The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1899-10-25

\. WEDNESDAY, O
hurried to the farm, and with his
brothers, found the remains of the
two little boys lying in death but
few feet from each other on the root
cellar, and beside them with watch
full care, was the little dog which
had been their playfellow for sew
eral months. This spectacle was
the most horrid of all, the two hands
of the little fellows being extended
towards each other as if anxious to
clasp, but their faces completely
blown to pieces.
Coroner Halves was notified by
Mr.. Martin. He Immediately wired
County Attorney Clague that two
persons had been found dead with
murderous suspicious. He informed
Sheriff Pease and then started for
the scene, where he arrived about
4:3O o'clock. He was directed to
where the remains of Mrs. Babcock
lay, and after he made an investiga-
tion of the wound and her coudition,
ne asked the Clark boys, who had
already arrived there. where the
other one was.
.......'. .........
The two boys are over there
by the root cellar was the
reply.
Two boys? how many are
there?" was the query.
Five, was the awful reply. :
There are two out in the field a
mile away - DIR. Hawes then made
an investigation of the boys, and
passing into the house he found the
note addressed to John, and given
above. From there he went over to
where the remains of BaDcOck and
his step-son were laying, and in a
moment the whole truth dazed on
the coroner and the reporters-the
insane father had wiped out his
family and taken his own life with
the shotgun that lay under the
body of the murderer and suicide.
The gun was still cooked, and per
orders of DR.. Halves a GAZETTE re-
porter let down the hammer. pulled
the gun out from under the man,
and handed it to the coroner. who
extracted the loaded shell, aud
closed the breech. An hour later
DR.. Hawes had all of the bodies
removed to the Babcock residence,
and laid on the floor, almost in pre-
cisely the same position as found,
with the exception of the remains of
Babcock, which were found lying
face downwards, and whose position
was reversed. A deputy sheriff
was placed in charge of the house
for the night and at ten o'clock next
morning Coroner Hawes helo an
inquest. on the advice of County
Attorney Clague, who happened to
drive in from Seaforth, about five
o'clock the night before, going
directly to the scene of the tragedy.
The jury consisted of Frank NJ.
Isham, H. N. Bell, H. A. Baldwin,
G. E. Mckay, c. W. Mead and H.
NJ. Aune, and after thev viewed the
bodies the witnesses were exam
ined, and the jury verdict, reached
about II O. clock noon, was to the
effect that the wife and three chill
dren came TO their death by gun
shot wounds from gun in the
hands of Frank E. Babcock, and
that his death was due to gunshot
wound from a gun in his own hands.
The funeral occurred from the
residence at 2:3O o'clock Thursday
afternoon, a Seventh Day Adventist
minister from Minneapolis, officiat-
ing. The services were brief, and
the entire family was laid to rest in
a single grave dug for the five, in
the Redwood cemetery. The spec
tacle of five caskets in one funeral.
and placed in one grave, was a
striking one.
The evidence brought out at the
inquest was to the effect that Bah
cock had been peculiar from child
hood, and for several years past
had been troubled with frequent
mental alterations. His mental
weakness was due toIa youthful
indiscretion. He has stated Ito his
neighbor, Mr.. Mason, and'Cto the