Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-05-20
Attempt to Murder.
Prairie du CHEN Courier.

Prairie du Chen Courier.
In the town Of Prairie du Chen,
about three miles from this city, on
last Tuesday evening, an attempt
was made by couple of cool blood
ed Williams, to murder and old lady
by the name Of Caroline Fritsche
(Brennor) in her own house, on the
Brennor place. 1t appears that on
the evening previously mentioned,
the old lady had been to the barn,
having just given the horses water,
aid on returning to the house and
opening the door she discovered a
stranger in the room, Cat this time it
was between the hours of s and 9
O'Clock, and the room somewhat
dark, there BENZ no light burning
at the time) and Immediately de-
manded to know what the party
wanted in these words, what are
you doing here, and what do you
want on my premises? Now she
discovered that there were two Of
them, and one of them said, "You
keep quiet, and he stepped forward
and struck her on the forehead with
club. Mrs. f. then commenced
screaming, Murder, help! help!!"
The desperate then struck her
again on the head, and the poor suf-
fering woman still screaming and
calling help, turned to 80 out the
door, when she was again struck on
the back of the head, and knocked
senseless to the floor. The two ruff
fans and would be murlerers then
left the premises and disappeared
from view. The loud screaming of
Mrs. +. was heard by Mr.. Sc
bastian, who hurried up to the house
to render what assistance he could to
the lady. On arriving at the house
everything appeared to be quiet.
and he went into the house and
found Mrs. +. sitting on a chair, and
the sight was sickenning to the be-
holder; she was spattered all over
with blood and it was running in
streams down the sides of her face
into pail which she was leaning
over. Mr.. S. did what he could
for the sufferer, and then word was
sent into the city for a doctor forth
with. DIR. Steiger was summoned
and fastened to the scene of the
outrage to render what professional
assistance he could for the woman.
The doctor washed and dressed the
wound and found 4 compound frac-
ture over the temple, the skull
mashed in, and all the flesh on the
back part of the head was cut in a
triangular shape and forced down
from the scalp. The skull was
drawn up to the proper form by
saving out small fractured piece
and inserting the instrument under
and gently pulling upwards with it.
The room in which the attempt
to murder the woman was made,
showed the marks Of these
blood-thirsty williams, the floor
and the door as it stood open was
well splattered with blood. 4 club
was found in the room that the deed
was done with. 1t is hickory
club two feet long, an inch in thick
ness at the small end, and two
inches at the butt end, making
formidable weapon in the hands of
any ordinary man and a dangerous
one. 1t is a wonder, and one of the
singular freaks Of nature, why this
woman was not killed instantly
when the blow was given which
fractured and crushed in the skull
over the temple, and it would in
nine cases out of ten with any or
binary individual, but this lady has
given evidence of having one of the
strongest and most vigorous consti-
tutions on record in passing so far
through this trying ordeal. DR.. S.
has strong hopes of the lady pulling
through all right, and having got
along So well up to the time we 60
to press leads us to believe that such
will be the case. The object of the
would-be murderers from what we
can learn was to rob safe in her
house, which is supposed to contain
a considerable sum of money. Last
year Mrs. Fritsche bought this safe
and took it home to keep her money
in. At the same time persons were
heard to say that she was taking a
trap home for her own life, and it
appears that they were not far from
being right, as it came so close that
it Is still a matter of doubt whether
her life will be spared or not. On
Wednesday sheriff Davis went out
to the Brennor place to make an in
spection of the premises, and he got
the hickory club, and with some
others hunted around the land in
that vicinity to see if he could find
the place where the club had been
cut, and he succeeded in finding the
identical scrub tree where the club
had been cut off, and took up the
tree and brought it to the city
Suspicion then fell on two farm la
borers working in that neighborhood
named respectively: John Hamilton
and Charles Mckinney, evil
dence was soon gained of so strong a
nature that they were both arrested,
and on Thursday had preliminary