Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-03-09

A SchIeswis -HoIstein Peasant Murders hiS
Parents. Four Brothers, Sister, aud a
A correspondent sends 10 the I,on6oa T,4
the following account, literally translated faorn
the German papers, OF a murder OF an ~ sep
tional lly barbaroas nature, committed last Au-
gnst in Schleswir- Holstein, the perpetrator of
which has seently been oondemned 10 dea'h.
ITzEBoE. Feb. Am nnhearG-Of CRIME was
perpetrated IN August of last year In Gros--
Campen. Timm Thode, a peasants sou. p
years OF age, murdered. with uneqUalled bar
bsrity, his whole hons rhold-viz. his parents,
his four brothers, his sister. ana mad ser
Nant 1imm 1hode's confession, made without
a sign OF repentance, gives full explanation Of
the motive for and mode OF carrying mo exc
cutlon the crime. The accused related he had
D. n on an unfTiendly footing with his brothers
Johann, Martin, and Cornils; his relatiOns- also.
WIN ms iather had not been q the best kind.
A. regarded the rest Of the family, be
thought they were "middltng" In the
srrinc OF le66 he took the resolution 10 kin
his family, an order TO put an end 10 the
connnu"d dispuung. then 20 sell the farm.
which would come 10 him after their death, and
mus 10 come into the sole possession OF a con
siderable fortune. The thought OF accompiish-
ing the deed occurred To him repeatedly: h.
busted himself, therefore, not exclusively with
the plan of action, but thought only now and
then of It's possibility. The plan Of Killing thep
all one after another in their beds he gave M
as he was afraid the noise resulting from AZ
might awaken the rest, and ne would not ar
rive AT the wished for result. On the 6,h of
August he had already laid rs,ady 10 hand a
tye-ioot long handspike 10 kill his brothers
with. Il would decoy them one after another
into the barn and strike them dead there, ;" sad
he. This intention was not Carried into execu-
ton. as he did not succeed IN executing the plan
IN the way related. ON Tuesday. the 7th of
August, his parents left home with a neighbor
(>chwarzkopf) IN order 10 paw a visit % some
aeqaaintances. Tim Thode easily managed -
go behind his brothers, Martin Corails. and
ksimers. one at a time, they were engaged
in work, and then struck the brothers,, one
after The other. from behind. with th.
hNe-foot handspIke, which thick Al the
lower end. Martin falls first by his brother.
murderous hand. then Reimers and Cornils
He strikes Johann over the head THIS ous,
s.sggers to and fro, and cries 70 his brothers.
and then strikes HIM dead. Now the father
must be disposed OF. Tm- by telling him the
oxen have broken loose, gets ham 10 come out
before the front door, and strikes him down in
front of the farmyard. He brings the remains
of his father back TO the house in a cart and re-
moves the stains of blood by digging MP the
Two watchful dogs are in the cnurtyard OF
Johann Thode. These might prove dangerous
20 the murderer; therefore he must dispo.e OF
them The dogs are attached 90 him. He en-
ueee them 10 him, places a knot ropnd In.
throat OF the first and hangs him CD. Tnsr.-
upon he calls the other dog; the animal obeys
his call. With his razor he attempts 20 cut itS
throat. He does not quite succeed, and, howl
ing, the dok satricates himself from the hands
oi the murderer. The mother appears with
lighted candle al the door, and asks the reason
Oh he NOISE. III notning, maintained I'm.
Now follows the account OF the terrible CON-
bat in the small room between sister and brother.
The mother lles on the floor stunned by a blow
from the hatchet. The sister springs out Of bed
III order TO save the mother. He strikes out ~
the sister with a knife, and then strikes her
dead with the hatchet. The mother still groans:
he strikes her dead also. Finally. he runs 20
the servant girls room, feels about in the dark
ness for the head end of the bed, strikes upon n
twice with the hat0het, and the last murder A.
accomplished. The girl dies without sound
There, have them all dead!' are ms only
words. He then set fire TO the barn 20 conceal
the deed, and places the corpses in such a way
that they mast be- destroyed at the breaking out
of the fire. The conhagration was, neverthe-
less, discovered too ear.v. and led besides other
facts, TO SO many grounds o. suspicion sgains,
1hode, that he himself in the course OF the ex-
animation, was driven 10 confess.
Timm Thode, lately brought TO trial was con-
demned TO death. The condemned man left the
court with indescribable placidity.