St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-02
CHOPPED WITH AN AXE.
A Drunken Swede Tries to Murder
His Family,
And Makes a Desperate Attempt to
Kill Himself.

Peter Anderson. a Swede about so YEAR,
old, living at $50 Greenwood avenue, while
crazy drunk last night, attempted to kill
his wife and twelve-year-old daughter.
Anderson was arrested about two months
ago for beating his wife and compelled to
pay a fine of $50. Since that time
he has made threats that he
would kill his wife, but as
he was generally under the influence Of
liquor when he made the threats not much
attention was paid to his talk. Last night
he filled up on alcohol, and about 10 o'clock,
arming himself with an AK and two muir
rOuS-loOking knives, he commenced the
deadly work. The upper part of the house
is occupied by Herman Gluck and wife,
who rent out ore of their rooms to two young
men. Gluck and his wife went to the circus
and the boarderS left the house about
O'Clock, intending to spend the evening at q
neighbours. Anderson evidently thought
there was no one about when he attacked
his wife and daughter. but luckily for his
victims, the men returned shortly after
going out. While preparing for bed, the
men heard shrieks and the breaking of fur
niture and doors. One of them rushed down.
bu was met at the foot of the stairs by
Anderson. who. with knife in one hand
and an axe in the other, made a rush fol-
him. He lodged the maniac and ran out
the front door, shouting for help. Ander-
son then turned his attention to his wife
and daughter and chased them through the
rooms Oh the first floor, striking first one
and then the other with the weapons and
INFLICTING GAPING WOUNDS.
at every stroke. Officer Gebhardt. by this
time. arrived at the scene, and Anderson
ran into one of the front rooms and, throw
ing himself on bed cut his own throat
with one of the knives. His wife and
daughter. who had fled to the upper part
of the house, were found lying uncon-
scious on the floor in pools of blood. Drs.
Post and AmoSs were summoned and the
victims wounds dressed. The daughter,
Johanna, had four cuts on her left
leg between the knee and ankle
and three on her right leg. Each of the
cuts was made with an axe and the flesh
was laid open TO the bone. Mrs. Anderson
had two deep cuts in her neck. one on the
shoulder made with knife, and her limbs
were also horribly cut in several places.
From the position of the wounds it is evil
dent that both Mrs. Anderson and her
daughter were in bed when Anderson COM
menced his bloody work. The wOuld-be
murderer all but killed himself, the cut
ON his neck completely severing
the upper end of his windpipe, but no
large vessels were cut The house pre-
scented sckening sight, there being blood
on the walls. door-frames and floors in
every room, and large spots on the stair
case, up which the victims craTled to es-
cape being chopped to pieces. Lieut..
Wash arrived at the house with the patrol
wagon shortly after the affray, bui
the physicians decided that it would
be certain death to remove Anderson in his
present condition. Mrs. Anderson and her
daughter. the doctors think, will recover,
but AndersOn's chances are not considered
at all favorable.