River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-07-16
SIX coRPSEs.
They Are Found in Nebraska Farm
house,. III. Puterbaugh Believed to
Have Taken the Lives of His Wife and
Four Children and Then Killed Himself.

They Are Found in Nebraska Farm
house,. II. Puterbaugh Believed to
Have Taken the Lives Of His Wife aud
Four Children and Then Killed Himself.
ELLIS, Neb., July 11.-About 4
o'clock Friday afternoon Mrs. DIR. AL
len, of Beatrice, came to Ellis on a
visit to her brother, John II. Puter-
baugh, 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 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 CHASTITY face. Mrs.
| Allen called Perling in, who made
an investigation and found a
horrible state of affairs. On a
bed in the room in which the husband
and father lay was the mother with a
br'.et through her head. In bed with
Ger was a 2-year-old 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 Puterbaugh, his wife
and four children. How they met
,heir horrible 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 mo-
tive is not known, as Puterbaugh was
peaceaole 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 6 o'clock,
and the inquest is in progress 1t 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 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 fear were portrayed on any
of them and no evidence of a 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
Puterbaugh was not drinking man
and had the reputation of being an
honest and peaceable citizen. He suf
fered from the grip last spring and
since then has not been in
the best of health, frequently
complaining of a pain in his head.
He was man about IS or 40 years of
age, and his wife was a year or
two younger. The murdered children
We're as follows: Carrie, Is years;
Mabel, Is years; Charles, 10 years:
Ralph, years. One son. Allen, II
years of age, survives He was away
from home at work, having left
Wednesday.
Puterbaugh was in Beatrice Wednes-
day 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 a 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 240
acres of land which he purchased March
last from A. Wisnell. of Beatrice He
was liked by all who knew him here
and at his former home in Diller