People and incidents
The Ong’s Hat triple killing (1934)
Unresolved triple homicide
Stanley Zimmer, William Schwar, and Edward Riehl of Easton, Pennsylvania, were found shot beside Zimmer’s car near Ong’s Hat on September 23, 1934.
Discovery and evidence
A farmer found the three men beside Zimmer’s small car on Sunday, September 23. Wire reports said the deaths may have occurred as early as Wednesday, September 19. Zimmer, who owned and drove the car, was identified through fingerprints he had made at home while studying fingerprinting. Schwar had a Pennsylvania police record; Riehl’s surname also appeared as Reihl.
Police reconstructed an ambush: the men apparently stepped from the car for a meeting and were struck by shotgun and pistol fire from concealed assailants. Burlington County detective Ellis Parker noted trail markings and a freshly stripped small pine, suggesting the location had been selected in advance and possibly used for earlier meetings.
Investigation
Investigators described the victims as members of a hijacking gang and considered whether they expected to divide proceeds or plan another theft. Northampton County detective H. J. Menikheim had heard they intended to hijack an illicit still near Trenton. Easton police detained one suspect on September 24, while Detective Clinton Zeller and a State Police investigator said they had identified a gang under investigation but withheld names.
A young unidentified man found shot and apparently strangled in southwest Philadelphia the next day was investigated as a possible connection. No confirmed link, prosecution, or final resolution has yet been located.
Sources and further reading
Associated Press and United Press reports dated September 24, 1934, including the Bismarck Tribune, p. 1, and Indianapolis Times, p. 8; source record clippings; contemporary news photograph catalog record. Reports have been compared and paraphrased.