Clarksville evening tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1890, 1890-03-08
FELIX KAMPF HANGED
At Charleston, w. Wa, for the Murder of
His Son and nanphter

His Son and Daughter.
CHARLESTON, S. c., March S.-Felix
Kampf was hanged here Friday. The
trap was sprung precisely at II o'clock.
Kampf falling with prayer on his lips
All occurred so quickly that the crowd,
of about 1900 people, scarcely realized
what was going on. The execution took
place in the court house yard, about $50
feet from the Jail. He died without a
struggle and life was pronounced extinct
twelve minutes later. The remains were
placed in a handsome coffin, bearing the
inscription, "At Rest" Funeral cere-
monies were held at the Catholic church
and the remains were laid to rest in the
Catholic cemetery.
The floor of the scaffold broke through
shortly after the drop fell and several of
the spectators fell to the ground, but no
one was hurt.
KampFK Crime.
The crime for which Kampf suffered
death was the murder of his daughter,
Mary, aged 90, and his son William
Their mother had been dead several
years, and owing to their fathers disa-
greeable disposition they left his house
several months previous to the murder,
and were keeping house for themselves
about quarter of mile from his home
Upon going home on the night of Dec
4, 1889, he found that window had
been raised and several articles were
missing. He made up his mind that
Mary had taken them, and went over to
her house at once. taking with him a
large dirk knife that he had carried for
years. According to his story, he ac-
cused her of having been in his house in
his absence. She called him liar and
picked up hatchet lying near, when he
cut her terribly about the abdomen.
Her brother, who was lying in bed
spraAg up to defend her and was also
cut by his father, who, after committing
the inhuman deed, went home and went
to bed, where he was arrested short
time after. Both the victims died with
in twentyfour hours.
Kampf was born in 1925, at Offerlburg,
in Baden, where he spent his earlier
years and had anything but good repu-
tation. He served a two-years sentence
there for cutting man, probably with
the same knife with which he killed his
children, and about two years later was
suspected of having killed his employer,
who was found dead in a cellar with
him.
In this case, although suspicion was
strong against Kampf, there was no proof
and he was not arrested. In this country
he has always been regarded as quiet
man, but was known to have an almost
ungovernable temper, although his fits
of passion were not frequent His intel
igence was of low order and it was
very difficult for him to make himself
understood even to many people of his
own nationality. 1t was some time be-
fore he seemed to realize his position
even after being sentenced, but the last
days of his life were spent in making
preparations for a future world He
often spoke tenderly of his children, but
never seemed to realize the enormity of
his crime.
The execution was the first THAI ever
took place in Kanawha county since the
state was formed, and the third in the
history of the county. The first being
negro named Lewis Uel, who was
hanged in 1850 for rape, and the second
being Rev. Preston S. Turley, who was
hanged on Sept. II, 1885, for the murder
of his wife.