I’ve been reading through some pretty interesting letters lately.
They belonged to Carl Baker, a soldier during World War One.
Five different Warrensburg women wrote to him in the fall of 1918 with all of the local news. One of the big stories was the death of Frank Heibler. It was so major that it even made the front page of the Butler Weekly Times on August 8, 1918. See there it is.
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It's that little paragraph- bottom right. In case you can’t read it, it says,
“Street Commissioner Heibler, of Warrensburg died under peculiar circumstances last week and a coroner's inquest was held. The verdict was that he came to his death from poisoning, but it was not decided whether it was a case of homicide or suicide.”
The first I heard of this was in a letter from Carl’s future wife, Leona Narron:
Oct 17, 1918
Dear Husband,
Carl you know that Hebler women thats husband died just before you left they have arrested her and have her in jail….
The next day, his mother, Annie Baker wrote to him about Mrs. Heibler:
Oct 19 1918
Dearest Carl
...I thought maybe you had influ as that seems to be the order of the day now… Mr. Willoughby says they are dying in Clinton at the rate of 5 a day with the Flu.
O yes the grand jury found a bill against Mrs Hiebler of murder in the first degree + she is now in jail I think she is now where she ought to be I sure believe she killed that man. I saw her at the Flag Raising she stood in front of me for a long while + she had a black veil in her hat + the wind would blow it back in Earlines (Carl’s baby sister) face + she would try to catch it every time…
Finally Leona wrote about Mrs. Hebler’s trial:
Warrensburg, Mo
Dec 31, 1918
My Dear Husband,
Carl you remember that Mrs. Hebler they had her trile today But did not get through with it. It is to be again tomorrow. We don’t have to work tomorrow so I think I will go hear it. There is a women by the name of Roberts that lives next door to us and she is going I think that I will go with her. I never heard a trile in my life and I think that I will hear this one. Some think she will prove guilty and some think she will come clear but I don’t know what to think But am anchious to know…
Later she sent him articles about the trial.
The articles read in Part:
The trial of Mrs Ethel Hiebler charged with murder in the first degree, began in circuit court at 3 o’clock this afternoon… The defendant, Mrs. Hiebler, occupied a seat near her attorney. She is attired in deep mourning with heavy black veil and has her little child on her knee, thus presenting a very impressive spectacle.
...There were a few women here and there in the crowd but 96 per cent were of the male persuasion.
“BYE BYE TO ALL, I DID IT---FRANK”
If the jury in the case of State vs. Ethel Hieble believes the note introduced in evidence by the defense, the verdict will no doubt be aquittal.
Mrs Simons, mother of defendant testified to finding a note recently among some of the late Frank Hiebler’s papers which read
“Bye, bye, to all: I did it - Frank.”
The state... introduced Drs. Hall and Patterson; Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Wier, Mrs. Will Burnett, Mrs. H.W. Bramel and Mrs. Verl Ele.
The testimony of Drs. Hall and Patterson had to do with their experience in attending Frank Hiebler previous to and during his last illness in July, 1918. The green capsules which were much in evidence at the coroner’s inquest, the nature of Hiebler’s sickness, etc. were gone over and the doctors expressed belief that he died of poisoning.
The report of Chemist Foster finding arsenic, was also presented to the jury.
Mrs. Bramel, wife of the south side druggist, testified that Mrs Hiebler had bought Paris Green from their store at different times representing that it was for killing bugs.
Mrs. Burnett testified to having told Hiebler of her seeing men go into his home during his absence and said that she heard a rumpus between Hiebler and his wife when he went home with the information….
Mrs Verl Ele, another neighbor of the Hieblers, gave the most damaging statement against the defendant. Mrs. Ele said that on one occasion Mrs. Hiebler told her she would give half of his insurance to anybody who would knock him in the head and she didn’t think it would be any harm to give him poison.”
I don't know what happened to Mrs. Hiebler. Carl Baker came home in February 1919 and the letters stopped.
