Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1881-05-18
A WRIGHT COUNTY MURDER.


Philip Hoffman, an lnof1ensive Farmer, Sum-
marily Butchered by Herman Trautch-Ar-
rest Of the Perpetrator Near Buffalo and in
generation in the Hennepin County Jail.
On last Saturday afternoon at a lonely and
sparsely settled portion of Otsego township,
Wright county. about three or three and one
half miles west of Dayton, Hennepin county,
the life of an honest and inoffensive German
farmer named Philip Hoffman had been ter
and worthless neighbor named Herman Trautch.
Mr. Hoffman removed to Dayton from Clay
City, Ind, in October last, accompanied by his
wife and three sons and two daughters, the
Oldest of the sons being nineteen years of age.
Shortly after reaching Dayton, Mr.. Hoffman
leased . tract Of forty acres of land in Otsego,
owned by Trautch's brother, but occupied by
the latter. On the tract is small log house,
which was leased with the land by Hoffman;
but the latter, in order to avoid trouble, occu-
pied chopping shanty about one-fourth of q
mile from the Trautch house.
shocking crime is stated rs follows: Last win
ter Mr.. Hoffman bought COW of Trautch, pay
ing $50 therefor, and short time ago Trautch
wanted Hoffman to trade back the COW for
small steer This Mr.. Hoffman declined to do,
as his COW and her calf were worth more to him
than Trautch's steer and the refusal worked
him into an unreasonable and bloody fury.
Mrs. Trautch states that her husband had been
threatening to kill Mr.. Hoffman for two weeks.
and was only restrained by her persuasions.N
Although all the facts show that Trautch had
harbored his murderous intent for two weeks,
sion until Saturday afternoon, and then it was
of an absurdly fimsy nature. The little calf of
Mr.. Hoffman was tied to fence nearest the
chopping shanty occupied by Mr.. Hoffman, and
as he was returning to his work after dinner,
he started to take the animal toward his habi-
%o& hxyT oh no hat
calf was his (Trautch's), and that he must be
allowed to stay on the hay land. Trautch kick
ed the animal and Mr.. Hoffman mildly protest
ed. at the same time taking the rope around the
calf's neck, end was in the act of leading him
Way when Tiautch seized the end Of the rope.
rineteen years old, was also .ap-
the murderous act substantially as follows:
Twas comming from dinner to where Trautch
snd father were, and saw father holding the
rope attached to the calf. Father, being near
then saw Trautch with something in his hand
strike at father several times, very quickly.
Father did not say word or strike, but merely
held up his hands to ward off the blows, which
were struck as hard as they could be. He was
| not knocked down by any Of them: but after the
then fell ran to him, but when reached he
was dead and bleeding terribly. Trautch then
ran off toward his house, followed little ways
| by mother and myself, but Mrs. Trautch told
| us to 60 back or Trautch would shoot us both,
as he had got his double barreled gun. My
mother followed and watched him until he en-
| tered the woods near his house, and then she
lost sight Of him, and has not seen him since.
In his precedent and revengeful mutterlngs
about Hoffman's refusal to trade back the COW
and calf, Tr&utch is said to have remarked to
1 different parties that Old Hoffman would soon
/ l,,1%o nd ha cd n
| q chapter of blood, the most inexcusable and
| fiendish ever recorded in Minnesota, and which
| in it's main elements battles proper characteriz
alton. DR.. Whittemore Of Elk River held post
norton examination of the mangled body OF
/ Hoffman which was found to have sustained
.wo fatal wounds. ono in the back, near thu
shoulder blade, and the other on the neck just
above the collar bone, and from which the
blood of the poor victim spurted in strong jets
until life was extinct
Otsego followed Trauch's trail mt! Sunday af-
ternoon, when they overlook him within short
distance of Buffalo, the county scat of Wright
county. He was evidently tagged out by bis
travels and watching, and did not offer any re-
sistance to his captOrs, Notwithstanding his III
timaions of other desperate deeds in case he
was Overtaken by the officers of the law.
Concerning the arrest of Trautch, Constable
Wood says: He found him sitting under tree
near Buffalo, and was not observed until he
had arrived within short distance of the fugi-
tive. Trautch then jumped up and lodged be-
rind the tree, but the constable drew q bead on
him, after which he surrendered promptly,
and was taken to Buffalo. On his person was
found the still bloody butcher knife, and he
stated in extenuation that the ''trouble might as
4 well pc settled first as last"
i Constable Wood brought the prisoner before
/ Justice Carpenter, Of Monticello, for prelim-
mary examination entering q plea of guilty,
i waving an examination, and was committed to
the Hennepin county jail to await his trial.
While the murderer was a pauper, in fact be-
i ing supported partially by Wright county, he
i was at the same time a. terror to his neighor-
hood, being Known thief, IN the habA Of xii.
Inc. his neighbor's cattle in revenge for some
zeal or fancied affront, engaging in frequent
alterations which would have terminated in
murder ha3 not assistance reached the assailed,
and treating his family as no human or half