Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-01-01
Carl Reher, of Fergus Falls, Mime
sofa, Commits a CHASTITY and
Horrible Crime.
He Shoots His Wife, Son and Daughter
and Then Makes Way With
Himself.
The Tale of an Awful Tragedy as it
Occurs in German Fam
lily.

FERGUS FALLS, Mimi, Dec. 29.-Ths
chapter OF horrors which has marked
the closing year in Minnesota is not
yet complete, and the tragedy whic
took pla :e last night d few miles south
west of Carlisle. WilKin county, in
some respects caps all others OF recent
date in its horror and utter brutality.
Yesterday the family of Car. 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 dangerously wounded.
Carl Reher was German aged nearly
Sd, who lived in cabin on the flats"
as they are called, in Wilkin county,
about twelve miles from this city HIS
family cJn>is ed Of his wife, aged ~;
his son Henry, -; aud tire daughters,
q ed 90, Ii and IA
For the last three years there have
been bitter family Quarrels which often
resu ted in violence. Against any out
side interference. however. the family
always united as one person; aS in the
care of the arrest OF Henry Roher for
horse stealing, when the others did all
they could 10 shield him from the law.
A few weeks ago, after an unusually
violent family broiI. Carl Re O. quit
the house and went to Elizabeth, q Ger
man village eight miles from here,
where he opened a shoe shop, and has
since worked steadily until last night.
Saturday night he got a ride with a
neighbOr ana went home. The rest OF
the horrible story OF last nights crime
was learned from the lips OF his dying
wife and the daughters.
Reher entered his home on the flats
at about = o'clock in the evening. All
the members of the family were there,
and jumped up in surprise at his I'M
expected Appearance. lie walked to
the table with apparent unconcern,
and laid down several small bags of
candy and a large bottle of whisky.
''Ihese are Christmas presents for you,
and l have got some more" he said,
and stepped into Il leanto at the back
OF the house, used for a woodshed, and
moment later reappeared at the door
with selfcocking revolver in each
hand. These he levelel and began fir
ing. 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 mangIed. The
fourth bullet was aimed at his oldest
daughter and entered her shoulder.
The lamp was eXtinguiShed by the fifth
shot, which entered the body of Mrs.
Reher. by this time the whole family
was in f'nnZied state, and all made a
rush for the door
Reher dropped his revolvers and
drew u 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 man
mounted his horse and rode TWO miles
to the house of Henry Schomann, the
nearest neig hbor, 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 a haymow and outbuildings.
Mrs. Reher was left alone in the house
with the butcher. He attacked her
fiercely with the carving knife and
stabbed her again and again. She fell,
apparently dead, and he went out to
find his daughters and finish his work.
He did not succeed and returned to the
house. His wife was gone The
youngest daughter, vino watched the
scene from the haymow, describes what
next occurred. Her father appeared
at the door with his dripping knife
still in hand, the moonlight lit up the
landscape brilliantly and he saw his
wife crawling painfully on her hands
and knees fifty yards away. lie ran to
her and again fell upon her with fiend-
ish ferocity and plunged his knife again
and again into her PROSTATE body.
Then he returned to the house. Half
an hour later several neigh bors, we'll
armed, arrived. The three daugh ters
were still in hiding.
They had heard a single pistol shot,
but no other sound. The neighbors
ente red the house and found Rehe
stone dead with bullet in his brain
and a rope around his neck. He hal
thrown the rope over beam aud put
the moose around his neck, and as the
moose tightened he had blown out his
brains. He lay there with his own
blood mingling in a pool with that of
his wife AMI son.
Mrs. Reher also lay on the floor. She
had crawled back iIto the house and
lay almost by the side of her dead hus-
band. 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 a dozen
of whicn would have been fatal. DR..
Thomas \. Mclean of tlis city ar
rived three hours later, and shortly
aflerward DIR. Trlplett of Walpeton,
and dressed the wounds OF Henry Reher
aud his sister. The former had lost a
great quantity of blood and his injuries
are so severe it Is thought he cannot
-,u~ViVa The girl will probahiv 20
cover, though the wound Is dangerous.