The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-02-06
Chicago Carpenter, Out of Work
and Despondent, Slaughters
His Family.
Father, Mother, Wife and Three
Children With Bullets in
Their Brains.
Finishes Up the Work by KILL
ing Himself in the Same
Manner.

CHICAGO, Feb. An entire family
of six. father. mother. wife and three
children, were murdered by Richard
Klattke, Lake View carpenter, who
then completed his work by killing
himself. The dead are:
Richard Klattke, carpenter. 3S years
of age; Kate Klattke, his wife; John
Klattke, his father. aged % years;
Wilhelmina Klattke, his mother, aged
n; Nina Klattke, daughter, aged 9;
Anna Klattke, daughter, aged s; Emma
klattke. daughter, aged Z.
The members of the Klattke family
were found dead in their little cottage
at 2O7 Berseau avenue, two blocks from
Cuyler station. suburb on the Chicago
and Northwestern railroad. The dis.
covery was made by Matthew Brown,
a saloonkeeper. Mr.. Brown, wishing
some work done, called at the klattke
residence to secure the services of the
carpenter. He raped on the door, but
there was no response. Knowing that
the klattkes were early risers, he be.
came suspicious, called neighbors and
broke in.
Discovered the Seven COrpses.
In the house he found the seven
corpses. Each had bullet wound in
the head. In each case the ball had
penetrated the brain and death had
evidently been instantaneous Beside
the body of Richard klattke lay a re-
volver. and empty cartridge shells were
scattered about the rooms. One pecu-
liar feature was the lack of any indica-
tion of a struggle ON the part of the
victims, and heavy odor, which ap-
peared to be that of chloroform, per-
vaded the house. From this it was
surmised that Richard had first chloro-
formed the entire family and had then
put the bullet into the brain of each.
MIR. Brown took a hasty survey Of
the premises and then fastened to send
word to the police. A detail of officers
were sent to the scene in patrol
wagon and more careful examination
was made of the surroundings. There
seemed but little more to complete the
tale told by Brown. Everything point
ed to deliberately planned murder by
the head of the family, and desire to
place himself and family beyond any
further earthly troubles.
Family Were Cold and Hungry.
klattke was despondent. His family
We're cold and hungry. Since Christ
mas he had been out of work and he
ended his troubles just as relief was in
sight.
Early in the morning his next door
neighbor, Adolph schmidt, called at
the cottage with the joyful news that
he had found job for klattke. At
the same time Matt Brown arrived on
the same errand. They came too late,
just how much no one knows, for the
bodies We're cold when discovered.
Three "f q Kind.
This is the third time husband has
killed his entire family in Chicago
within less than a year. July last
Fritz Hellman, a stonemason, living at
60 Cornelia street, turned on the gas
and destroyed the lives of himself, his
wife and four children. Hellman had
been sunstruck and this is believed to
have unsettled his mind. Less than
two months ago came the crime of Jens
Hansen, alias Peter Hougaard. Han.
sen. by turning OH the gas, wiped out a
family Of wife and five children, and
added to the crime of murder that of
suicide. Bus ness troubles were respon-
| sible for Hansen's desperation.