He was hanged in Danville on January 21, 1881,
HIS? ORY- OF IROQUOIS-COUNTY by Beckwith. Published L680, -H. cH. Hilt &
Company, Chicago, pages ]00-lj)O1,
Iroquois County Times, Watseka, Illinois, January 29, 1881.
See newspaper articles in Danville, Illinois - Dark blue binder,
He was hanged in Danville on January 21, 1881,
HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY by Beckwith. Published 1880, -H,.H, Hill &
Company, Chicago, pages )00-)01,
Iroquois County Times, Watseka, Illinois, January 29, 1881.
See newspaper articles in Danville, Illinois - Dark blue binder.
n Danville on January 21, 1881,
any, Chicago
COUNTY by Beckwith, Published 1860,
00-hO1,
HH, Hill &
» pages LO
kay Illinois, January 29, 16
rticles in Danville,
TW lnolare park bine
KORSTER, Fred
Koester, alias Fritz Rafter, a young white farmer, Lived near the
railroad about three miles north of Buckley, Iroquois Co., Ill, In
1878, he married KMKXH Mary Burmeister, the daughter of a neighbor,
and she moved to the small 11 acre farm that he owned, She became
pregnant and, as the time for the birth of the child drew near, she
told him that she was unable to assist him with the field work, He
became incensed and they quarreled frequently with him blaming her
family for encouraging her in her resistance to him, On August 26,
1879, he wenk drew some money on his flax seed, explaining that he
was going to use iit to pay a note and left the County, The next
morning, Mrs, Koester's sister went to visit her and found bloodstains
A search party was formed and it found Mrs, Koester's body in a ditch
not far from their house. She had been shot with a pistol and her
-pody was chopped with an axe, Koester rode his horse to Ashkun,
abandoned it and walked to Clifton. There he took a train to Chica-
go and from there went to Iowa, He was located when he wrote a
lebber to some relatives and returned to Iroquois County where he
was charged with his wife's murder. He was ganted a change of venue
to Vermilion County and there he was convicted and sentenced to die,
KOSTER, Fred
Koester, alias Fritz Rafter, a young white farmer, lived near the
railroad about three miles north of Buckley, Iroquois Co,, Ill, In
1878, he married KMEXH Mary Burmeister, the daughter of a neighbor,
and she moved to the small 11 acre farm that he owned, She became
pregnant and, as the time for the birth of the child drew near, she
told him that she was unable to assist him with the field work, He
became incensed and they quarreled frequently with him blaming her
family for encouraging her in her resistance to him, On August 26,
1879, he wenk drew some money on his flax seed, explaining that he
was going to use fit to pay a note and left the County, The next
morning, Mrs, Koester's sister went to visit her and found bloodstaing
A search party was formed and it found Mrs, Koester's body in a ditch
not far from their house. She had been shot with a pistol and her
-body was chopped with an axe. Koester rode his horse to Ashkum,
abandoned it and walked to Clifton, There he took a train to Chica-
go and from there went to Iowa, He was located when he wrote a
letber to some relatives. and returned to Iroquois County where he
was charged with his wife's murder. He was ganted a change of venue
to Vermilion County and there he was convicted and sentenced to die,
KOESTER, Fred
ose Fritz Rafter, a young white farmer, lived near the
out three miles north of Buckley, Iroquois Co, Ill, in
878, he married KG Mary Burmeister, the daughter of a neighbor,
and she moved to the small 11 acre farm that he owned, She became
pregnant and, as the time for the birth of the child drew near, she
told him that she was unable to assist him with the field work,
became incensed and they quar i i
family for encouraging her in im, On August 26,
1879, he ummk drew some money on his flax seed, explaining that he
was going to use ft to pay a note and left the County, The next
morning, Mrs, Koester's sister went to visit her and found bloodstain:
A search party was formed and it found Mrs, Koester's body in a ditch
not far from their house. She had been shot with a pistol and her
body was chopyed with an axe. Koester rode his horse to Ashkum,
abandoned it and walked to Clifton, ‘There he took a train to Chica-
and from there went to Iowa, He was located when he wrote a
lebber to sone relatives and returned to Iroquois County where he
was charged with hi e 3 ganted a change of venue
ou gerial tontcoulstamrbeneretne Wan Gaeta ivead eervenced ve die.
