The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-06-07
Two rIembers of a Former Nam
kato Family Found Dead in
Bed at Minneapolis.
An Insane Son Suspected and
Taken in Custody, But Denies
All Knowledge of the Crime.
A Few Details of Their MankatO
History-The Father Killed
in This City.

this city, received tne following Cele'
gram, which was sent from Mime
apolis:
Will arrive with the bodies of Mar
tina and Annie Elias tomorrow night,
June Sd. j. NJ. CARTWRIGHT.
This refers to the remains OF Mrs.
Martha Elias and her daughter, who
were murdered in Minneapolis early
Saturday morning, full account OF
which was given in the evening
papers of that city Saturday and de-
livered here Sunday morning. A
local interest is added to the case by
the fact that the family resided in
this city, and left for Minneapolis
some ten or twelve years ago.
The Tragedy.
The tragedy which ended the lives
of the mother and daughter occurred
at few minutes past o'clock Satur-
day morning. Reports Of pistol shots
were heard by several of the neigh
bors and also one or two policemen,
who Immediately repaired to the
apartments of the Elias, and there in
the sleeping room occupied by the
two women shocking sight met their
view. The mother and daughter lay
upon the same bed, dead, with bullet
holes through their heads. The
mother had been shot through the
mouth. Her face was badly mutt
lated, but the doctors state that this
was the result of the explosion Of the
revolver, as the muZzle was undoubt-
eddy placed in her mouth, The
daughter was shot through the back
of the head.
The police were somewhat puzzled
as to whether it was a case of double
murder or murder and suicide. 1t was
suspected that it might have been
the work of a son, Loren, who was re.
Gently released from the insane asylum
at st. Peter, where he was sent in the
early days of March.
Of the matter the Minneapolis
Times of yesterday morning says:
The Times made a careful investi-
CATION of the case yesterday, and the
best obtainable evidence tends TIC
show satisfactorily that Loren Elias,
in a spirit of brooding over the alleged
wrongs, crept into his mothers and
sisters bedroom, walked softly to the
side of the bed where lay his sister,
and putting the muzZle of the big re-
vOlver to the back of her head, fired
the fatal shot which sent her soul tic
eternity. That the shot awakened
the mother, who had lain down on the
outside of the bed with her wrapper
on and fallen asleep, and that the
mother arose to almost sitting pos
ture, with an outcry of alarm. That
then the insane man, far from realiz
ing what he was doing, and filled with
only his own wrongs, grabbed the
mother by the hair of the head, with
his arm under her neck, and, pressing
the muzzle of the weapon into. hel
mouth, with the muZzle pointing
slightly upwards, fired the shot which
also sent her who gave him birth tt
join the murdered daughter. That
then the maniac sneaked to the
kitchen window, raised it, and by
means of the shed roof let himself
down to the ground below, returning
to the city last night and telling hi
story with all of maniac's cunning
deepening the mystery surrounding
the tragedy tand hoping to save hi
own neck.
Loren Elias had 800 in cash on his
person when arrested and SI09 in hi
gripsack. The further superstition il
that this money he obtained Frida,
from his mother upon her return from
st. Paul. That the sister becam
aware that another 5000 of her hard
earned money, for both she and he
mother were capable business women
had gone to her brother to be agail
thrown away, and that the two ha
some words. leading to Loren's act
This appears to be the most probabl
theory Of the whole affair, although
number Of arguments can be adduce
to show that the mother herself kille
her daughter, and then turned tn
deadly weapon upon herself.
The son Loren was arrested lat
Saturday evening. He stated that b
had slept in his room at his mother
residence Friday night, and left thel
about 4 o'clock Saturday morning
He disclaimed knowing anything {
the murder, and said he spent the da
under the trees on the river banl
and the first he knew of the matte
was when he saw the account in til
papers Saturday night. He said thu
he had climbed out of the back vii
dow, as his mother had peculiar Wa
of locking the doors so he could NJ
open them, and he did not wish I
disturb his mother. His actions ar
the manner in which The accounte
for himself left the police about
puzzled as they were before.
Their Life in MankatO.
Inquiry developed the fact that I'll
family came to this city in 1869. TIL,
came to this state from Wisconsi
and settled at Dodge Centre, afte