The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-23

Aug. Z, 1895 Charles Pfeifer and Jennie
Kirk were married and went to Keeping
house in the little four-room cottage at IL
Poplar street, just across the street from
the home of the Kinks. The pair was hap
py as lovers and from all accounts a tsod 5ng
to bind the lovers even closer together.
Neighbors say the Pfeifer home was all
ways bright and CHEEKY: The husband was
very domestic in his habits and was rarely
seen away from home, except ON business,
unless accompanied by his wife. Before
the baby was born he insisted on doing
most of the house work TO tighten ms
wifes burdens. When the baby came 1t
little household was fun Like two children
Mr.. and Mrs. Pfeifer would dispute over
the possession of it.
LAST TINE SEEN ALIVE.
The last seen Of the family alive was
about o'clock Monday night. Mrs. Pfeifer
and the baby were across at her mothers
and Mr. Pfeifer went down to make some
little purchases. On the way back home
at about the hour named he stopped in at
the butchers shop to get a piece Of meat
He was informed that his wife had ordered
some, but he took piece of ham, saying
that they could use it. On his way nome
he met DR.. Johnson and made passing
remark about the GOODNESS of the weather
He then passed by the Kirk home and,
with his wife and baby, went across the
street to their own home.
alive. The family lived in a four-room cot
tage on Poplar street which is the first
street east Of the depot. in the sec, section OF
Is pleasant little one and had everything
about il to make pleasant home. 1t was
furnished neatly, though inexpensively. The
front room was not furnished at all, it
having been the intention of the couple to
wait until they saved a little more money
before sparing any for that expense. The
bedroom, dining room and kitchen were
very tidily arranged and everything was
in scrupulouS order, showing the care of a
good housekeeper.
Mrs. Kirk was almost frantic with grief
When she talked about the tragedy. 'Oh,
1t is so terrible" she said. Think of my
poor Jennie and the little one. l can't ac-
count for it at all. They always seemed
to love each other So Charley was a de-
voted husband and | would have thought
such a thing as this impossible. He must
have been crazy, indeed"
Mr.. Kirk was asked about the chara cter
Of his son-in-law. Did he drink" he was
asked.
Very little and very seldom. I don't
think he ever went into a saloon to get
drink. If he took a glass of beer OCCASION
ally it was at home with his wife. He
seemed to think too much of them to leave
the least under the influence of liquor
How do you account for this tragedy"
How do l account for it? Why, it was
the devil in him. 1t was not drink and he
was not crazy. It was the devil in him
Coroner Castor has a theory which he be-
lieves will account for the tragedy He is
Of the opinion that Pfeifer became temper
arily insane from a cause with which all
medical men are somewhat familiar and
which is likely to develop from the married
such as to point to this belief.
After the coroner had surveyed the place
on the request of the family the undertake
Blackwell was notified to take charge of
the bodies. BY noon the bodies We're pre-
pared for, burial The gashes in the
throats of the woman and child were sewed
up and the three bodies were dressed and
TAI out side by side in the little cottage
The funeral will occur. from the Kirk home
and probably from the Catholic Church at
Brightwood
SOME NEIGHBORHOOD GOSSIP.
In a town the size of Brightwood owing
to the conditions of society and the rela-
tons that exist between the citizens. ey-
erybody being at least partially acquaint-
ed with and being familiar to a greater
OF less extent with the affairs and con-
ditions of the other citizens, it is i'm
possible for a stranger to learn the I'M
dercurrent of information that may ex-
list in cases of this kind. The same good
reports are invariably given to stranger
| seeking information. and it has been so
regarding the life of Pfeffer and his wife.
and the information regarding the true
conditions of their private family life has
been talked about only in confidential
manner between the citizens themselves.
there
oeen gathered from many of the citizens
OF the suburb, and owing to their objecting
to being quoted, for the reasons stated
above and it would make for them
many enemies, no names are given.
The fact is well known that Pfeifer'
parents are strong Professionals and that
mis- wife and her parents are Catholics. and
also that he was obliged to join the Catho-
les Church before he married her. Though
4 mas been reported that they had no fam
lily quarrel5, 1t is claimed by the gossip men
Toned that they had frequent differences,
~aused by religious matters. One evening
gnlle standing among crowd of his
friends on the street he was asked by one
of them if he We're not happier since he was
married, and ne is said to have made this
~epty: Il made a mistake, and got my
Self into !. HI of a fix when | married a
!athoic.' He has also complained that
she was not as tidy woman since they
lad been married as she was before, and
mere are people in the suburb who have
Of as always a gentleman with a good
education, and always clean spoken, While
suage that would certainly be obnoxious to
ann: However, he always showed her
nnd tr5ed attention tt when in her presence
riage vows. 1t is said that he was jealous
Of his wife at times, but that he always
tried to conceal this feeling when others
were about. although it has caused a num-
Der of petty quarrels between them. An
other incident that has caused quarrels be-
tween them arose several months ago
when he expressed a desire to join the
knights of Pythias, and this being forbid
" lead to differences, as he very de-
sirous of becoming member Of that order
Regarding his character Mr.. G. M. Dick
son. chief train dispatcher on the Belt rail-
road, for whom Pfeifer has worked for the
last three yeas, says that there cannot too
much be said in praise of the man while
in the employ of the Belt company. He
has worked for me for the last three
years" said Mr.. Dickson, land he has been
a sober Industrious and reliable man and
he faithfully performed all of his duties
He has never shirked a duty, but has been
an Industrious worker and always ready to
accomplish the duties that were imposed.
During the three years that he has been in
my employ there has not been one COM
plant of any kind made against him, and
all the other employees on the Belt who
knew him thought well of him and they
were all his friends. / have never known
him to touch intoxicating liquor and
think that it must have been temporary in
sanity that prompted him to commit the
crime, for he never gave indications here
that there was anything the matter with
him in that way, for he was always
rational while in my service. / feel ex-
ceedingly sorry for the man as liked him
very much.
Mrs. Pfeifer. his mother, lives in the city,
and as soon she heard of the sad affair
she hurried to the stricken home. AS soon
as she entered the house she burst into
tears and would not be comforted. One
relative OF the murdered woman said that
Mrs. Pfeifer remarked in his presence that
cIa had tnII har-C on hat ha tTO xyO1J, no