Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-07-16
HE HAD SIX VICTIMS.
DREADFUL WORK OF A GRIP
CRAzED FARMER.

Al Mother an Four Children Killed-In-
Sications that the Husband and Father
Was the Perpetrator OF the Awful Deed
Probably Tnsa 3 from the Grip.
Mrs. DIR. Allen, of Beatrice, went to
Ellis, Neb., on q visit to her brother,
John H. Puterbaugh, who lived mile
and half south of town. She was
driven to the farm by Louis Perling and
knocked at the door, but receiving no
response entered the house, the door not
being locked. AS she entered she saw
her brother on the floor Fear the door,
and supposed he was asleep She spoke
10 him, but there being no response, she
looked more closely, and saw blood on
Ter brothers CHASTITY face. Mrs. Allen
called Per ing in, who made an invests
gaticn, and found horrible state OF
Affairs
On bed in the room in which the
husband and father lay was the mother
with a bullet through her head. In bed
{ 18th her was 2-year-old babe, also shot
through the head. On a lounge in the
,om lay lad of 10 years dead, shot
through the head In the room above
was another bed occupied by two young
girls, one 13 and one 15, both dead with
ballet-holes In their heads.
The dead are John Puterbaugh, his
wife, and four children. How they met
their terrible fate is as yet not known,
only by surmise. The general belief is
hat the terrible deed was the work of
the husband and father. The motive is
notsknown, as Puterbaugh was peace
able man in comfortable circumstances,
and 1t is believed no trouble existed In
the family.
It seems certain that the terrible crime
was committed by Puterbaugh. BY his
side, under his arm, lay 32-caliber six
chambered revolver with all the cham
bers empty
The scene in the house was o horrible
one and made the strongest hearted
turn away. The faces of the dead,
though covered with blood, were calm as
though sleeping. No signs Of tear were
portrayed on any of them, and no evil
dence of struggle were seen any
where. All seemed to have been killed
while sleeping and all were shot directly
through the skull In every case the
pistol was placed close to the head, as
powder stains were visible upon the pill
lows or bed clothing.
Puterbaugh was not drinking man
and had the reputation Of being an hon
est and peaceable citizen. He suffered
from grip last spring and since then has
not been in the best of health, frequently
complaining of pain in his head He
was a man about SO or 40 years of age,
and his wife was year or two younger.
The murdered children were as follows:
Carrie, Is years; Mabel, ID years;
Charles, 10 years; Ralph, 2 years One
son, Allen, II years Of age, survives
He was away from home at work
Puterbaugh was In Beatrice a few
days ago and is said to have then pur-
chased the revolver with which the ter
rible deed was committed. In the barn
near the house were the two mules and
three horses. Hitched to wagon I'm
front of the barn were two more horses,
and in the field number of cows.
The house was fairly well furnished
for farm house, and in the cupboard
was an abundance Of good food. Puter-
baugh owned $40 acres of land, which
he purchased in March last from A.
Wisnell, of Beatrice He was liked by
all who knew him there and at his former
home in Diller.