The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-30
4 M0RRlBlE TRAGEDY!
A Triple Murder !. and Suicide
4 MOTHER KILLS TWO OF
HER CHILDREN, MoRTALLY
WOUNDS A THIRD, AND
THEN TAKES HER
OWN LIFE.

... OWN LIFE.
A Carnival Of Crime !!
From the Daily Of Friday.
We are called on 70 record this morning the
particulars Of o. most heartrrending tragedy
whose recital viii almost freeze with horror the
blood In the veins Of those who read It. II -
BY far tho most sickening carnival Of crime
that has ever occurred in ouS city, and We hope
it viii never fall to our lot to report another
rivalng It In al that is horrible and sorrowful.
The affair IL as follows: ii Il, .,,i.. ,,... e.,
Yesterday afternoon about six o'clock. .
woman named Eleanor Stelzer, wife Of Ger
man cigar maker reading in . ANAL tenement
hosse on Summit Avenue, opposite the Carpen-
ter House, killed two Of her children by split
ting their heads open with Ratchet. seriously
wounded > third, and then completed the sw.
ful tragedy BY stabbing herself In tho neck
with butcher knife, in sush q, manner - to
bleed 70 death in . short time. -. ~, ~.
This triple murder and suicide WIS CON.
mitted durinx the absence Of her husband from
home, and in temporary ct of insanity.
Shortly after the deed became known at the
Police headquarters, which was In few min.
utes after its commission, we repaired to the
scene Of the tragedy, and there beheld sight
calculated to chill the blood of any except
those accustomed to similar scenes There lay
the mother, with the fatal knife still sticking
In her throat, weltering in pool of blood. A
little boy lay near the door, the top of his head
chopped to pieces with Ratchet, grooming In
the agonies of death. A little girl lay dead be-
yond him, alongside the stove, the entire top of
her head gone, and the brains lying on the
Ratchet that inflicted the wound. On the bed
in one corner of the room lay babe, sense
less from . bad wound in the head, but still
living.
The husband and father, Charles Stelzer, sat
In the midst of this domestic desolation, appa-
rently bereft of his senses by the same crime
that had stripped him of his loved ones with
one fell swoop." is...
DR.. Stewart was summoned at once to the
scene, but surgical aid was of small avail. The
mother was but barely alive, and soon after
ceased breathing. The wound was necessarily
fatal one-the carotid artery having been
severed, which would cause death by exsan-
guination. The knife was driven with such
energy into the neck, that 1t had passed
through it, the point projecting on the other
side. Mrs. Stelzer had been apparently hand
some woman, and was about 80 years of age.
Attention was next paid to the little boy,
William stelzer, who was moaning in appa-
rently great misery. 1t was found that his
skull was literally chopped to pieces, and the
brain partially scattered on the poor. Indeed,
1t was certain that he was past feeling pain-as
his glazed eye and convulsive gasps for breath
showed that life was fast ebbing away. He
died before we left, about eight o'clock. He
seemed bright and handsome little fellow,
and still held in one hand the very plaything
that he was amusing himself with when he re-
ceived the fatal blow or blows. He was about
four years old.
The little girl, Elinor Stelzer, was perfectly
dead-her brains being completely knocked
out. She was almost six years of age. 49,.
The baby Chlodie aged two years, was ap-
parently not much injured. 1t had received .
blow from the butt of the Ratchet that indent.
ed Its skull, but had not broken the skin. It
Is still living and may recover, unless concus.
sion of the brain has occurred. 1t seems
smart and active child. Some simple remedies
were applied to its head. aad it was put into
the care of kind-hearted lady who offered to
take it to her home.
Mr.. Stelzer. the husband, states that he came
home about So o'clock, and found the front
door locked. All seemed still and dark within.
He enquired of other dodgers In the house II
his wife had gone away, but learning nothing
of her, forced an entrance, and found the bod.
les of his family on the floor, as above de-
scribed.
He states that he thinks the deed could have
been committed but few minutes before he
arrived. A woman in the same house saw his
wife about five o'clock. When he entered the
room she was able still to utter some incoher-
ent words. The little girl was rolling about
He sent tor DR.. Stewart hoping that their lives
could still be saved.
His belief is, that his wife committed the
deed in fit of alteration of mind. He states
(Which account DR.. Stewart corroberates) that
they lost little daughter, 8 years of age, last
February, from diptheria. Ever since that time
her mind has been deranged. During certain
periods, monthly, the attacks were quite vic.
lent But as at other times she seemed "a.
tional and pleasant, he hoped no evil would
come of her malady. He states that he bore
with her, and humored her in every possible
way, although she was sometimes very cross
and obstinate, refused to work, and attempted
in one or two instances to destroy herself with
poison, which he kept in the house, being
horse doctor.
The Others tenants In the house state that
Mrs. Stelzer was always talking of murders
and crimes-and that they avoided her. a. her
ways appeared so strange. ........ ...
Mrs. stelzer's maiden name was Baxter. She
was English by birth as We have stated. Stel-
ser Is German, however. They were married
In Chicago about II years since, and have lived