Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-01-08
A THIRST FOR BLOOD.
A MINNESOTA MAN STARTS IN
TO BUTCHER HIS FAMILY.

Carl Reher, n WnkIn County German,
shoots His wife, His Son, and His
Daughter. and Then Blows His own
Brains Out-Mrs. Reher Dead and the
Son Expected to Die-Family Quarrels
the Cause of the Tragedy.
fergus Fall (Aiinn.) dispatch.
The chapter OF horrors which has
marked the closing year in Minnesota Is
not yet complete, and the tragedy which
took place few miles southwest of Car
lisle, Wilkin County, In some respects
caps all others of recent date in its hor-
ror and utter brutality Yesterday the
family Of Carl Reher consisted of six
persons. To-day the father and mother
are dead, the son is lowering on the edge
of the grave, and one daughter is dan
gerously wounded. Carl Reher was
German aged nearly go, who lived In a
cabin on "the flats" as they are called,
In Wilkin County, about twelve miles
| from this city. His family consisted of
his wife, aged 40; his son Henry 25; and
three daughters, aged %, 16, and IA.
| Reher was a taciturn, moody man, who
was held in much fear by his neighbors
as a person OF unbridled passions and
dangerous disposition. His son Henry
has served term in the penitentiary for
| horse-steaing and was known as a hard
character OF the women of the family
| perhaps the less said the better
For the last three years there have
been bitter family quarrels which often
resulted in violence. Against any out
side interference, however, the family
always united as one person, as in the
case of the arrest of Henry Reher for
| horses .ealing, when the others did all
they could to shield him from the law. A
1 lyC of viz
lent family bro!l, Carl Reher Quit the
house and went to Elizabeth, o German
village eight miles from here, where he
| opened shoe shop, and has since worked
steadily until last night Saturday night
| he got ride with neighbor and went
home. The rest of the horrible story
OF last nights crime was learned from
the lips OF his dying wife and his daugh-
ters.
Reher entered his home on the flats at
about o'clock I'm the evening. All the
members Of the family were there, and
jumped up in surprise at the unexpected
appearance. He walked to the table
with apparent unconcern, and laid down
several small bags of candy and large
bottle of whisky. "These are Christmas
presents for you, and / have got some
more, /" he said, and stepped into lean
TO at the back of the house, used for
woodshed, and moment later reap
peared at the door with self-cocking
revolver in each hand. These he leveled
and began firing. The first bullet was
| fired at his son, but missed its mark.
The young man staggered back, and
threw up his arms to protect himself.
The second and third bullets struck him
| in the arm, which was shockingly man.
| gled. The fourth bullet was aimed at
| his oldest daughter and entered her
shoulder. The lamp was extinguished
by the fifth shot, which entered tho
body OF Mrs. Reher. BY this time the
whole family was in a frenzied state, and
all made a rush for the door.
Reher dropped his revolvers and drew
a huge carving-knife. AS Henry Reher
reached the door his father plunged the
knife into his sons back, penetrating
deep into the lungs. In spite Of this
CHASTITY wound the young man mounted
his horse and rode two miles 10 tho
house Of Henry Schomann, the nearest
neighbor, who at once went to Carlisle
and telegraphed this city and Wahpeton
for surgeons.
The three daughters got safely out of
the house and scattered to hide them
selves In haymow and outbuildings.
Mrs. Reher was left alone In the house
with the butcher. He attacked her
fercely with the carving knife and
stabbed her again end again.
She fell, apparently dead, and
he went to find his daughters
and finish his work. He did not
succeed and returned to the house. His
wife was gone. The youngest daughter,
who watched the scene from the hay.
NOW, describes what next occurred. Her
father appeared at the door with his
dripping knife still in hand. The moon
light lit up the landscape brilliantly, and
he saw his wife crawling painfully on
her hands and knees fifty yards away.
He ran to her and again fell upon her
with fiendsh ferocity and plunged his
knife again and again in her PROSTATE
body. Then he returned to the house.
Half an hour later several neighbors,
we'll armed, arrived. The three daugh-
ters were still in hiding.
They had heard q single pistol shot,
but no other sound. The neighbors en-
tered the house and found Reher stone
dead with a bullet in his brain and a
rope around his neck. He had thrown
the rope over beam and put the moose
around his neck, and as tho moose tight
ened he had blown out his brains. He
lay there with his own blood mingling in
pool with that of his wife and son.
Mrs. Reher also lay on the floor. She
had crawled back into the house and lay
almost by the side of her dead husband.
She had only strength to tell the story Of
the awful tragedy, and then died. Her
body and limbs were hacked full of holes,
any one OF half dozen of which would
have been fatal. DR.. Thomas N. Mclean,
OF this city, arrived three hours later, and
shortly afterward DIR. Triplett of Wahpe-
ton, and dressed the wounds of Henry
Reher and his sister The former had
lost great quantity of blood and his
Injuries are so severe IL is thought he can
not survive. The girl will probably re-
cover, though her wound is dangerous.
Everything in and about tho cabin was
soaked with blood and the scene was one
OF the most ghastly that could be i'm
agined.
Except the frequent quarrels in the
family there was no known cause for
Reher's action. He was not q heavy
drinker and according TO the neighbors
with whom he rode home he was perfect
ly sober the night of the tradegy. That
the deed was premeditated is shown by
the fact that he brought with him from
Elizabeth three revolvers, all fully
loaded. and the rope which he used to
hang himself with was entirely new,
bought only the day before in Elizabeth.
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Items OF Interest.
RoCHEFoRr's list of duels up 20 date
| umbera twentv-three I'm savon NJ which