The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-07-16
SIX coRPSEs.

They Are Found in y Nebrastn FARM
housed. II. Puterbaugh Believed to
Have Taken the Lives of His Wife and
Four Children and Then Killed Himself
ELLIS, Neb., July I.-About
o'clock Friday afternoon Mrs. DR.. Al
len. of Beatrice. came to Ellis on
visit to her brother, John III. Puter-
baugh. who lived mile and half
south of town. She was driven to the
arm 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 near the door and
supposed he was asleep. She spoke to
him. but there being no response
looked more closely and saw blood
and her brothers ghastly face. Mrs.
Allen called Perling in, who made
an investigation 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 with
her was 2-yeaY-o.d babe, also shot
through the head. On a lounge in the
room lay lad Of 10 years dead, shot
through the head. In the room above
was another bed occupied by two Young
girls. one Is and one Is. both with bull
let holes in their heads The dead
are John Putcrbaugh. his wife
and four children. How they met
their horrible fate is rs yet not known,
only by surmisc. The general belief
is that the terrible deed was the work
a f..f
tive is not known, as Puterbaugh was
peaceablc man in comfortable circum-
stances. and it is believed no trouble
| existed in the family.
Coroner Wells, of Beatrice, arrived
on the scene shortly after o'clock,
and the inquest is in progress. 1t seems
| certain that the terrible crime was
| committed by Pnterbaugh. BY his side.
| under his arm, lay 32-caliber, six
chamhered 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, We're calm as though sleeping.
| No signs of fear were portrayed on any
of them and no evidence of struggle
was seen anywhere. 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
stain were visible upon the pillows or
bed clothing.
Putcrhaugh was not drinking man
and had the reputation of being an
/ III ait II k,,,f
fered from the grip last spring and
since then has not been in
the hest of health, frequently
complaining of pain in his head.
| lie was a man about 3S or 40 years of
age, and his wife was year or
two younger. The murdered children
were as follows: Carrie, Is years:
Mabel, i years; Charles, 10 years:
| Ralph, 2 years. One son. Allen, II
years of age, survives lie was away
from home at work, having left
Wednesday.
Puterhaugh was in Beatrice Wednes-
Cay and is said To have then purchased
the revolver with which the terrible
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 well furnished for farm house,
and in the cupboard was an abundance
of good food. Puterbaugh owned 24(
acres of land which he purchased March
last from A. Wisnell, Of Beatrice. lie
was liked by all who. knew him here
and at his former home in Diller.