Michael Haus

1858 - 1891  (33 years)

• Name	Michael Haus
  Born	6 May 1858	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/252346757
  Interesting	crime, murder, story
  Residence	1861	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Roman Catholic
  Residence	1871	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Roman Catholic
  Occupation	1881	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1881	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Catholic
  Misfortune	1891
  	murdered
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-48734
  Died	19 Dec 1891	Maryhill (New Germany) Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario   [2, 5]
  	Cause: killed by Martin Reinhardt of Breslau (found not guilty of murder)
  Buried	Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Cemetery, Maryhill, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I48734	Generations
  Last Modified	17 Feb 2026

  
  

  Father	Andrew Haus,   b. 1821, Drusenheim, Alsace Lorraine, Germany ,   d. 22 Jan 1907, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 86 years)
  Mother	Regina Schell,   b. 1827, , France ,   d. 12 Jun 1909  (Age 82 years)
  Married	27 May 1845	St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church, Maryhill, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  Family ID	F7356	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Zuber,   b. 14 Jun 1864, Kossuth, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1 Jul 1951, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 87 years)
  Married	31 May 1881	Maryhill (New Germany) Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario   [7]
  Children	1. Hannah Agnes Haus,   b. 23 May 1884, Weissenburg, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario ,   d. 4 Aug 1947, Windsor, Essex Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 63 years)   2. Sarah Helena Haus,   b. 22 Aug 1886, Maryhill (New Germany) Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Goldina "Goldie" Blum,   b. 21 Aug 1891, Bay City, Bay, Michigan, United States ,   d. 31 Mar 1982, Freeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 90 years)
  Last Modified	24 Feb 2026
  Family ID	F35868	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  A Waterloo County man Kills His Stepson. BERLIN, Dec. 20 Last night about 10 o'clock a murder was committed in the village of New Germany, about ten miles from here, by Martin Reinhardt, a man about 66 years old. The victim, Michael Hauss, a young man about 35 years of age was walking into the village when Reinhard met him and without a word plunged a knife into his heart, killing him instantly. A villager came here immediately and notified Detective Klippert, who left at once for the scene and succeeded in capturing the murderer at Mossborough Station, about twelve miles from here. A BLOOD-STAINED KNIFE. At the time of the arrest a large jack-knife, stained with blood, was found in Reinhardt's possession and he confessed that it was the weapon used. The motive for which the crime was committed is not known, but will doubtless come out at the investigation, which will be held tomorrow by Coroner B. S. Bowdly. A post-mortem will be held by Drs. G. A. Bowdly of Berlin and Roberts of New Germany. The prisoner seems to feel his position keenly. The Dumfries Reformer 24 Dec 1891 pg 4 _______________________ MURDERS IN WATERLOO COUNTY For the 6th time, (in the history of our county, as far as we know definitely,) someone has been marked with the sign of Cain, in that he has stained his hands with the blood of a fellow human-being. As is usually the case with such crimes, there were no eyewitnesses to the horrible deed except the murderer himself and his victim, who has been silenced forever. Of the 5 known murder cases, only 2 came to trial, and in each of these, the accused was released, exempt from punishment. The first case of which we have any information concerns an old Tiroler who resided in this area about 30 years ago and who disappeared inexplicably. For verification of the matter, nothing further appears to have come to light and the case never came to trial. A second case took place in Galt, also several years ago. In the Queen's Hotel there, Richard Lowell threw a boot-jack at the head of the negro cook. The cook's skull appears not to have had the customary thickness of most of his fellow countrymen, with the result that the victim died of his injuries. On November 5, 1885, a youth, named Jertz, was killed on a farm near Strassburg, in the barn. A former worker on the place, named Ravennes, was arrested and despite strong circumstantial evidence, was released; he had confessed his guilt before the police chief of Galt. Since then, he has been accused of several crimes in the U.S. and now is confined under lock and key. On July 16th, 1891, an old man Zackmann, by name, was shot in Lexington by Edward Stricker; the latter, along with several comrades, had serenaded the man, who lived alone with his wife, and a lot of nonsense took place at the same time. The coroner's jury found Stricker guilty of murder; he, however, had escaped and the indictment, apparently, was dropped. The 5th case, the stabbing of Michael Haus by Martin Reinhardt on December 19, 1891 in New Germany, is known to everyone. The deed could not be denied, but strong extenuating circumstances existed and the accused had these to thank for his acquittal. In the most recent case, a fight also appears to have been the cause of the deed. Whether the prisoner, or someone else, committed the deed, still has to be decided and this can only be determined by circumstantial evidence. In any case, this case exceeds the earlier ones in the atrocity of the perpetrator, who attacked his victim like someone possessed and then, to make sure the job was done, cut his throat. BERLINER JOURNAL AUGUST 15, 1895: Page 4 - Column 6. ________________ THE NEW GERMANY MURDER. Trial of Martin Reinhardt Commenced. MICHAEL HAUS DEATH Great Crowd at the Berlin Court House. THE STABBING AFFRAY LAST DECEMBER IN WATERLOO COUNTY-ALL THE EVIDENCE IN, BERLIN, April 6.