The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-08-07
KILLED BY HIS MOTHER
How an Austrian Who Had Made q Fortune
in California Was Welcomed Home

How an Austrian Who Had Made Forum,
in California Was Welcomed Home.
The Neue Trele Presse of Vienna re
lates the story OF crime which eccu.eG
8 few days age in village near the Aus
train capital. Some fifteen years since .
young Austrian lef; home to seek his for
tune in America. He lett large famil,
OF young brothers and sisters to be resres
ty his mother, ar energetic woman, VIII
kept small country hotel. The young
! man arrived in America almost pennies.
! He went Went and after fifteen years OF
| work in the mines he was worth $4,000
as he did not know how to read or write
he did not correspond with his family,
| and the latter believed him dead. Abou,
two months ago he determined to return
to bis country and share his wealth with
his family. He came to New York and
converted his gold into drafts on the chief
banking houses in Vienna. Some six
weeks since he sailed from this city. en-
joylng. ln anticipation, the surprise His
arrival would cause the family at home
He reached Vienna without accident, had
his drafts cashed and left s. once for his
native village. A. was nat
ural, after ar absence OF Il years, which
was spent in the mines of California. no
one recognized him. He finally made
himself known, and spread before his two
brothers the handsome roll Of bills Of
which he was owner, and which he an
nounced be would share with them and
tfeir mother. The latter had now re-
moved te village about hundred mile
away, where che kept an inn. After a
couple Of days Of revel with his brothers,
the traveller resolved to visit his mother
lncognito. l. was arranged tia, he
should not revea, his identity until his
brothers should Join him.
The Austro-Amerloan made mis- ap-
Ieayance at his mothers hotel. When he
saw the old lady he could scarcely for
bear discovering himself 10 her. But he
managed to conceal his relationship, Of
which, OF course, .he woman was in total
ignorance TIE pair had various long
talks dus7ng tie day. When nigh. came,
before resting, lie called her TO the room
that had beer assignee: 70 him, stating
that he had an important secre. TO com
manicate 10 he.,. fhen he told her that
he had IL his possession i large sum Of
money and begged her TO take charge of
It, as ne deemed il lmpfu5ent 10 keep in
It's room, particularly as the latter could
no. be locked The woman hesitatea |,
moment, saying Size h&d nc place il the
house wtere the money would be per
tectly safe; but she finally consented to
receive i. Wien the stranger counted
over 30O, 900 forms ii lalk notes. /. sum
such as she baG never dreamed OF, she
agalI declined 70 assume tie rosponsl-
hility.
But ss ne insisted, ste d, last sook the
money and disappeared. What passed
within the brain oi that wretched woman
during that night ls more readily imag-
med thar described. Upon reaching her
bedroom she hid the treasure under her
mattress But the temptations to look
at the enormous roll Of bills was too strong
for hex and she spread them out on ta-
BILE. The sight OF the money SO excited
her that she became mad, and Jumping
from her seat, she took razor from her
bureau drawer and stealing up to the
room where hex son was fast asleep cut
his throat from ear 70 ear. killing
him almost instantly. Size ther put the
razor in he, sons hand 70 make i, look
as though he had committed suicide.
Next morning her sons arriveG and in
qui,ed 70, the stranger She sen. them
up to his room, saying tha. he had not
ye. come 20 breakfast.
They found him dead, and ye.ls OF de
spai, filed the house. The mother like
al, the other persons in the house, went
mn ateirs fn;UninU n he ,,ffarlv .Unoronf
Of the cause Of the disturbance. She
then learned that the murdered mar was
her son. The effect that the startling in
tell;gence had upon her mind need not
he told.
my SEM" she eyclaimed. xii me,
my children Kill me, It was who muir
dered him.
The woman is now in the Vienna Luna
tic Asylum and no hope is entertained
OF her recovery. Her surviving sons, it IS
said, are despondent about the death Of
their brother.