The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-06
FAMILY BLOTTED OUT
SHOCKING CRIME OF RICHARD
KLATTKE, AN ANARCHIST.
Fired Bullets I'm the Brains of His Old
Father and Mother, His Wife, Three
Children and His own.

CHICAGO. Feb. ga family Of six
father. mother. wife and three children
were murdered last night by Richard
klattke, a Lakeview carpenter. who then
completed his work by killing himself.
He was an Anarchist and had been drink
ing prior to the commission of his whole
sale crime. The house where the tragedy
took place contains a number of anarchis-
tic Autographs. The Anarchists victims
are:
RICHARD KI4ATTKE, carpenter, thirty
eight years OF age.
KATE KLATTKE. his wife.
JOHN KLATTKE. his father, aged sew
onty-three years.
wILHELMINA KLATTKE, his mother,
aged seventy-one years.
NINA KLATTKE, daughter. aged nine
ANNA kLATTKE, daughter, aged eight.
EMMA kLATTkE, daughter, aged seven.
The members Of the Klattke family were
found dead early this morning in their lit
tie cottage at No. 2o7 Berseau avenue,
two blocks from Cuyler Station. a suburb
on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad.
The discovery was made by Matthew
Brown. a saloon keeper. Mr.. Brown, wish
ing some work done. called at the Klattke
residence TO secure the services of the car
penter. He raped on the door, but there
was no response. Knowing that the
~~te@een~S "eAt ediiS llotis, utCdfNc SuS-
picicus. called neighbors ard broke in. In
the house he found the seven corpses Each
had a bullet wound in the head In each
case the bail had penetrated the brain
and death had evidently been instantane-
Gus. Beside the body OF Richard Klattke
lay revolver, and empty cartridge shells
were scattered about the rooms One De-
culiar feature was the lack of any indica-
ton OF a struggle on the part of any of
the victims. and heavy odor which was
at first supposed TO be that of cnloroform.
pervaded the house. From this IL was sur
missed that Richard had firsS chlorofolrned
the entire family, and had then at his
leisure taken deliberate aim and put the
bullet into the Grain of each. Mr.. Brown
took a hasty survey only OF the premises
and then FASTENED to send word to the po-
lice.
A detail or officers was sent TO the scene
In patrol wagon and a more careful ex-
animation was made of the SURROUNDINGS
There seemed but little more TO complete
the tale told by Brown. Everything point
ed TO a deliberately planned murder by the
mead OF the family and desire to place
nimself and family beyond any further
eartnly troubles klattke was respondent
Since Christmas he had been out of work
and he ended his troubles Just as relief
was In sight: This morning his next-door
nelghbor. 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 were cold when discovered
A close examination or the remains showed
that one OF the victims alone had any warn
ing OF her fate This was Mrs. Kate
kiattke, the wife or the murderer. She IL
appears, had struggled with her husband he.
fore the fatal shot fired. Her hands
were scratched and her clothing torn She
had evidently been overpogered and thrown
tie seven-year-old daughter Emma Both
were found in the rear room OF three which
comprise the one story above the basement
OF the little cottage where they lived The
pillow and bed clothing were saturated with
blood, which had flowed from the wound in
the right cheek just below the eye of each.
The bullets had been fired at close range
and the faces OF the victims were burned
ana torn by the force Of the powder. The