Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-08-30
MURDERED
FOR MONEY
Aged Couple Near Fre6port FOulIg
Dealt With. Victims the Parents
OF David BObb OF Lancaster.

DaNlu bUDO. residing mile west OF |
the city, received the startling intel |
l;gence that his aged parents had been
murdered in their home near Free
port, Hi. He took Monday mornings
train for that point. The crime is
one of the most horrible in the Grimm
al annals of Illinois. The Chicago
Times-Herald of Saturday contained
the following account of the atrocity:
Sheriff Fox and posse Of 200 or more are
securing the country north of here in search
of the murderer of Mr.. and Mrs John Bobb.
the old people who We're SO brutaly killed
Thursday night. They have "a fairly good
clew to follow, and il does not seem that the
cul prit can escape.
Descriptions of he man and the horse that
he stole and made his escape upon have been
telegraphed all over the country. When
last heard from the sheriff himself was in
Wisconsin following what ne be leved to be "A
warm trail.
The funeral of the old people was held this
afternoon. and hundreds Of people from all
parts of the county were in attendance. The
ceremonies seemed to increase the anger OF
the neighbors of the murdered couple and II
the criminal is caught the officers may have
difficulty in preventing lynching. especial
ly as there is sort of tacit understanding
in this county that murders are never hang
ed here. All who have been given the death
sentence have escaped through executive
clemency.
For pure fiendishness the murder of the
Bobbs could hardly be surpassed. If rob-
berry was the motive for the crime. and II
does not seem possible that there could have
been any other. the death of the aged man
anG woman was entirely unnecessary. The
-
and so feeble that lie was almost bedridden.
The woman was in her eighty-sixth year, de-
crepit from long suffering fl ON kidney all
ment and without strength to resist an at
tack from "a child. The house where they
lived was not near enough to any other in
the neighborhoOd for their cries for help to
have been heard. and they could easily have
been inundated into giving up what little
money they had. The murderer seems to
have killed for the pure love of killing.
The Bobb homestead. where the old couple
had lived for nearly fifty years. stands in a
little sag about fifteen PAGES off the road
that runs directly north from Buena Vista
The nearest house to il is that of John Wag-
ner. who formerly lived with the old people
and who looked .after them. Wagner lived
about three hundred yards to the south be
hind little hill. To the north and the east
there are no houses for about a quarter Of a
mile. The stable stands directly north of the
house, about fifty yards away. and behind
that is "a rather dense wood of some ten
acres
The wood and the stable are supposed to
have been the hiding places of the tramp
who committed the murder, He had been
seen from last Sunday afternoon until
Wednesday in the wood and walking up and
down the lanes of the neigbOrhOOd 10y half a
dozen persons. but had always shown Il dis
position to move on when anyone approach
ed him or had turned his head aside when he
passed in the road Two or three times
people came upon him lying down. but he
got up quickly and moved away.
The day before the murder was committed
Mr.. Wagner came to FreepOrt To have the
sheriff run the supposed tramp out of the
neighhOrhood There were evidences in the
barn that the tramp had used il rs sleep
ing place on more than one night. There
was Il sunken place in the hay by he side of
little window that overlooked the sleeping
room of the old couple. indicating thar he
had laid there watching them for many
hours. Apple cores and egg shells scattered
about the NOV showed that he had eaten "a
frugal luncheon I ere more than once In
III NOV was also found Il pitChfOlk from
which the handle had been whit ed with a
iackkuife.
Those Who saw the tramp walking up and
down said that he carried Il sticl, that CORE
spoHdcd exactly with the fork handle. and
splintercd bits of il were found in the old
mans room. the! stuck having been broken
less before cutting his throat. John Wagner
discovered the fact OF the murder about
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. and gave the
alarm. which was quickly taken up 10y those
who are now hunting the murderer.
Wagner went to he place to do some work.
He found the front door locked. An unusual
thing Going round the side of the house he
noticed that all he blinds were closed. which
also was unusual The re;i r door OF the hali
was unlocked and he walked in ana saw
through the epeu door Of the kitchen the body
of Mrs. BObb dressed only in scanty night
clotl ing lying in the middle Of The floor lie
saw "A wound back Of the right ear. made
with the pole Of an and Went no farther.
He aid not look into ti.r bedroom. taking il
for granted that Mr.. Bohb va, dead also. but
ran back to his own hone
He sent Miller Bobh. q ii-yc4r-uld grand
son ~ the old people who lived with him.
back to guard thu house and galloped 10
Bucna Vista 10 notify the aufhoriiie, az
Freeport Of the crime. The crowd did not
get TO the place until ahoui the tifue that the
sheriff. coroner. states attorney and utheI~
arrived from this city after foGrteeD-faile
drive. The news spread slowly except -
mong the Immediate ucillibor>
IoM1rd cxcning peopi, came ffoia It'd dir
ectipf> ana today hundreds visited / i' -'-sI'
of The murder When tac officer. arrived
they found things ia the house uidi-'arbea.
The body az hc cd lady lay st ffli s.,s-ii 81
The center ot the Kitchen OcI aud that IF tli-- |
ola man wa- Iuddled up by TIE side - thr |
bed in the adjoining room. thc bodetathe~ |
pulled part y over him though ths mHr- |
dcier mao thrown them thoIo III e,.,rei,it-
Tor money.
Tie 5areiv furu Shed lua uuelrpetea
room, reekcd with blood Al examination !
showed that the woman had f.en efr---
twice. once On -he lef1 side pf ffe iaW 8hish L
was shattered. and again neht;la tli.- ti-f'
ear where the ,EuIl was crushed HroIo AZ
rIOtte,I with blood aud 10 TliIrli -llf ~ rn-