dark coat and light pantaloons. Save the previous twitching of his fingers which twirled his hat, there was no apparent sign of any extraordinary concern. The court enquired if he had an attorney, which elicited in clear tones the monosyllable "no."

Mr. Egan read the complaint, charging the defendant with an assault with intent to murder. It was then explained that the victim of the assault was in a precarious position, and, in view of his probable death, Mr. Egan asked for a continuance and that defendant be committed to abide the result of the wound. The court fixed the bail at $1,500, which, by request of the county attorney, was raised to $2,500, in default of which defendant went to jail.

The St. Paul (Weekly) Globe, October 10, 1880, p. 4

THE OMNIPRESENT PISTOL.

There is the feature of American civilization that is peculiar in a measure to the West. It is the omnipresence of the revolver. A family may be ever so poor, and live in the most abject squallor and wretchedness, yet when an emergency arises -- when one of the members happens to get drunk -- there is always sure to be a revolver lying around loose and handy, and it is nearly invariably employed with deadly effect upon some one.

It sometimes happens that the revolvers come into excellent play. Generally those who have them about them are precisely the ones who deserve a bullet that will end their mad career. For the most part they are a lazy, shiftless, improvident and vicious set. It usually happens that they are the principal sufferers by their own indiscretions, but once in a while some innocent person is the victim of the pernicious practice of carrying arms. For the sake of these innocent persons the authorities should take prompt action and enforce the laws and ordinances against the carrying of concealed weapons.

The shooting that took place in St. Paul on Friday is a sample of what is continually occurring in all parts of this country from the indiscriminate and seemingly all-prevailing presence of fire-arms. The laws on the subject are imperative and severe enough. The trouble is that they are not enforced. Every person carrying a dangerous weapon about with him should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, the possession of the arms being regarded as prima facie evidence of the intent to commit a felony. Until some such course of [procedure] is adopted and vigorously carried out, there is every likelihood that the same indiscriminate slaughter will continue indefinitely until some person of note falls by the assassin's bullet, when public sentiment may be aroused to the necessity of remedying the evil. The means then put into use will probably be far more rigorous and summary than those now at the command of the authorities.