The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-14

AUGUST KRAUS. HIS WIFE AND
INSANE MAN
A father. mother and six children laid ou'
side by side. their skulls crushed ano
Threats cut and room despatched WITH
blood from the floor to the ceiling, was the
sight that met the gaze of those who yes
terday visited the scene of the awful TRACE
dy at August Kraus's home on the Schoett-
Ter road In St. Louis County.
Kraus killed his wife, six children and
himself n the house some time Thursday.
The manner in which the deed was perpe-
trated, combined with the prominence of the
persons, shocked the whole countryside. 1t
was the most terrible deed in the annals OF
the county.
EVIDENCE OF STRUGGLE
BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE.
II is thought that the deed was not COM
mitted without struggle. A broken finger
on the left hand of Mrs. Kraus, a deep cut
on the back OF the left hand and blood
despatched window pane mute evil
dences of a life-and-death combat tat
neighbors argue must have taken place be-
tween the terror-stricken wife and her
frenzied husband.
This theory is further borne out by the
known distrust with which Mrs. Kraus had
regarded her husband for the last several
days. An apparently incurable nervous af-
Fiction had rendered him Respondent, and
his wife had told her neighbors that she
feared some harm would befall them. She
expressed her fears in letter to b. F.
Andrae, Postmaster at Bellefontaine, last
week, with request that the Harugari
Lodge, to which he belonged, do something
TO make her position and that. of her chill
dren more secure.
Thursday morning her fears were still
further increased, and, at her request,
George Mertz, neighbor, kept a watch on
the mousse, ready to respond In case his
services were needed. That they were
needed is now known to all, but that she
was prevented from calling him at the
critical moment. when 1t is supposed that
she attempted to get through an open win
dow, must always be a matter of conjec.
ture.
kraus had ii quarry hammer in an out
mouse In the rear of his home. The house
aees he U we stree Two of a tbe
rooms are in the front and in the rear there
Is long kitchen. the length of both. 1t
the hammer and entered the kitchen to be-
gin the slaughter of his family. His wife,
OWNING his intention. run through the
posed, ATTEMPTED TO get through the open
window on the porch.
EACH VICTIM WAS SLAIN
LIKE BEEF AT SLAUGHTER.
- The exte d11i Of the family was done
IN a methodical manner. Each of the VIC
tins was hit on the left side of the fore
head with the hammer. and an examination
OF the wounds showed that they were in al
most identically the same spot.
IL is regarded as certain that he killed
his wife first. 1t is thought that his Oldest
daughter, Carrie, who is IL years Of age,
old; Philip, 4 George, s; Genevieve. 3. and
4-months -old baby, not yet named, but
who had generally been called Fritzie.
IDENTIFY fearing that the job might not be
complete, took his razor and cut the threats
Of Of all his victims; except the two youngest
Inc same method was displayed in the use
or the razor as with the hammer. The
Wife and four Oldest children We're each
began just below the left ear and made
gashes about two inches long.
All this time Mertz was In field working
with comrades. He noticed, about 10 o'clock,
smoke issuing from the chimney and argued
therefrom that all was Well and that Mrs.
hraus was engaged in the preparation of
marked to friend that the smoke had
disappeared and wondered If there was any
ever, that Mrs. Kraus would give the alarm
when necessary, and not wishing TO unduly
exercise her. husband, he, refrained from
making an investigation, but remained in
the neighborhood of the house.
BLOODY SIGHT Is REVEALED
THROUGH WINDOW OF COTTAGE.
It was not until about $50 o'clock in the
evening that the crime was discovered.
Mrs. Philip kraus had been visiting the
senior Kraus on the Olive Street road and
was returning TO her home by the Schoettler
road. She decided tc stop moment on the
route. The front door was locked and she
started around to the rear of the house.
While passing the window on the north side
OF the house she peered through and saw
a sight that caused her to shudder.
As soon as she recovered she gave the
alarm and Mertz FASTENED to the home of
John kraus near by, and told him of what
had happened.
The latter broke into the room, where the
deed. In all its CHASTITY details, was revealed
to him.
Side by side the frenzied father had laid
his dead wife and children on the floor at
the foot OF the bed. Then he knelt down
and drew the keen blade across his own
throat. 1t penetrated deeply. He was still
IN kn=eling posture when his brother saw
Coroner Otto Koch was notified by pbone
at his home In Des Peres, and went to
the place Immediately. The condition of
the Schoettler road could not be worse The
mud seems to be almost bottomiess. AS a
result. the Coroner did not get to the place
until nearly midnight He held inquest
band had died a suicide, and that the wife
and children had met death from the hands
OF a frenzied husband and father.
ILLNESS IN THE FAMILY ]
IT is THOUGHT UPSET MIND.
Those who know Kraus best saw that ILL.,
health. not only of himself but also of his
family, had rendered him respondent. Only
week ago he passed through Clayton with
one OF his daughters. and told Z. /. Doser-
bach OF that place that he was taking her
to specialist in St. Louis for catarrh
treatment. His own health had been
wretched for three years. -.
1t Is thought that his condition was az
gravated by blow that he received in q
nght ~ Creve Occur Lake about two years
ago. AT that time he acted strangely. and
Mrs. Kraus then began to entertain fears
that he would do some act Of violence to
himself ~
Later he recovered, and her fears were