-(Special) - Great interest has been centered in the court house all day, and it has been crowded to its fullest capacity by those who are listening to the trial of Martin Reinhardt for the murder of Michael Haus on Saturday evening, December 19, 1891, in New Germany, a town about ten miles from here. It in alleged that the prisoner and the deceased (both farmers) were out on a night's carousal when the stabbing took place which ended in the death of Haus. Mr. Colin Macdougall, Q.C., of St. Thomas, and Detective Murray of Toronto are looking after the interest of the Crown. Mr. B. B. Osler, Q.C., of Toronto and Mr. John Mowat of Guelph are defending the prisoner. Mr. Colin Macdougall, in opening the case, fully described the scene of the murder, which will come out fully in the evidence. The prisoner, who is a man of about 67 years of age and of German nationality, takes a keen interest in all that transpires. THE FIRST WITNESS. The first witness called was Michael Thomasing, who said: - He knew the prisoner at the bar. Knew him since he was a boy. Saw him on the 19th December last. It was on a Saturday night at my shop. Reinhardt came into my shop. I thought there was something wrong with him. There is a fence in front of my shop and there is a porch extending to my sidewalk. That evening Reinhardt entered my shop several times. The third time he was going out he pulled out a knife. It was a pocket knife like the one produced. He held it with the point downward. Reinhardt said there was a man outside watching. I went out and saw Michael Haus, but no one else. Did not speak to the deceased. I told Reinhardt to go out, that Haus would not do anything to him. I went out, and then they left. Saw Haus following the two Wiler boys. They came back after a few minutes to Mr. Reinhardt's house. I heard some one speaking and came out. I spoke to the boys. I told them that Reinhardt had a knife and that they had better tell Michael Haus. Haus came back to my shop few minutes afterwards. Reinhardt came and said they were following him. Reinhardt said to the boys, "What do you want?" Haus said, "I have nothing against you, and do not want to have anything to do with you." Reinhardt turned around and went out. Nothing was then said about the knife. Michael Haus followed him and went directly towards the village. The boys stood in front of my place. Mrs. Reinhardt came to my shop, and the two boys came also. Some of them shook hands. Then Reinhardt came in. Some of the boys said to Haus, "What is the matter?" and Haus said, "I am afraid of your knife opened." Before Mrs. Reinhardt went out the boys told her if Reinhardt did not behave himself to call them. She said nothing, but went out. Witness went out, and the three boys followed him. As Mrs. Reinhardt was going out she told her husband that as long as he had his knife opened she would not go home with him. Reinhardt then ran back to the three boys and asked them what they wanted. Haus said they did not want anything, but that the prisoner should leave his wife alone. Husband and wife entered the house, and the three men followed him. The prisoner ran back to the porch. He raised his hand and said that the first man who entered he would stick him. Then shortly after Reinhardt came back to the witness' shop. The three came in after him. Reinhardt went out. Witness heard Haus tell the prisoner "Case that knife, or put it in your pocket." Haus said he was going home. Reinhardt went out, and so did Haus, and also a man named Charles Wilder. Witness went to the door and heard the prisoner say, "If you want another come here." This was after they went out. Haus then walked into the shop and dropped dead, Reinhardt was not inside the shop. The boys said they would not go out as Reinhardt was standing with an open knife. Witness went out but did not see anybody. Witness went out to see Mrs. Reinhardt. The prisoner was standing at his own porch. Witness asked Reinhardt where his wife was and she came out. I told the prisoner that he must have stabbed the deceased. He replied that he must have been dead drunk. They went to the witness' house, and when the prisoner saw the body he said, "You are the cause of all this," addressing his wife. "If I could have got Barbrick I would have settled him in the same way. If I could have got a knife I would have done the same thing to Barbrick." Barbrick is the son of Mrs. Reinhardt by a former marriage, Reinhardt lives quite a distance from my place. Dr. Roberts came to see the deceased. To Mr. Osler the witness said he knew of a quarrel between Barbrick and Reinhardt some months previous. It happened in June of last year. The prisoner and his wife frequently quarrelled. He did not know that Haus was a dangerous or s quarrelsome man. He did not know if Haus had a bad character in the neighborhood. He knew of some pickets that had been taken off the garden fence. The court adjourned. CHARLES WILER. After recess Charles Wiler being sworn said:-He was acquainted with the prisoner. Remembered the night of the murder. Heard Haus and Reinhardt speak. Saw Reinhardt with a knife. The last time he entered the door of the shop he had it opened, pointed down. Haus went out and Reinhardt followed him. As he was going out of the door Reinhardt opened the