The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-02-08
YOUTHFUL MATRICIDES.
TWO CHILDREN IN IOWA CON-
VICTED OF KILLING THEIR
MOTH Err.
From the New York World.1
RtsuttS,r.N T.,,,.s,, .Jat,

To-day the last act of one of the most
atrocious ana extraordinary crimes on re-
cord was enacted in the district court of
this city. This was the trial of Eugene
Warner, aged sixteen, aud his brother
Max, Bged twelve, for TIE murder of their
mother ut West point, Lee county, on
Sunday, the Both day 81 June last.
Mrs. Wahrer, tue murdered mother
was woman OF high education and cul-
lure. She had not borne good charac-
ter, having been the mother vi three chill
dren ero 10y threats of personal violence
their father Or. Wahrer) was compelled
by her brother to marry her. They had
eight children--Almina, aged twenty;
Clare, eighteen Eugene, sixteen; Maur-
zee, fourteen; Max, twelve; Albert, ten;
Charles, seven; and Katie, four. Her
husband, man of high scientific attain
ments, is said to have abused her SO that
she was compelled to leave hun and obtain
situation rs "a teacher in the reform school
at Salem, in Henry county. On Saturday
morning, June 20, she returned home on
visit. Before leaving the school, to Pro-
lessor McCarty, principal of the institu-
ton, she expressed her tears ut her posi-
BILE treatment. He accordingly called for
her in the evening, but she said tina, the
children were more friendly than she had
expected, and that she would stay over
Sunday. Her husband, DIR. Wahrer, was
not there. On the Monday preceding he
had gone to Des Moines with
his son Maurice to attend
medical convention. When Maurice
returned he found his mother there. lie
had not seen her for nearly year. and
they shook hands cordially. About IL
o'clock they all retired to bed. The
| mother slept with her youngest child,
Katie; III another room were Barbara
Fetter, the girl who kept house for the
doctor, and two of the younger boys.
| Early on Sunday morning the whole
family arose. Max went to give the
horse some corn. Eugene remaining in
the house. His mother asked the latter
who it was that had torn her clothes ;
he replied that it was the horse. She said
no, it was her husband; that long nosed
jew. She further asked for the key Of
the money chest, but Eugene said his
father had it. Then, according to
Eugene's own testimony, Max said
that they had better get some knives
and scare their mother, US she was a dam
gerous woman when she got her head set.
[ They gottwo knifes, one dirk'and one a
surgeons knife. A few moments after u
dispute arose. The mother is said to have
threatened to kill Max if he did not give
her the key. Eugene says he saw her pur-
suing Max with knife, and rapidly gain
ing on him. lie shouted to her to stop or
he would stab her, but she ran on He
struck her on the head, but she seized Max
by tho collar. Eugene struck her once or
twice on the neck, and Max turning on
her buried the knife in her breast. She
dropped her knife, said she was killed, and
asked them to help her. They caught her
by the arms and dragged her to
the barn. They then went
to the house, where Barbara
told them TO 90 and give the alarm at
once, lest she would be suspected OF
participating in the crime. They covered
the blood with some sand and threw II
borse-blanket over the corpse, for the
blows had been almost simultaneously
fatal. Then they went to Fort Madison
and telegraphed to their father to come
home, for little Katie WAS sick. The
neighbors coming in found seven wounds
on the body, two of which would have
caused death in half minute in the
opinion of the physician. Such was the
Staying of the unfortunate woman.
The evidence for the prosecution proved
the killing by ncighbors to whom the
! boys had told their story on the morning
of the crime, For the defense the two
sons were examined and persisted in their
story that they took the knives only to
scare her, and that she had menaced Max
with her knife before they stabbed her,
though Barbara Felter declared that she
did not see the knife in the deceased $
hand. One witness stated Max, some day.
before the murder, had said that he Wa.
going to do something that would make
folks talk, though what it was he would
not say. The trial only occ upied da,
and n half. and the jury, after rattle
long session, returned n verdict Of guilt,
of murder in tho second degree boil
against Max and Eugene. The prosecu
ton Of Barbara Fetter and Maurice, a
accomplices before the fact, was abandon
ed by the State. The popular impression
at the outset was tina, tho murder 'lat
been instigated by the husband and father
who was DESTROYS of getting rid of tn
wife so as to marry Barbara, the house
keeper The extreme youth of the prison
ers alone saved their necks.