The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-26
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Special TO the indianapolis Journal.
yeOCKvILLE, Ind. April "a series or
five cold-blooded murders was committed In
Rockville this morning about o'clock
by madman. who afterward took his own
life, after being pursued and wounded. The
victims OF this mornings unprecedented
criminal record in Parke county are:
MRS. HERMAN HAsKE. top OF head
AGNES HAsKE, aged ten. shot In breast
HERMAN HASKE. aged eight shot IN
back.
col. WILLIAM ID. NULL. sheriff and
member Of Commander-in-chief l. -. Walk
er,s stan; shot in back
and member OF Rockville Light Artillery.
ALFRED EGBERT. murderer. aged twen-
ty-one, shot in heel by posse and then shot
himself through the heart
Alfred Egbert, better known as Pete" Eg-
bert, a carpenter, left his fathers home with
a double -barreled shotgun at o'clock very
much excited. He was dressed in his hunt
ing suit and his mother thought he was
going to the woods. and paid no further at
tention to him. He started up town. and
when opposite Herman Haske's home. on
Howard street. passed Mrs. Haske. who had
just finished milking her COW anG was turn
ing the animal out into the street 20 be taken
to the pasture by her little Herman.
raised his gun and took aim at Mrs. Haske.
who screamed and started TO run. He fired
deliberately at the fleeing woman, and she
fell headlong with the top OF her head blown
of. Mrs. Haske's ten-year-old daughter
Agnes. hearing her mother scream. came
running out, and Egbert emptied the con-
tents Of the second barrel into her body.
The child fell dead near the body OF her
mother. Herman Haske, aged eight. who
started to escape. was pursued by Egbert.
who slipped in a fresh cartridge and shot
him dead. Another small boy escaped By
running TO a neighbor's house.
THE SHERIFF WARNED.
| Word was sent to Sheriff Null TO arrest
the murderer. and the sheriff. with his dep
uty, William Sweem. met Egbert in front OF
the National Bank. where he was sauntering
along as IL nothing had occurred. He still
carried the shotgun and the few people in
the street at that hour quickly retreated,
giving him his own way. Sheriff Null spoke
to Egbert, who raised his gun threateningly.
and told the sheriff to keep away. Colonel
Null saw that Egbert intended to fire. and
he, therefore. darted into the National Bank
Building and started UP the hallway. Eg-
bert rushed to the entrance and. raising his
deadly weapon for the fourth time inside OF
twenty minutes, shot the sheriff in the back
back. falling on the sidewalk. and died in a
short time.
Deputy Sweem had stood by and witnessed
the murder. While Sheriff Null was writh-
ing in the agony of death on the sidewalk.
Egoert turned on his fifth victim. He shot
Sweem in the right side OF the neck. killing
him instantly. Deputy Sweem fell dead in
front OF Hunnicutts jewelry store.
The sheriff and Sweem we're both armed
with revolvers, but ds1 not use them. When
Null started up the bank stairway ne was
going after rife. in one OF the rooms OF the
second floor.
| After the killing Of Null and sweem Egbert
| ran down the street on the Montezuma road
| The shooting had alarmed the city by this
| time. and men armed themselves and started
| In hot pursuit. In a field near the fair
| grounds Egbert seen. and a half-dozen
| rifles and revolvers cracked. Egbert was no.
ticed to limp. as IL he had been struck. but
| he made no attempt 10 return the fire. He
| climbed the fence into the fair grounds. and
| made for the sheds. The pursuing party
halted at the fence. being afraid TO venture
| into the fair grounds. While discussing the
situation a shot was heard from the direction
| Egoert had taken It came from one OF the
stables. and the posse climbed the fence and
stables they found Egbert lying dead In q
| pool OF blood. He had shot himself in the
i breast near the heart. tearing an awful hole
| in his body. He was found with his right
| shoe on and the heel bleeding profusely from
a wound received when the posse fired on
/ him before climbing the fence His shirt
| was burning from the FIRE OF the powder.
| Coroner II. Z. Newlin soon arrived and had
the remains conveyed to Mccoy. McEwen &
| Harsrave's undertaking establishment
AN EXEMPLARY YOUNG NAN.
| Alfred Egbert. who blotsed cut fve lives
and his own, was a young man about twenty
one years old. He was the son
Of julius Egbert. an old resident
! OF Rockville. He was six feet
| high, weighed $50 pounds, being q
very large man for his age. His brother
said ne complained last night Of being III.
but would not let his brother care for him.
Nothing strange was noticed in his acf:ons
last night. Yesterday he worked witls his
| brother at the residence OF Sheriff Nun on
Howard avenue. building a fence. Here Au-
ditor K. H Owen lives. who talked with
him. and he appeared rational. but was
very quiet. He got the shotgun this MORN
ing in hurry and left as II excited His
mother noticed this fact. He was sfud.ous
young man. and during the winter. when
out OF work. he read Byron. and was just
finishing Homer's HAD 1t Is generally be-
lieved he became suddenly insane. lie was
a young man Of weE-known good habits.
He has a sister who Is dying with consump-
ton. and his parents and brothers are worn
out from less OF sleep while tenderiy caring
for the young woman. who cannot D-e many
days
Herman Haske. the husband OF Mrs.
Haske. Il baker. He works AT centralla
H.. and Was away from home when his
wife and two chilsren were murdered. He
has only one llttle boy left. who escaped b.
running to \ neighbor's home.
GheuR Wfiiom ~ llull - ~ mouv