The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-07-16
CHASTITY MURDER DONE
SIX CORPSES FOUND IN A NE
BRASKA FARMHOUSE.

j. H. Pqterbaugh, Prosperous Farmer
Living Near Ellis, His Wife, and Four
Children Discovered Dead with Bullet
Holes in Their Heads.
Mrs. DIR. Allen, of Beatrice, went to
Ellis, Neb., on a visit to her brother.
John II. Puterbaugh, who lived mile
and half south of town. She was
driven to the farm by Louis Perling aud
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 near the door,
and supposed he was asleep She spoke
to him, but there being no response, she
looked more closely, and saw blood on
her brothers CHASTITY face. Mrs. Allen
called ring in, who made an investi-
cation, and found horrible state of
affairs.
On bed in the room in which the
husband and father lay was the mother
with bullet through her head. In bed
with her was 2-year-old babe, also shot
through the head. On lounge in the
room lay a 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 Is, both dead with
bullet-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
that the terrible Deed was the work of
the husband and father. The motive is
not known, as Puterbaugh was a peace
able man in comfortable circumstances,
and it is believed no trouble existed in
the family
= =, I, ~. III
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 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 a struggle were seen any
where. All seemed to have been killed
while sleeping, and al 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 man about 38 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, years One
son, Allen, II years of age, survives.
He was away from home at work.
Puterbaugh was in Beatrice 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 in
front of the barn were two more horses,
and in the field number of COWS.
The house was fairly we'll furnished
for a farm house, and in the cupboard
was an abundance of good food. Puter-
baugh owned 240 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.