The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-05-02
sHo0x1sso TRAGEDY.


l OAAS - SAAO suOst 8WAul tIdHeulcS tnAC
davenport has known in many years
occurred sometime yesterday afternoon
IN little cottage on Gaines street, be-
| tween Sixth and Seventh. There Mr..
Herman Malchau and his wife and boy
the latter but fourteen months Old
lived, and to all appearance the family
was as. contented and happy one is
any in the city. Mr.. Malchau, is coop
er, and has 9 shop on Harrison stree,
near Seventh. He left his work a lit
tie after five o'clock, and went to his
home. Passing into the kitchen he saw
his wife bending over the chime of a
water barreL He spoke to her, and
she did not answer. He went up and
took hold of her, and then saw that her
head was immersed in the water. which
half filled the barrel. He raised her.
She was dead And there in tile bot
tom of the barrel was his little bow !.
He lifted the child out, and it was dead
also. Malchau was horror-stricken and
bewildered-and stood for several
minutes in state of dumb agony.
Then he cried for assistance. and neirh-
bors came rushing into the house but
all the stricken husband could do was
to point them to the dripping corpses
Of his wife and child. It was sight
that chilled every gazer, and then. as
Malchau bent over the bodies and
moaned in his helpless agony, it drew
tears from all present. The husband
became fairly crazy before long, and
had to be taken from the room. There
WAS no explahtion of the terrible affair
other than. ~
NOTE FROM THE WIFE
TO her husband, which she had left
where ne would be apt to discover it.
It read ~ l
.Malchau, | do not want to livel / wish
for my death every day. How good.
you were to me and child. ] did
not want to let you know anything
On the back of this were the words. |
"You must do likewise-if not there
followed several iilegible wortisl YOU
get caught" d.aSti ss
/ This is all there was to tell the cause
OF the mothers murder of her own child l
and her suicide. There had been
NO UNHAPPiNEss
jn"the family. The deceased wife was
twenty years OF. age. Her maiden
name was Evers--daughter of Mr..
Eyers who formerly owned black
smith shop in the lower part of the
city, hut who now lives in the country.
She was married to Mr.. Malciiau about +
two YEAR, ago. and the pair lived in
comfortable circumstances. Only al
few months since MI. Malchau bought
the cottage ! in which the tragedy o.
cured. and i'm this house Of their own.
the family seemed to be more hapnv
than ever. MIR. Malchau was home nj
noon. His wife had been washing the
windows, bat when he came. she went
to watering some plants, and chatted
with him IN cheerful mood. When
he departed to his work, she exhibited .
no sign Of discomfort, and he went to
his labor in as good spirits as he ever
did. After he left,shc evidently went
to Notwithstanding again, and continued
it probably till about four o'clock. The :
SUPERSTITION
is tina, she became suddenly insane. and Z
she seized the child, dropped it into the !
barrel. and held it there till it was dead !.
and then put her own head into the :
water and drowned herself. The bar :
rel was Of ordinary size. When her :
husband discovered her, her BODY was !.
hanging inside the barrel, her head and :.
neck being under water, and her limbs h
)utside the slaves. He supposed she !,
was engaged in dipping water when :
le first saw her. !
Mrs. Malchau was well-likcd by her, :,
lclghbors. She was comedy in APP ~
,e4rance, and was always cheerful and 8,
,b4ging at home and abroad. The :;
rskedy has cast a gloom over all the !.
lei yhborhood, and the deepest feelings !,
II tympathy are, felt for the doubly- ~
s4cken hust9nd. --Doc. Gazette, ~ h,
Il >-- al