Article clipped from Winnipeg Tribune

She Solved Murders In The MorgueContinued from Page 20)Det Sgt. Hennanson organized the search, telephoning the fanners to meet him at the Schill farm on June 7. Back of the barn was a huge manure pile, and it was decided by the searchers that they would dispose of this unsavory task first. Thirteen farmers set to work with pitchforks. After more than two hours’ work and when they were three feet down into the pile two of the forks struck sc me thing. One farmer mentioned that it must be the dead colt he remembered having been buried in the pile. More manure was turned over and then they saw a farmer's smock.Due to the chemical action of the manure there was little left but Schill’s bones and his skull, disconnected from the rest of the remains. However, there were other things to identify him—his old gray felt hat. decayed but recognizable, his silver-rimmed spectacles, his watch.mTIE remains were taken to an undertaker’s at Fort Qu’Appalle, where I examined them. I found a bullet hole in the back of the skull. There was a jagged hole in the side and at first it was thought that this was the point of exit of the bullet. However, I recovered fragments of bone which, when fitted together, closed the hole. Then I found two pieces of lead which proved to be parts of a .22 calibre bullet. The only gun at the Schill farm was a .22 rifle.Everything pointed to Illerbrun as the murderer, and arrangements were made to pick him up at his home at Gull Lake on a charge of fabricating evidence.With the gift of hindsight, relatives and neighbors came forward with incriminating information. The murdered man’s brother, Ed. recalled how Illerbrun could pick off sparrows at 25 yards with the rifle. He also recalled how, when Illerbrun had dumped manure on the pile, it was always on the spot where the body had been found. Two farmers remembered that during the first search when they started to poke aboutin the manure pile Illerbrun had come over and told them they were needed to help search the bluffs instead. A girl with whom Illerbrun had been keeping company told how at Christmas time, with tears in his eyes, he had said: “They all think I done away with Herb.” Each time she had brought up the subject he had changed it and wouldn’t look her in the faceAny doubts were soon laid at rest by Illerbrun himself. At first he stuck to his original story then, the day after his arrest, he suddenly asked Det Sgt. Hennanson, •What wUl I get if I killed Schill?” He was told that the detective didn’t know and wouldn’t be in a position to tell him if he did. Illerbrun said. When will I be hung?” then blurted out, “I did it.”His statement to the police showed how petty and primitive the reasons for murder can sometimes be. “We weren’t getting along very good for about two weeks.” he said. “I was supposed to get two Sundays a month off and for two months I never had any ... He had two pretty hard cows and I always had to milk these ... I got sore and told him I wasn’t going to . . . We were arguing for a few minutes and he hit at me. he hit me on the shoulder. I hit at him but did not hit him so I grabbed the gun and shot him We always did have trouble with the wages. He always wanted to cut them I shot him once in the cow barn. He fell there and died. I dragged him out to the manure pile and buried him.“The gun wasn’t loaded. It was hanging in the cow barn. I grabbed it and jumped through the hole into the other barn and loaded it and be was standing up In the centre of the barnj*This statement agreed with the medical evidence, for the path of the bullet was |slightly downward.Illerbrun was only 21 when he went to the gallows for his spite murder. Had the police and neighbors cared less about Schill’s fate he might have got away with his crime.
Newspaper Details

Winnipeg Tribune

Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA

Sat, Oct 22, 1955

Page 84

Full Page
Clipped by
Susun W.

USA 06 Dec 2020