Suicide at Bustleton

New Jersey Mirror 9 Oct 1935

County detectives and state troopers report that robbery was the motive for the murder of Herman Eilers, 62, who was found shot to death at his poultry farm on Cedar lane, between Jacksonville and Bustleton, in Florence township, on Monday night. Arthur Thieren, a neighbor, discovered the crime when he stopped at the farm taht night to buy eggs. Eilers' body was lying near the kitchen door. Two men, who have been arrested and committed to jail, have admitted the crime, polic report. They are George Hildebrand, 35, a farmhand living near Columbus, and Jacob J. Ceimingo, 16, of the Burlington-Columbus road, near Burlington. Ceimingo, troopers report, confessed shooting Eilers in the presence of Hildebrand. Arrested on complaint of Seargeant Carlson of Columbus barracks, the prisoners were given a hearing before Justice of the Peace William H. Grady, Vincentown, yesterday and committed to jail. They pleaded guilty to murder. Death resulted from two gunshot wounds, either of which was fatal, according to Drs. John S. Conroy, Burlington, and Edward J. Muldoon, Florence, who conducted an autopsy of the body. Both bullets were fired from a .22 calibre revolver. One entered the head above and behind the left eye and lodgd(sic) on the right side of the skull. The other entered the body just above the left clavicle and took a downward course, severing an artery and causing severe hemorrhage. The crime was committed on Sunday night. Hildebrand had worked for Eilers until about a year ago. He knew that the farmer at times kept considerable money in the house. Hildebrand, it is reported, told Ceimingo about the money and they decided to commit the robbery. Going to the rear of the Eilers home, they were confronted by the poultryman, who opened the kitchen door just as they arrived. Eilers recognized Hildebrand and called him by name. Deimingo, greatly excited at the unexpected turn of events, drew his revolver and fired the two shots. The two men then fled in an automobile without searching the house or Eilers' clothing for money. The revolver used in the killing was found at Ceimingo's home by state trooperse(sic). Two cartridges had been fired. No money was found in Eilers' pockets, when searched by troopers. Only $2.06 was located in the house. It was in a bag on the second floor. Eilers has $1,865 on deposit in the Roebling bank and is said to own real estate in Trenton. He was a bachelor and lived alone on the farm.