The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-29
The Murder OF a Student by his Broth
er..A Case for Scientific Study.

IRON the san FRANCISCO Bulletin, Sept. Is.
On Saturday the Bittenbender broth.
ers, George and Edward, quarrelled over
a trivial matter, the elder, George, aged
20 years, accusing Edward of defraudinc
him Of a small sum OF money. An inter-
change Of unpleasant words followed, and
at length George struck Edward in the
face. Smarting under the insult and in.
jury Of the stroke. the latter at once pro-
cured pistol, and shortly afterwards
met George on Washington street and
shot him through the teMple. The muir:
derer turned an fled, but bysrandcrs who
had witnessed the horrid deed pursued,
captured, and turned over the assassin to
the officers Of the law. The victim,
writing in the last agones Of death, was
carried up a stairway to DR.. O'Neil's
office, and expired within seven minutes
after the wicked and revengeful shot was
fired. On his way to Jail the youthful
murderer, who is only 10 years of age,
confessed, without perceptible remorse,
that he committed the crime, and asked
no mercy Of his captors.
This forenoon a coroner's inquest was
called. A. J. Guildmurd, student in
the medical department Of the University
of California, testified that George W.
Bittenbender was also student of the
same college. Witness said: II knew
him, and with two other students was in
his company last Saturday evening.
While passing along Washington street,
near Kearny, deceased left us, saying he
wanted to 90 up to DR.. O'Neil'S office,
and would return in a second. He had
gone but few steps from the corner
when his brother, Edward BittenbeDder.
rushed out from stairway entry and
shot HIM. The pistol was not more than
two feet from the head Of deceased when
his brother fred. George dropped to
the sidewalk without uttering cry. Ed
ward hesitate ed an instant, and then ran
down Washington street toward Mont.
gomery.''
In accordance with the above facts a
verdict was rendered to the effect that
George W. Bittenbender came to his
death on the 18th day of September, 1875,
at 652 Washington street, in this city and
county, from gun-shot wound inflicted
by Edward Bittenbender.
1t seems from the statement of Jacob
Andrews that the mother of the Bitten
benders is now an inmate of the Penn
yslvania Insane Asylum, while her hus.
band, the father Of the boys, committed
suicide in Pennsylvania some years ago
by shooting himself through the head.
That there is strain Of murderous in
sanity in the blood of the Bittenbeaders
there can be no question, but it is singu-
lar indeed that the peculiar madness
should exist in the minds of both father
and mother. If inquiry should reveal
the fact that the ancient Bittenbenders
married among themselves, as was the
custom century ago in rural Pennsy'va-
MIA, then the existence of insanity in both
father and mother would not appear so
strange. If, on the contrary, it should
be revealed that families not bound to-
gether in blood relationship were repre-.
scented in the marriage, then medicinal
science would be compelled to solve new
problem-a question whether companion
ship with insane persons begets insanity.