Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-11-20
THEY DISAPPEARED
An Aged Couple Near Spencer
Pass From Human Sight.
HOUSE BURNED WEDNESDAY.
Search has Been Maze tor Discover
the Whereabouts of These People
but to nc Avail.

q case in the western part of the
county-one that up to the present time
is shrouded in the deepest mystery
and the question now before the people
is, Has murder been committed 20
and the officers are now diligently at
work trying to unrayel the same. The
home of an old couple, William and
Ernestina Klucke, was destroyed by
fire on Wednesday night last. about six
miles northeast of Spencer, and a
search of the ruins failed to reveal any
remains of the aged people
The Kluckes were people who had
crossed the meridian of life and had
reached that age where people cannot
depend upon their own strength to gain
a livelihood, and therefore some time
ago decided to give up working their
farm and spend the balance of their
days in ease and peace, and they con-
guardianship of some one of younger
years. About two months ago bond
was drawn up and signed which decided
their farm and stock to one, Frank
Schwantes, and according to the provi-
sions of this bond, in consideration of
receiving this farm, Schwantes was to
take care of the old folks during the
balance of their natural lives, to feed
and clothe them and to pay them the
sum of $15 year in three installments
and to allow them to retain possession
| of the dwelling house. As soon as this
| bargain had been made known to the
neighbors it resulted in theii. disapprov-
al, for Schwantes, according to them,
was the last man in that section with
whom an aged couple should make a
contract of this kind, for his repu-
tation is an unenviable one.
Not great deal of time had elapsed
before more or less trouble arose be-
tween the parties, and the the old peo-
Pile complained bitterly of their treat
ment at the hands of Schwantes. He
was slow and stingy in providing them
with the necessities of life and when
they pleaded or demonstrated he treat
ed them with abuse.
On Wednesday last the old folks visit
ed Spencer for some purpose or other
and returned home in the afternoon,
stopping for about two hours at the
home of sister of Mrs. Klucke. What
happened after they reached home is
not known, the old man was seen stand
ing in his back doorway for few min
utes by boy driving cattle by the
house, but since that time not trace of
the couple has been discovered.
After the fire, Coroner Dickens was
notified the next morning, as was also
Dist Atty Manson, but the latter hav-
ing business in circuit court, could not
appear and Dr. Dickens went to the
scene alone. Going to Marshtield and
engaging rig and driving out to the
farm, he found that over II hundred peo-
pie were already on the grounds. The
embers were still smouldering and the
doctor engaged ten men and set them
at work cleaning the cellar of all debris
hoping that if the old people he'd per-
ished in the flames he might be able to
find their remains
The men worked with great care and
examined the ashes and other matter,
with which the cellar was filled, but
not enough evidence was found to
warrant anyone to believe that the oc-
cupants of the house were in it at the
time of fire. A few pieces of bones
were found and these were submitted
to two local physicians, who after eX-
amining the same stated that in their
opinion these bones were those of a
lower animal. Some hams were found
partly burned and this may account for
the presence OF these bones. 1t has
been proven by practical tests that it
is impossiblesto so incinerate body
in fire such as this was without enough
of the skeleton retaining its shape to
such degree that it is easily distin-
However, to make the thing more GER
tain, Dist Atty Manson, who was tele-
graphed for on Friday night, and who
had the debris re-examined, took what
pieces of bone that had been collected,
and departed for Chicago, where he
will have the same placed in the hands
of an PSYCHOLOGIST, who will examine
them by chemical and microscopical
tests, and will determine their nature.
The FIRE had not been great enough
to destroy the potatoes in a bin in the
cellar but had merely baked few on
top, and this fact together with other
evidence led the coroner to believe that
if the people were dead their bodies
were somewhere else, and so he had all
the outbuildings searched and had men
90 down and examine the bottom of
the well. but nothing was discovered.
Schwantes did not put in an appear
ance at the scene the next day although
it would seem that he ought to have
been interested enough in the fate of
the old people to at least make an effort
10 fipd out, if possible, what had be-
coEae of them. Tracks We're found
leading to and from his house to the
Klucke house, ami when Mr.. Dickens
summoned him ne admitted that he
made them He stated that at about 10
O'Clock the night before his wife had
awakened him from his sleep and told
| him of the fire. He went outside and
saw that the heavens were lit up in the
vicinity of the Klucke home, which was
about n mile from his house and he
went over to the place. He then made
the ridiculous statement that at the
time ha reached the fire the flames had
just broke out of the windows and roof
was still intact. He staid at the ire for
some time, then went home and went