| Notes |
- From the 06 July 1906 issue of the Boonville Weekly Advertiser:
Last Friday evening about seven o'clock, 7 miles west of Boonville, Casper Langlotz an old and respected farmer shot and almost instantly killed his son-in-law Claude Zeigle a young man of about 23 years.
Zeigle's wife who is a daughter of Langlotz left her home on Friday and went to her father's leaving a note for her husband bearing the information that she had left him for good.
When Zeigle came home in the evening he found the note and at once proceeded to the home of his father-in-law.
What followed on his arrival there is given in the testimony of Langlotz, his wife and daughter, who testified before Coroner Russell's jury which was summoned to investigate the killing, and in substance is about as follows:
My daughter Mary, Zeigle's wife, came to my house yesterday morning about 8 o'clock saying she could stand his abuse no longer and had taken him at his word and left him. I told her that she and my younger children must go back and get her clothes, but leave the furniture. The two children went and she followed later, returning about 11 o'clock. She left a note on the table telling him she had taken him at his word and left him.
Last night about dusk I saw him coming across the field toward my place walking fast. When he got to the gate he said: "Is Mary here?" My wife said: "You have beaten her enough; don't come in the house." I went in the house and my wife ran in and closed the door and held it. As he came to the door and pushed it open my wife said several times: "Get the gun, get the gun."
By the time he had jerked the door open and had got into the hall I had the gun and was standing in the door leading from the hall to the sitting room. My wife was beside him. When I shot him was about three feet away from him . I shot but once.
I shot him because he told his wife that he had brought a six shooter and was going to kill her and all the family. I thought he was there for that purpose.
After he was shot he said "I am shot, I am gone, I want to see Mary." Those were his last words.
I once more told him to get out because I did not know if he was badly hurt or had anything to shoot with.
He walked outside, falling about six feet from the door and died in about two minutes. When I saw that he was passing away I sent for some water and whisky, but they were of no avail.
Mrs. Langlotz' testimony was similar to that of her husband.
Mrs. Zeigle, the wife of the man who was killed testified that he had abused and mistreated her, that he said he wanted to get rid of her and threatened to shoot her and the whole family.
The jury returned the following verdict:
We the jury, empaneled to investigate the death of Claude Zeigle, do declare that he came to his death by a .38 caliber bullet which entered his neck, the bullet fired by Casper Langlotz when he, Zeigle was forcing an entrance to Langlotz's house
William L. Brickner, Foreman, J. R. Miller, Charles Fray, G. A. Brownfield, William Johnmeyer, E. Brownfield
The deceased was a son of Henry Zeigle one of Cooper county's best citizens and he belonged to one of the best families in the state, though he himself had always been considered a little wild and reckless. He was unarmed when killed.
They have been married about four years and have one child about 3 years of age.
No information had been filed against Langlotz and he has not been arrested though he came to Boonville and offered to surrender himself to the authorities.
The funeral which was preached by Rev. W. A. McClanahan at the Methodist church in Boonville Monday at 11 a.m. was largely attended by relatives and friends of the deceased. The remains were buried at Walnut Grove Cemetery.
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1883 - 1906 (23 years)
