The Story and Trials of Adolph Julius Weber - Softcover

Swindle, Lewis J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1553696387 ISBN 13: 9781553696384

Publisher: Trafford Publishing, 2006

Synopsis

The Story and Trials of Adolph Julius Weber is a historical review of the events as they enfolded related to the man who was charged, then tried, for one of the most atrocious murders ever committed in California at the start of the 20th century.

About this title

About the Author:

Lewis Swindle has always been intereted in sharing information gained. In being interested in mineral collecting, and collecting minerals in Colorado for 25 years, he wrote five articles that were printed in one of the National Magazines related to the subject of minerals.

When the author moved to Northern California several years ago, to the heart of gold country, he became interested in the Historic History of the area, especially the gold fields and the finding of gold. As a result of this interest, the author had three books printed as a result of his research and interest. The first two books being on something nobody had done before, and that was to go through all the old newspapers on microfilm, and collect all the newspaper articles that reported on any discovery of gold being made from its initial discovery in 1848 thru 1875. The first book was The History of the Gold Discoveries of the Northern Mines of California's Mother Lode Gold Belt, As Told by the Newspapers and Miners (1848-1875).. The second book was The History of the Gold Discoveries of the Southern Mines of California's Mother Lode Gold Belt, As Told by the Newspapers and Miners (1848-1860). The third bok was on and covered The Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 -- Was it a Humbug?

If the author had a second life to live over, one of his interests would have been that of a geologist or a lawyer. Thus while continuing the historical research of the area pertaining to gold discoveries through the old newspapers, the author's interest got sidetracked by a robbery that had been committed, than a crime of murder, which was found to be related. The main crime committed was considered so horrible for the times, it drew worldwide attention. The facts and events eventually revealed, made for another interesting chapter in California's early history, and what caused California to change its inheritance law, hence the author has brought forth his fourth book.

Also be Lewis Swindle:

The History of the Gold Discoveries of the Northern Mines

The History of the Gold Discoveries of the Southern Mines

The Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

AUTOPSIES

    When the Coroner W. A. Shepard, got to the Welch & Keena undertakers' parlor to further examen the bodies, he discovered that the blood on the front of Mrs. Mary Weber's dress had been caused by what appeared to be a bullet wound to the chest. The upper portion of Miss Bertha Weber's body was so badly burned that no wounds were visible. He placed a call to Dr. R. F. Rooney and a Dr. T. M. Todd, to come due a autopsy on the bodies. The autopsies were done during that first night, not being finished until the early morning hours.

    In doing the examination and autopsies of the two female bodies, the two doctors found that besides being burned as badly as they were, that each of the women had bullet holes in their breasts. Mrs. Mary Weber, because she was burnt on her lower extremities, her upper portion of her dress remained and showed powder burns at the mouth of the wound, showing that a weapon had to have been close to her when the shot was fired. Their deaths had not been caused as initially thought by the fire, but a bullet in each of them, in the heart, which immediately caused their fatal death. Later, in examining Mrs. Weber again, a second bullet hole was found under her left arm pit. It had been missed originally because rigor-mortis had already sat-in, while her arms were down along her side. In removing the three bullets from the two women, they were determined to be of the 32-caliber type.

    In examining the little boy's body, it was found that his head had been beaten, with cuts being made one-quarter of an inch deep into the scalp by some blunt instrument in six places. Although, not shot, the head injuries had most likely caused the boy to lie helplessly unconsciously, taking in sufficient amount of smoke, as his lungs were found to have been collapsed, causing him to suffocate and die as he did so quickly after being brought out of the burning house.

    The Coroner suspected at this point that the fire had been set to hide the murders that had been committed, with the murderer hoping that the bodies would be burned up in the house, as the fire consumed and destroyed the house. With such thoughts, the Coroner called Sheriff Charles Keena of Auburn and provided him the information found as the result of the autopsies. This, now being early Friday morning, the 11 th of November 1904.

    Upon receiving the news about the murders, Sheriff Charles Keena, then got hold of Auburn's District Attorney -- Mr. A. Kelly Robinson, the two meeting with Coroner Shepard. With the knowledge of the fact, that the two Weber women had been shot, and the little boy's death was caused by blunt blows to the head, Sheriff Keena and the District Attorney Robinson, started to make inquiries at this time wanting to determined the movement and activities of the night and day before the fire and murders, to try and determine, if they could, who was responsible for what was now being considered a horrible crime and tragedy.

    The town of Auburn, in waking up that Friday morning after the horrible tragedy that had taken place the night before, believing simply that the Weber family had been burned to death, soon found out as the news from the results of the autopsies traveled through town like a wild fire, that the women had been murdered. The suspicions now started to be circulated that since Mr. Julius Weber's body had not been found at the fire, and he appeared to be missing, his whereabouts unknown, that perhaps, Mr. Weber in a fit of jealous rage, had killed his family and fired his house to hide the horrible crimes and then left the area. After all, it was known that he had ruled over the family with an iron fist and had a temper, but the theories did not stop there. It was also being theorized that perhaps robbery was the motive of the crime as it was known that Mr. Weber kept a large sum of money in his house in the safe. The fact, that the hands of Mrs. Weber and Bertha, when the bodies were found, were held above their heads, as if held up on demand, suggested perhaps a robbery. But yet, at the same time, there were some doubt that a robber would have hardly taken the chance to rob a house with the whole family in the house, and take the chance of being discovered by some member with an alarm given, bringing a possibility of capture. The horrible crime was becoming a deep mystery as no suspicious characters had been noticed about the premises or the town the day before. The officials had no clues to work on. They would have to wait for the smoldering ruins to cool down enough to search for the safe and any other possible clue.

About this edition

• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1553696387
• ISBN 13: 9781553696384
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 290