The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-05-16
KILLS PARENTS, PUTS
BABES TO SLEEP; FLEEs
Posse Bent on Lynching the
Murderer of Mr.. and Mrs.
w. F. Couple.
FHl-IP BURKE SUSPECTED
Hired Man and Money Missins-
Dead Bodies Left Where Hogs
Horribly Mutilate Them
Appalling Crime.

Resale, Neb., May l..ePeople re-
miles east of here and Burke is
thought by some to be In the brush
armed and will doubtless light.
w. H. Copple, brother of the dead
man, this afternoon offered a re-
ward of $500 for Burke's capture.
The state is expected to offer a SIM
liar amount.
Resale, Neb., May 15.-Fred Burk.
whom a c%oroner's jury adjudged guilty
Of the dastardly murder Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Walter F.. Copple on their farm,
-four miles east of town, Monday morn
ing, is still at large. Sheriff Young be-
lieves the man is making toward Oma-
ha and hat he surely will be cap
tured.
With all of the CHASTITY details
known it is apparent that the double
murder was the work of a maniac or
a fend incarnate. The criminal an
mails of Nebraska probably contain no
crime it's equal in brutality or fend-
ishness.
Evidence which was developed by the
authorities owing partly to the isola-
ton of the scene of the crime and part
ly TO the intense excitement which
aroused the whole of Thurston county
points in but one direction. While
there were no eye witnesses Of the
bloody butchery there is scarcely the
slightest doubt but that the deed was
the work Of Fred Burk, the hired man.
His flight alone is proof of his COM
plicity, but added to this is the testi-
mony of the seven orphaned children
which hardly leaves a shadow Of a
doubt of his guilt.
Resale, Neb., May 15.-This section
will have a lynching today or tonight If
Philip Burke is found byenraged neigh
49, A. --uxJ. NH-- C~-~1~
who were murdered at an early hour
this morning on their farm three miles
east of here.
Burke was their hired man and is
suspected for the reason that he is
missing, as is also a mule upon which
he is supposed to have made his a
The murdered man and wife were left
where the hogs could get at them, and
the woman's head was nearly eaten
away by the ravenous brutes and both
bodies mutilated.
Puts Babies to Sleep.
Following the crime of which he is
suspected, Burke came back into the
house and treasured the frightened
children, saying in answer to the old
est girls remark
why, 1 wouldn't murder your father
and mother"
Burke then urged the children to re-
turn to bed. There are seven of them,
the Oldest Blanche, aged IA years, and
the youngest twins, aged 4 months.
Burke is said to have fed the twins aft
er killing their parents. putting the
little ones to sleep and after seeing that
all the children were quiet, stole away,
LEAKING them alone to come upon the
ghastly picture of the father and moth
er IN the morning, dead and mutilated.
Murdered for Money.
John J. E,lkins of this place was one
of the first to reach the Copple farm
- oftN~ tho ,nyyy 90 fhn Two n NJ MO
started. He as we'll as Sheriff Young
an1 the other hundreds who swarmed
about the scene Of the awful crime to-
day, is convinced that the murder was
committed by Burke and that the lat
ter dia it to cover up his theft of sew
cral hundred dollars stolen from Copple.
Couple was attired in his night
clothes. but had on his shoes, Indicating
he had planned to go out. A lamp was
burning and he probably lit it, having
Investigation. The blood spattered in
the kitchen and just outside indicates
4 terrific struggle and means that prob
ably Couple came across the thief in
the kitchen and a fight ensued. A heavy
club smeared with blood showed that
was used on him before he shot his
victims.
Goes to Her Death.
After two shots had been fired, ac-
cording to the oldest child, Blanche.
who was awakened by them, Mrs.
Couple in alarm rushed from the house
20 see what was the matter and wheth-
er her husband was In danger. Three
shots followed and then all was quiet.
Philip Burke, who is about 25 years
old, found employment at the Copple
farm three months g and no one
~hereabouts appears to know anything
of his antecedents. The pocketbook,
containing MI. Copies small hoard of
several hundred dollars, and which
Burke no doubt had knowledge Of. is
missing. The only clew is the report
Of the Burlington section foreman who
says he say a man and shot gun with
a mule, north of here early this morn
ing.
The enraged men who are hot on the
trail of Burke believe they will find
him wounded from his terrible en-
counter with Copple. But that there
will be no mercy shown, is feared by
Sheriff Young who is himself engaged
in the search. having t%elephoned news
of the crime in all directions.
Whole Section Aroused.
The report of the atrocious deed
has spread over this and adjoining
counties and in many cases has been
exaggerated over the true facts. APP
palling as they are, and Burke, guilty
or not guilty, is likely to be given short
shrift If he is found by any consider
able group of s%earchers.
The Copies nave lived here for sew
eral years. He was about 40 years of
age and his wife a few years his junior.
Coroner Reichenbaugh. Of Pender,
has arrived and will hold an inquest at
this place this afternoon.
w. H. Couple, of Bancroft, brother
of the murdered man, his morning
found on the premises of his brother
$3.50 in cash and a check for $500 for
the sale of cattle last week. The daugh.
ter, Blanche. says there was at least
5000 in cash besides this in the house,
Rosalie is a small town in Thurstor
county. Nebraska. on the Burlington
railroad between Sioux City and Ash.
land.
.IuTFn SENDS RnMR