knife. The witness identified deceased's clothes, He heard some one cry out as if in pain outside. Haus went out of the shop first and Reinhardt followed. The witness said, in answer to a question, he went for Dr. Roberts. Clemens Weiler being sworn said:-I am sixteen years of age. Am cousin of the former witness, Charles Weiler and Michael Haus were with me. Went as far as Reinhardt's together. Heard a noise. Reinhardt came out of the shop. Haus said "Where are you going? Reinhardt did not answer. Haus said "I will see you." Haus then followed prisoner towards the village. To Mr. Osler-Don't know why Haus followed prisoner. I got home about 10 o'clock that night. OTHER WITNESSES. Andrew W. Zinger said I remember the 19th December. Saw prisoner at my house about 10 o'clock. Somebody tapped at my window: my wife asked who was there. When I went to the door I saw Reinhardt. He asked me to go to his house as his wife had engaged Mike Haus and the Weiler boys and he wanted me to go home with him. He said "The first one that touches me I will let him have it." I told him that he should go to see Mr. Frank, the constable. Edward Hatt, being sworn, said he was a justice of the peace. Knew the prisoner. Remembered the night of the murder. The prisoner called at my house. I let him in. He said "A murder has happened in our village. Three men assaulted me and I gave one of them a knife. He is lying at the shoe shop dead." Joseph Frank said: - I am a constable. Those are the clothes the deceased wore on the night of the murder, and they have been in my possession ever since. I arrested prisoner. Did not see him with a knife. Cannot say that Haus had a good reputation. John Klippert sworn - Am a constable for the County of Waterloo. Knew Haus during his lifetime. Heard of the murder on Sunday morning. Haus' father told me of the murder. Arrested Reinhart for the murder of Michael Haus, Told the prisoner not to say anything. He said when I arrested him, "This is the knife that did it. My wife is to blame for it." These are the clothes the deceased wore. Andrew Haus said-These were the clothes my son wore the night he was killed. He had them on when we were at tea. THE DOCTORS. Dr. Roberts said-I assisted in the post-mortem examination, I saw the body on Saturday night. At 10.25 the Weiler boys came for me. I went down with them. We met Reinhardt on the road. We went to Thomasing's store, I saw the body of Haus. The wound was near the apex of the heart. When I pulled the shirt off I saw the wound and it looked as if it was caused by a knife. The cause of death was by loss of blood. The heart was punctured by some sharp instrument. I have no doubt that it caused the man's death. The knife produced I think could do the deed. Dr. H. Bowlby said:-I saw the body of the deceased on the 23rd December. I examined the organs. Mr. Osler said he did not intend to go into the evidence as to the state of the organs. So the doctor's evidence was not continued. THE DEFENCE. Mrs. Thomasing, being sworn, said : - She heard someone outside of her house on the night of the murder say, "Bring a cudgel or rail," but she could not say who it was. She said she had not a very good memory. Henry Fehrenbach, being duly sworn, said: - I heard Clemens Weiler say that he saw Haus give Reinhardt a push, and then Reinhardt stabbed him with a backward motion of the arm. Michael Thomasing, being recalled, said he could not say whether he heard Clemens Weiler say that he saw Haus give Reinhardt a push and that Reinhardt then stabbed Haus with a backward motion of his arm. A. A. McKay, a justice of the peace, said that the deceased Haus, with two other men, were arraigned before him for assaulting a man. Bridget Garritt, being called, said : - I worked for Haus for some time. I have heard Haus quarrelling with his wife. He chased her out of the house one day, and he beat her badly in the face. The cause of the trouble was through the hired man. John Keller, sworn - I worked for Haus. Haus wrote a letter to me at Buffalo saying he would kill Will Hauser, the hired man. He suspected that the hired man was too intimate with his wife. Lewis Will Hauser said-I was threatened by Haus, but there was no cause for such a threat. I worked for him for five or six months. James Taylor, Jacob Betzner, Isaac Hantz and John Bruder were called as to the character of the prisoner. They all spoke favorably of his character. In reply Mr. McDougall called George Schell, Lewis Zinger, William Brohman, Andrew Fisher and others as to the character of Haus. This closed the evidence. The court then adjourned till the morning at 9 o'clock, when counsel and judge will address the jury. The Globe and Mail Thu, Apr 07, 1892 Page 5 _________________ THE NEW GERMANY MURDER. Reinhardt's Plea of Self-Defence Successful In Securing His Acquittal. BERLIN, April 8. -At the Waterloo Assizes before Chief Justice Armour, Martin Reinhardt, charged with the murder of Michael Haus, on Dec. 19, at New Germany was acquitted, the jury returning a verdict of not guilty after an absence of over six hours. The judge thereupon discharged the accused with the remark that he trusted he would live the rest of his life a better man. age. Reinhardt is 63 years of age. The facts of the case are familiar. During a quarrel in New Germany Reinhardt drove a knife into Haus' heart, killing him instantly. Several witnesses were called by the defence to prove that Haus was a quarrelsome man, that he had repeatedly threatened people and that he had assaulted the prisoner without provocation and that Reinhardt killed him in self-defence. The Weekly British Whig, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Thursday, April 14, 1892

