Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1868-03-19
A Whole Family Murdered.

A correspondent sends to the London Times
the following account Of murder of an excep-
tionally barbarous nature, committed in Schles-
wig Olstein, the perpetrator of which has re-
Gently been condemned to death:
IrzEBoE, February 2.-An unheard-of crime
was perpetrated in August Of last year IN
Gross CImpen. Tmm Thode, peasants son,
% years Of age, murdered, with unequalled
bar6arity, his whole househOld-viz: his par
cnts, his four brothers, his sister, and maid
servant Timm rhodes confession made
without a sign of repentance, gives full expla-
nation of the motive for aud mode Of carrying
into execution the crime The accused says
he had been on an unfriendy footing with his
brothers Johann, Martin, and Cjrnils; his re-
ations, also, with his father had not been OF
the best kind" In the spring Of 1866 he took
the resolution to kill his family in order to put
an end to the continued disputing, then to sell
the farm, which would come TO him after their
death. and thus TO come into the sole posses
sion Of a considerable fortune. On the 9th Of
August he had already laid ready to hand a
five-foot long handSpike to kill his brothers
with 81 would decoy them one after another
into the barn and strike them dead there. said
he This intention was not carried into exc
cution, as he did not succeed in executing the
plan in the way related. On Tuesday, the It'll
of August, his parents left home with neigh
Dor in order 10 pay visit to some aCquaint-
ances. Timm Thode easily managed to 60 be-
hind his brothers, Martin. CornilS, and Reimers
one at q time, rs they were engaged in work
and then struck the brothers, one after the
other, from behind, with the fvc-foot hand
spike, which was thick at the lower end
Martin falls first by his brothers murderous
hand then ReimcrS and C5rniS. He strikes
Johann over the head This one staggers 70
and fro, and cries to his brothers. The muir
dcrer brandishes the handspike anew, and then
strikes him dead. Now the father must bC
disposed Of Timm, by telling him the oxen
have broken loose, gets him to come ont before
the front door, and strikes hfm down IN front
of the faymyard The dogs are attached e
him. He entices them to him. places knot
round the throat Of the first and hangs him up
Thcreupon De calls the other dog the ANNA
obcvs his call. With his razor he attempts e
cut its throat He docs not quite succeed, anS
bowling, the dog cxtricates himself from the
hands Of the murderer. The mother appears
with lighted candle at the door. and asks th'
reason Of the noise ats nothing maintain
ed Timm.
Now follows the account of a terrible com
bat in the small room between sister anC
brother. The mother lies on the floor stunned
bya blow from the Ratchet The sister SPRING
ont Of he'd in order to save the mother. liz
strikes out at the sister with knife and thcr
strikes her dead with the Ratchet. The mothc
still groans; he strikes her dead also. Final
/ ". he runs to the servant girls room, feels .
bout in the darkness for the head end of tht
bed. strikes upon it twice with the Ratchet
and the last murder is accomplished Tit
| Girl dies without q sound. There | hayu
| them all dead :" are his only words He thel
/ set fire to the barn TO conceal the deed, anC
places the corpscs in such a way that they
must be destroyed at the breaking out Of TIM
fire. The contlagration was, nevertheless, dis
covered too carly and led, besides other facts
to 50 many grounds Of suspicion against Thodc
that he himself, in the course Of the eXamina
| ton. was driven to confess.
Timm Thode. lately brought to trial, wa
! condemned to death. The condemned maj
/ left the court with indiScribable placility.