Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-28
WIPED OUT.
AWFUL CASE or MURDER AND sui-
eide IN IOWA.
FARMER KILLS WIFE And SIX CHILDREN
Then He sends "a Ballet Into He
own Head, InGicting Fntnt
wound-No Cause Known for the
Terrible Deed.

CARROLL. IA, September H.-Ths
slaughter OF a mother and her six chill
dren occurred at the home OF John
Becker farmer living eight miles
northwest OF here. last night. After
ward the nend or demented father ana
husband. al whose hands they died. COM
pleted his bloody work by lending bull
let into his own head infcting a fatal
wound. The family were prosperous Ger
mans. and. as far as is known, lived
happily. No motive for the tragedy has
been disclosed.
Boecker's victims are his wife and these
children: Caroline. aged IA; CHRISTINE
aged 3: Henry, aged s; Lizzie, aged 8;
John. aged 8, and an infant. All are
dead but Henry, and he cannot recover
from his wounds.
Boecker had an engagement TO help an
other neighbor this morning. and on Ms
not putting in an appearance his brother'
Henry. who lives about twenty rods
away. went, about o'clock, 20 SEQ why
no ala not come The doors or the
Boecker house were lockal and there
were no signs OF life about Henry tried
m yet into the house. hut met no re-
qnonse and finally ne kicked In the door
and came upon horrible scene. boeche.,
his wife. and his baby, who slept IN .
hack room. lay Oh a bed. The wire na'
heen shorten the neck with shotsun.
which srood in a corner The papy nsu
besn shot and it's head crushed WIN .nv ,
burS- of a revolver. The man. sn
breathing. had a bullet-hole nlsh up W
the forehead. and by his side was
smith g Wesson six-shOoter with Two
o,ar,bers empty. The Boecker homo ~
a storv-and-a- half frame house. and up
statrs Henry and Lizzie lay on pea.
With hullet-holes in the forehead the si''
dead the boy stil breathing In the op-
rosite corner OF the same room 'ei"'n,'
C,br,stine and John were dead tech WIN
bullet mole I'm the forehead, th"ush
| Caroline had two holes. an,
Ito This evening the bodies were sun
untouched. the Sheriff and Coroner oelhg
occupied In arranging for the inquest aho @
with other preliminaries inc inquiry
| win be pushed tomorrow by the Coroner
Jury. II f. undoubtedly a case OF muir
| der and suicide.
HOW THE DEED WAS DONE.
The indications are that Boecker mrs,
| alspatchod his wife with the shotgun . ahu
| men used the revolver on the hapy, N.Y.
shooting It and then knocking ou, ns
| brains with the butt boechei Wen w
| ,,ent I'M stairs. where the five chllhren
e W. sroenlng and killed them. lie
| ,,,st have used q, light, for his ann was was
| nesactive each victim being shot III the
| ,nrohead All but two children met WIN
| ,ns,ant death. for the blood-clots were
',,sor their heads. and two lay as calmly
ILL., l,o,ed as A. In sleep. All except Henry.
- ~ not vet dead, were attireG IN ther
| night robes. ., ,,ht,.
Poeclser had reloaded the weapon WINE
| nrstolrs and evidently sent the secon"
| bullet into the oldest girPs brain JUS. pc
fofe leaving the room. Going "o""-
stairs he stretched himsei peHius ,,,o ,,o
,ornse of his wife and shot himself iitS
.t,.tt hand was burned by the powher'
stn,ying the rapid use OF the revolver.
,rha u,eopon he had borrowed from ms
hrotber Henry last Thursday remark
,no, that ne wanted IL 10 Kill rats IN tho
aaIiar n f. now recalled that Boecker
had since then practiced tarset-shooNhs
poeclser was "a years old. and for over
tuentv wears had lived I'm the same he'sn-
borhood-in fact. on the same iafia' ho
was married fifteen years ago. anu a'V.l
living year with his parents n'oNeu ~
the scene or last HlbHN > hi"3N@@' - :
~ almost within hailing distance OF 'no
old home. He had been regarded W y.
prosperous farmer, and had only . recsney ,r,'n,
bourht 9OO-acre farm few miles from
the Old homestead. ~ .,,,o.
'''S Yesterday he attended Catholic service
Mt Breda, with his wife ana some ,,,as o, ,ns
children. Later In the day he was visited
hy a nelghbor. who says that when ne
-, the Rocker home In the evening:
they were seemingly happy FANNY ann
bot q premonltion Of the awful Tragedy
os,,ad a few hours later was gwen oy
poecker or any one OF the housenoih.
Wcmbers OF his fathers family say ne
bad no family troubles, his financial az
satrs were in good shape. and they can
assign no motive for the terrible crime.
on the other hand # Is said that John
had disagreed with the old folks Ahd
Henry over the occupancy OF tne itrn
On which John lived. and this ~ ast'sneo
~, once as the cause Of the trouble whlcn
c,,irninated I'm murder and suicide.
Thev family were Germans, ana high'
" respected citizens.