Ogallala has had its share of mystery and murder over the years. The community was shocked into disbelief as local authorities caught word of a murder that had heinously been committed in the midst of a community that had quickly moved past its lawless days. The year was 1908, Ogallala had grown into a small village that was easily visited by pioneers and settlers passing through out west. A report was quickly passed onto authorities of a murder that had taken place within miles of the sleepy village. The suspect went by the name of Jennie Geiger. She without haste recanted a murder scene to authorities in Denver who quickly passed it on to Ogallala. Authorities were stunned as they uncovered a victim in a canyon outside of town that had clearly been shot to death. The body was identified as Volley Mann. Jennie Geiger claimed she had witnessed a man named Lafayette Dales brutally murder the man and was present during the crime to the Denver Police Department. For several weeks, a man hunt was on as authorities looked for the man whom was responsible for the murder. Finally in the beginning of January the suspect was caught. To add to the complication, the suspect claimed his name was John Harry Dales Smith. The authorities located him in Las Animas Colorado where he claimed he had been working as a dishwasher. Eventually , Sheriff Beal of Ogallala took train and arrived in time to bring him into custody in Ogallala. On the train Dales admitted he was guilty and was the suspect. Upon arriving at Brule a car was waiting to take Dales into custody. Residents gathered on the lawn curious as to who the murderer was. Dales claimed he had met Mrs. Geiger in New York where she had just spent 30 days in jail for blackmailing a merchant. The two stayed at the same boarding house. Jennie began claiming Dales as her husband to his dismay as police approached him for repayment of stolen money. The two eventually set out west with little money. They eventually made their toward Ogallala. Although Dales had tried to rid himself of Geiger for some time it came to no such prevail. One day the two were met by a man in a wagon who went by the name of Volley Mann. He struck a deal to take them west. As the time went on Jennie Geiger began to dislike Mann. She began to believe that he would abandon them at Ogallala. She began ushering for Dales to murder him with his gun. Dales refused and the situation progressed. One evening the three made camp just outside Ogallala. In the morning hours around 4 am Jennie once again told Dales to shoot Mann. Dales could not get himself to do it, but eventually shot him killing Mann instantly as he slept unknowingly. Jennie screamed demanding for Dales to help her load the wagon and dispose of Manns body. The two finally did and headed south where they eventually sold one of the mans horses. They fled to Grant and from there began disposing of bloody clothing. Eventually, they made it to Denver where Dales left for a night of drinking. He was afraid to return to Jennie. Jennie believed Dales had abandoned her and reported the crime to police. As the case went on it had become known that Jennie Geiger had indeed killed her husband a year earlier. Dales received life in prison at Lincoln after pleading guilty. Jennie Geiger received 39 years in prison. Officials say that she pleaded insanity and began laughing hysterically as she left the courtroom. Jennie Geiger died in an insane asylum. As I have dug up this story I realized that this murder was the one of the man found in a gulch that was later known as Dead Mens Gulch. The location of the gulch remains a mystery today.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 22:44:26 +0000
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