John Schuster
Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 June 1872, page 5
Murder in Campbell County-A Man Stabbed to the Heart and Killed Almost Instantly
The usual Sunday morning quiet of Newport was broken yesterday,
and the community startled by the intelligence that a young man had been killed
in an affray occurring that morning a short distance back of the city. We
learned that the guilty part was in custody, and at once proceeded to the jail
in Newport, where we found him and got his statement of the case, and in the
afternoon we went out to the neighborhood of the difficulty and ascertained the
facts as they are understood there.
The parties immediately concerned were Frank Shields and John Schuster, two young men, aged seventeen and nineteen years and the latter is the one who received the death blow. The killing occurred on the premises of Henry Riley, who lived in the district of Highlands, some two miles from the city, and the circumstances, as we gathered them, are as follows:
Some young people among whom were the two named, had been at a meeting of a staging school at the little church near the residence of Mr. Jas Southgate and the school breaking up the young men, who subsequently got into the difficulty, together with some others, went to a small party at Riley's, where an accordion had been raffled by Riley and afterward given back to him, and in consideration of which he had given the party. At this party there was beer drinking and probably some hot blood as a consequence. There were girls present, and some dancing and singing. As the party broke up, Shields and Schuster and some other young men started home. Schuster, it seems, was singing some song when Shields told Schuster that if he could not do any better than he had better shut up. Thereupon caused a quarrel, which soon came to blows and in the struggle, Shields stabbed Schuster twice, once in the stomach and once in the breast. The knife must have penetrated the cavity of the heart.
The wounded man uttered one exclamation, fell on his back, then turned over in the death struggle and expired almost immediately. Shields pursued his way to his home or lodging place at Mr. Tom Jolly's in the neighborhood, and it being very late, he had to arouse Mr. Jolly to let him in. He told Jolly that he was afraid he had killed a man, and asked what he ought to do and Jolly advised him to go to bed and when morning came to give himself up to the authorities, which he agreed to do. Almost half past three o'clock, however, Mr. Mike Shearer went to the residence of Harry Southgate, where Deputy Sheriff William A Long was that night, and told Long of the murder. Mr. Long immediately provided himself with arms, and proceeded to Tom Jolly's and arrested Shields, who was in bed when the officer arrived. Shields arose, dressed himself, blacked his boots, hitched up a team,and accompanied Long to the city, arriving at the jail at six o'clock.
The murdered man's body was removed to his father's home nearby, as soon as morning came and was lying there in the afternoon, looking placid enough in its awful sleep. Young Schuster was the son of an old German named Andrew Schuster and young Shields is the son of James L Shields, all living in the District of the Highlands and near each other. The two young men were industrious and generally sober, quiet young men, respected by all their neighbors.
We understand the trouble originated at a wedding out there last winter, when a little jealousy arose between the two boys about some girls. Shields says that Schuster has several times threatened to thrash him and that the feeling between them has not bee good since the wedding, while on the other hand, Schuster's father and mother say that they knew of no ill feeling on the part of their son. The old people were in great grief as their terrible misfortune and elicited the liveliest sympathy in their humble home and distressing surroundings.
The accused man told his story without the least hesitation and in a perfectly frank and straightforward way. He states that he was struck first and several times before he stabbed Schuster, and that he had no idea of killing him. The exact truth in these particulars will not come out, however, before the trial, in all probability. In the absence of the Coroner, an inquest will he held this morning by Esquire W W Southgate. The preliminary examination of the prisoner will probably take place today some time. The knife used by Shields is a common pocket knife.