St. Paul daily globe., 1884-04-22
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
VIM. Loffenmaker, of CanisteO, Ends
the Existence of Himself and
Wife with a Revolver.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.

KAssoN Mimi, April 21.-This commun
ity was terribly shocked late last evening by
the report that a horrible double tragedy had
been enacted in the township Of Canisteo,
abont six miles from this place, resulting in
the death of William Loffenmaker and mis-
wife. 1t is almost impossible as yet to obtain
any definite information regarding the
tragedy except we can gather the facts are
about as follows:
The tragedy seems to have been consum-
mated between the hours of and 5 o'clock,
as about the former hour persons passing the
house saw Loffenmaker sitting by the window.
He must have her at the head OF the
lounge upon which his wife had been lying.
1t is evident that she was shot while lying in
this position, as the fatal bullet entered the
top of fhc head, coming out of the mouth,
the powder marking the pillow upon which
she had been lying. After committing the
horrible murder upon his wife he must have
moved a few steps from his position and
placed the weapon to his own head and he
fell dead by his own hand.
The discovery was made by a young lady
going to tbs house, when the sickening
sight in all its hideousness, was revealed.
The bodies were both found on the floor in
close proximity, the murderer and suicide
evidently lying where he had fallen and the
body of the murdered woman rolling from
the lounge beside the husband, her murder
er. Death in each case must have been in
stantaneOus, as both bodies were found in
the position in which they must have fallen.
From letters said to have been discovered
the horrible deed had been long contemplat-
ed, and are said to strongly indicate insani-
ty. The coroner has been notified and has
now gone to hold an inquest, when the facts
impelling the horrible crime may be elected.
MORE IN DETAIL.
The coroner's jury in the case Of the death
of William Loffelmaker and wife brought in
verdict that their death was caused by pis-
tol shots, the results being murder of the
wife and suicide by the husband. The par
ticulars of the case are that the shots entered
their heads at almost exactly the same point,
the pistol found in the hand of the husband
being held in such position that it was evil
dent that he had held the pistol directly over
his head, firing the shot downward. Two
letters were found, one written
in 1862, while not actually
showing insanity, was written in a foolish,
complaining spirit, and the other in March
last, giving directions as to what should be
done with the bodies and his property, show
ing it had been long contemplated. The
pistol with which the deed was committed
was o large-sized Smith 81 Wesson, with
only two chambers empty. A razor was
found in his pocket, and another large-sized
loaded pistol was found in his trunk. Ex-
element runs high in the neighborhood, and
the general verdict of the neghbors is that
the wife was an inoffensive and industrious
woman, and the husband, lazy, worthless
fellow, having done nothing for three years,
yet always complaining of the treatment of
his wife and her relatives, being particularly
severe upon her mother and one sister.