The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-09
A FIENDISH CRIME.
c. F. Brandt Kills His Wife,
His Daughter and Then
Commits Suicide.
One of the Most Revolving Deeds Which
Has Ever Occurred In the state
of Montana.

All day Saturday there was a great
deal OF talk and speculation as to the
cause and perpetrator Of the horrible
slaughter which was known to have
been committed the previous night. Az
mentioned in these columns on Satur.
day. Acting Coroner Glib and Under
| Sheriff Thurman departed after for the
ranch of Charles r. Brandt, on the north
| side of the Yellowstone. about twenty.
five miles from this city, to officially in.
quire into the cause OF the death OF
Brandt. his wife and daughter, and
they had quite a hard trip going up.
They stopped at the Bow and Arrow
round up wagon, and had supper, after
which they proceeded IN their journey.
reaching the place about Z o'clock.
They found about a dozen people
around the house. with a small camp
fire near by, and
H HRE DEAD BODIES
lying just as they were found in the
morning. For the first time they real
lied the full extent of the deed. The
darkness was rendered more in
tense by the Pickering Of the little
fire and the figures moving about i'm
pressing all with a feeling of solemnity
seldom experienced. save in the city Of
the dead. The body eff the mother was
lying close to the fire. and when the inky
darkness of the house had beer broken
with a light. a shudder OF horror over
came all. The bedroom was a veritable
slaughter pen. and the sight was a most
sickening one. The body of the fragile.
delicate child lay upon the bed. and that
of the murderer was stretched upon the
floor, while everything was smeared and
spat tered with blood.
\ coroner's jury was sworn in from
among the neighbors. and after carefully
viewing the surroundings and examining
the three corpses, an adjournment was
taken to A. Loveridge's ranch. where an
inquest was held,
Laura Brandt. aged II years. was the
only person who saw any portion of
THE FEARFUL KILLING,
and she only witnessed a very small part
of it, but even that will be carried by
her the balance Of her life as a mist Of
sadness which she can never clear from
her vision. She was almost Frustrated
with grief. and it was with the greatest
difficulty that the awful details could be
drawn from her on the witness stand.
However, her account OF the deed and
the circumstances Immediately preced-
ing it may be summarized as follows:
Brandt. her father, was always a most
passionate man, and of a peculiarly mo-
rose and sullen disposition. frequently
threatening to leave the place or kill
himself. Friday forenoon he occupied
himself around the stable. and at noon,
upon being called by his wife. came in
and ate his dinner. 1t war raining and
was a dismal, gloomy day, but Brandt
began hitching up a partly broken span
of horses for the purpose Of hauling in a
load of bones, but as he had been com
planning Of not feeling we'll, Mrs. Brandt
persuaded him to desist until the storm
should pass over. He remained at the
stable until towards evening, when
Laura called him for supper. At first
he refused to go, saying that he vas moi
hungry, but he changed his mind, and
went to the house. He carefully shaved
himself. and made a remark, as he sal
down to the evening meal. that it would
be the last supper they or he would ever
eat. Being accustomed to such remarks
no special attention was paid to it, and
about $40 o'clock Laura and Lille, hel
sister. aged II years, retired to their bed
in one corner of the room, while Mrs
Brandt. aged Al years, sought her couch
in the opposite corner. The two girlf
we're soon asleep, and Laura knows
nothing as to what happened until abou,
II o'clock. when she was awakened by
hearing Lille call. "Oh, ma; oh, MAJ
which was Immediately followed by q
peculiar gurgling noise. She realized
that something was wrong, and as she
raised up in bed, beheld her father with
a knife in his hand,
CUTTING THE THROAT OF LILLE.
She jumped out over the foot Of the
bedstead, called her mother twice, and
receiving no answer, ran out through
the kitchen, and hurried to Loveridgeis