Kiel fratricide? Or was it the revenge of the Stewarts?
'Quintus Hopper of Nevada' series: The woman who stood at the beginning of Las Vegas brought with her character and fortitude forged by tragedy, such as the murder of her husband.
Quintus Hopper of Nevada, published in January 2022, is a historical novel that follows the epic and peculiar life of a frontier newspaper typesetter. As part of my research I made extensive use of newspaper archives and, in this series, I’ll share some of my often surprising findings. Here are history, commentaries and contemporary newspaper articles as they relate to the novel. Helen Stewart came to the harsh frontier conditions of mining towns in the company of her husband. He was savvy, he started a business, then took over the ranch at the Las Vegas oasis. His life was brutally cut short in 1884, and it would not be the last tragedy to befall Helen Stewart. And yet she dug in, rose to every challenge thrown her way - and in the end became known as the First Lady of Las Vegas.
The Nevada Historical Society writes: “On April 6, 1873, shortly before her nineteenth birthday, Helen Wiser married Archibald Stewart, twenty years her senior, in Stockton, California. Although born in Dublin, Ireland, he was of Scottish descent. To the young girl, this tall, handsome, older man must have been awesome.”
He opened a freighting business in Pioche and as business prospered, so the family grew. On July 13, 1884, Archibald Stewart was murdered on the Kiel Ranch north of the Las Vegas Ranch. There had been a dispute and Stewart went there to settle it. The Kiels, and the other men on that ranch, had a bad reputation – but no one could ever prove what had really happened that day. Conrad Kiel sent Helen Stewart a simple note: “Mrs. Sturd Send a Team and take Mr. Sturd away he is dead. C. Kiel.”
In her diary, Helen Stewart noted, “I left my little children with Mr. Frazier and went as fast as a horse could carry me. The man that killed my husband ran as I approached as I got to the corner of the house - I said where is he - where is he and the Old Man Kiel and Hank Parish said here he is and lifting a blanket showed me the lifeless form of my husband. I knelt down beside him took his hand placed my hand upon his heart and looked upon his face.”
Helen, who is a good friend of Quintus in the novel, is the mother of four young children, with a fifth one on the way, at the time of her husband’s murder. No one is ever convicted of the crime – and her husband’s unsolved murder lingers and festers.
In the novel, Helen Stewart eventually falls ill and Owl Woman tells Quintus that only one thing can save her life – the end of the Kiels. That is pure fiction, of course. What is known is that the line of the Kiels in Nevada did, in fact, end in the month of October, 1900. According to the accepted findings after the investigation, it was concluded that a fight between the two brothers had preceded what ended in a murder/suicide.
Until today, however, there are rumors that the sons of Helen Stewart never forgave the Kiels for the murder of their father – and that they, on that fateful day, ended the Kiels.
October 19, 1900
Lincoln County Record, Pioche
APPALLING TRAGEDY.
Edward B. Kiel Kills His Brother William and Then Kills Himself.
The news reached here last evening that Edward B. Kiel of Las Vegas had killed his brother William Kiel, and then killed himself.
The Kiel Bros lived on the Vegas for a number of years, on a ranch about three miles from the Stewart ranch, and in connection with that ran a little store.
There seems to have been some hard feelings existing between the brothers for some time, and both being addicted to drink, each thought the other in the fault, and as the testimony at the inquest shows that Edward was going to run William off the ranch, and it is supposed he, on the 10th tried to do so, and a quarrel ensued, with the above result.
The following is the testimony in full, given at the inquest.
Proceedings and testimony of witnesses in the inquest held upon the bodies of Edward B. Kiel and William Kiel of Las Vegas, Lincoln County Nevada on the 12 and 13th days of October A.D. 1900 by C. M. Over, Justice of the Peace and Ex-Officio Coroner.
Jury summoned consisting of F. D. Spaulding, Robert Stuart, Benjamin Sanders, J. B. Wilson Sr., J. B. Wilson Jr., and George Allen.
The following witnesses subpoenaed W. J. Stewart, F. R. Stewart.
Jury all present, sworn and viewed the bodies of deceased. Made examinations of the ground and premises where lay the dead bodies of the said Edward B. Kiel and William Kiel.
Examination made on the evening of the 12 of October 1900. Took charge of 44 caliber Colt six-shooter and a double-barreled shot gun 12 bore found near the said bodies, night being near the jury adjourned until 9 o’clock A.M. of the next day Oct. 13.
F. R. Stewart, first witness called and testified as follows.
On the morning of Oct. 11, 1900 in the company with W. J. Stewart who was driving the horses and wagon, we rode over to Kiel’s ranch, for the purpose of getting some tobacco and telling him about some wagon wheels which had reached Manvel. The front and back doors to Mr. Kiel’s house were both open and through them we could see a man lying on the ground back of the kitchen. Upon investigation we found it was Ed Kiel, dead, with a pistol near his right hand on the ground, a further examination disclosed his brother William also dead, lying about 30 feet away across the ditch, his body partly submerged in the water, near his feet was laying a double-barreled shot gun. We did not disturb the bodies or position of the arms but returned to Las Vegas to give the alarm, the bodies remained as we found them until viewed by the coroner’s jury, a guard was placed over the bodies to see they were not disturbed.
In answer to a question by the coroner, the witness stated that Ed. B. Kiel a few days ago stated he intended to run Wm. Kiel off the ranch, that he was no good, that he had no interest in the ranch and must leave. Wm. Kiel told me that he could not get along with Ed and that he would have to leave the ranch, also he did not have any brotherly affection for him.
Asked about Ed. Kiel’s drinking habit, he states that he had for years been a heavy drinker. Wm. Kiel drank a great deal, but not so much as Ed. W. J. Stewart, the next witness called, his testimony corroborated in every particular way with that of the previous witness and for that reason is not given in full, being but a recital matter here inscribed. There being no other witnesses the jury made a note of the points observed with reference to the weapons which were as follows.
The pistol which lay near Ed B. Kiel had two unexploded cartridges in it, which were difficult to extract, having evidently been in the chamber for a long time. Four shots had been recently fired from it. Three of these shots are supposed to have hit Wm. Kiel, the fourth was used on himself. The pistol lay where it would naturally have fallen after the last shot by Ed. B. Kiel, the rim of whose hat was cut by a bullet and the hat and face also showed powder burns. The shot gun which lay near the feet of Wm. Had no shells in it, either empty or loaded, and it had not been recently fired. All the wounds on the person of Wm Kiel were bullet wounds of apparently the same size and looked like wounds from a 44-caliber gun.