  
  

• Sources

  [S224] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo North - 1881, Div 1 Page 34. [S93] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Woolwich, Maryhill - Saint Boniface Roman Catholic - www.findagrave. com. Here Rests/ Michael Haus/ In Age From/ 33 Years/ Born 6 May 1853 Died 19 December 1891 [S1887] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1861 (North Division), Div. 8 Page 66. [S514] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1871, Sect. 2 Page 11. [S2491] aaa Vit - ON - Death Registration, death certificate 016124 (1891). Name:Michael Haus Gender:Male Age:33 Birth Date:abt 1858 Birth Place:Waterloo, Ontario Death Date:19 Dec 1891 Death Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada [S91] Church Records - ON, Waterloo, Maryhill - St. Boniface Roman Catholic [found cited on various sources on the internet and family histories], Rev. Simon Sanderl. 27 May Andreas Haas married Regina Schall, witnesses : Andreas Klein & George Schall, Andreas Haas was from Druseheim, Alsace [S2488] aaa Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, marriage certificate 011602 (1881). Name:Michael Hauss Age:23 Birth Year:abt 1858 Birth Place:Waterloo, Ontario Marriage Date:31 May 1881 Marriage Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Father:Andrew Hauss Mother:Regina Hauss Spouse:Elizabeth Zuber

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 6 May 1858 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Roman Catholic - 1861 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Roman Catholic - 1871 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Farmer - 1881 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Catholic - 1881 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 31 May 1881 - Maryhill (New Germany) Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario Died - Cause: killed by Martin Reinhardt of Breslau (found not guilty of murder) - 19 Dec 1891 - Maryhill (New Germany) Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario Buried - - Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Cemetery, Maryhill, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth