One day in 1907, a man walks into a bar on a routine work round and is thrown into a coma, never to awake again. He was “the best man in the world”, according to his wife and young son.
Stories:
- TBA
| Name | Born-Died | Description / Note |
| Victim | ||
| Breitwieser, Charles Albert | 1876-1907 | bludgeoned with a billiards que |
| Suspects | ||
| Kleis, John | 1872-1945 | |
| Family of Victim | ||
| Breitwieser, Bernhardt | 1842-1895 | father of Charles Albert Breitwieser |
| Breitwieser, Emma (Reed) | 1871-? | sister of Charles Albert Breitwieser |
| Breitwieser, Wilson Charles | 1900-1921 | son of Charles Albert Breitwieser |
| Kipp, Mayme (Breitwieser, Trythall) | 1877-1959 | wife of Charles Albert Breitwieser |
| Lohmeyer, Fredericka (Breitwieser) | 1841-1917 | mother of Charles Albert Breitwieser |
| Trythall, Robert H. | 1877-1961 | 2nd husband of Mayme Kipp Breitwieser |
| Law Enforcement & Lawyers | ||
| Fiedler, Mr. | Police Judge | |
| Jones, Mr. | Prison Warden | |
| Kohler, Mr. | Chief of Police | |
| Potts, Mr. | Desk Officer | |
| Prestein, Mr. | Chief Deputy of Police | |
| Witnesses & Other People | ||
| Christian, Joseph | 1893-? | 1st husband of Kittie Kleis |
| Geracci, August P. | 1895-1963 | 2nd husband of Kittie Kleis |
| Kleis, Catherine “Kittie” (Christian/Geracci) | 1900-1969 | daughter of John Kleis |
| Kleneski, Mary (Kleis) | 1880-? | wife of John Kleis |
| Rosinski, Anton | owner of the saloon where Charles was attacked | |
Documentation
Burial Records:
- Lake View Cemetery: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA
- Charles A. Breitwieser (1875-1907)
- Wilson Breitwieser (1900-1921)
- Union Dale Cemetery: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA
- Bernhardt Breitwieser (1842-1895)
- Friedericks Breitwieser (1841-1917)
Census Records:
- 1870 US Federal Census: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania – Breitwieser; Bernhardt and family
- 1880 US Federal Census: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania – Breitwieser; Charles with parents and siblings
- 1900 US Federal Census: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – Breitwieser; Charles & Mayme with infant son
- 1900 US Federal Census: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – Kleis at 17 Medina St.
- 1910 US Federal Census: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – Breitwieser; Mamie and Wilson
- 1910 US Federal Census: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – Kleis “Klise” at 1220 E 79th St
- 1910 US Federal Census: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – Kleis “Kles” at 7706 Aberdeen Ave.
- 1920 US Federal Census: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – Kittie Kleis Christian and family
City Directories:
- Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio: Breitwieser, Kleis
- Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania: Breitwieser
Crime Scene Locations (and others):
- 1121 E. 79th St, Cleveland, Ohio (Crime Scene) – Anton Rosinski’s saloon (demolished)
- 1220 E. 79th St, Cleveland, Ohio – home of John Kleis (demolished)
- 1236 E. 113th St, Cleveland, Ohio – home of Charles Breitwieser (demolished)
- 137 Taggart, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – home of Bernhardt Breitwieser, childhood home of Charles (demolished)
- 7706 Aberdeen Ave, Cleveland, Ohio – home of John Kleis’s parents, around the corner from him (now 7708 Aberdeen, still standing as of 2025)
Military Records:
- WW1 Draft Card: Wilson Charles Breitwieser
Newspaper Articles:
- Cleveland Leader:
- 1913 (Sep 27): “Forbids Daughter’s Match, Loses Wife”
- Cleveland Plain Dealer:
- 1899 (Apr 6): “Marriage Licenses” – Breitwieser / Kipp
- 1899 (Apr 9): “In Society” – marriage of Breitwieser / Kipp
- 1907 (Apr 18): “Struck Down”
- 1907 (Apr 29): “Collector Near Death”
- 1907 (Apr 30): “Blow From Cue Fatal”
- 1907 (May 2): “There As a Collector”
- 1907 (Jun 13): “Forgives For Sake of Wife”
- 1907 (Jun 15): “Demands Punishment”
- 1907 (Jun 30): “A Murderer Has Nine Chances of Ten to Escape Punishment”
- 1907 (Nov 5): “Indicted for Manslaughter”
- 1907 (Nov 28): “Wife Weeps As Prison Yawns”
- 1909 (Feb 6): “Application for Parole”
- 1909 (May 14): “‘Pen’ Restaurant Pays”
- 1913 (Sep 27): “Raves As Girl, 13, Weds, Quit’s Home”
- 1915 (Aug 21): “Polish Singers Prepare for District Festival”
- 1959 (Apr 22): “Death Notices: Trythall, Mayme”
- Conneautville Courier:
- 1907 (May 1): “Dies from a Blow”
- Pittsburgh Post:
- 1895 (Oct 8): “DIED” Bernhardt Breitwieser
- 1917 (Feb 28): “Fredericka L. Breitwieser” – obituary
- Pittsburgh Press:
- 1907 (May 6): “Deny Breitwieser Was Fighting”
Probate Records:
- 1907 [link to original on Ancestry.com]: Doc. 79; No 42539. A brief probate for “Charles A. Breitweisser” / “Chas. A. Breitwieser”. It notes that he died intestate (without a will), it names his heirs as his wife Mayme Breitwieser and son Wilson Breitwieser – both of 1236 E 113th St., and that the whole of the estate consists of $750 paid in on a house & lot bought under a lease from The Real Estate & Bldg. Co”.
Vital Records:
