Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-06-18
WHOLE FAMILY
SHOT TO DEATH
CRAZY MOTHER KILLS FIVE Chill
DREN, HUSBAND AND
HERSELF.
MADE A GALA EVENT OF THEIR
LAST NIGHT ON
EARTH.

Cadillac, Mich, June l4.-Seven-
teeD-year-old Fred Cooper, the last
living member of family OF eight,
lies in Mercy hospital with just a
lighting chance for his life, while the
bodies of the other seven members
of the family, all slain by the wife
and mother, who afterward commit
ted suicide, are in morgue, objects
of morbid interest by thousands Of
people. Saturday afternoon a report
came from the hospital that the boy,
who had a bullet wound through the
head, had died. Instead, however.
after lying for some hours in a coma
tose condition, he rallied aud was
able to make a brief statement
He says that all he remembers OF
Friday nights dreadful occurrence in
the Cooper home is vague recollec-
/ ton of hearing a revolver shot. After
that he has no recollection until he
as reused in the hospital. 1t is the
supposition that the shot he heard
was the one which killed his brother
| who lay beside him in bed. 1t is sup
posed that his mother Immediately at
terward sent a bullet into FTed's
head.
The town is filled with strangers
attracted by the tragedy and flied
with morbid curiosity The under
taker who has charge of the bodies
estimated that nearly 5000 people
tried to view them Saturday.
Seven People Dead.
Cadillac, Mich, June 14.-Seven
persons, all of the family of Daniel
Cooper, we're murdered some time
Friday night, probably by the wife
and mother, who has been insane.
Fred Cooper, aged II, was the only
one Of the family found alive.
In every instance the victims were
shot through the head.
The Dead.
Daniel Cooper, aged AS.
Mrs. Cooper, 45.
Harry, IA.
Inez, Il.
Samuel, 10.
GeOrgiana, 5.
/ Florence, II2.
Bodies Scattered All About.
When Mrs. COopeTs mother and
ether neighbors entered the htme CD
! Chaplin street Saturday, about which
there were no signs of life the bodies
! of the victims were scattered all
about. Some were in their be1r,
others on the floor. Mrs. Cooper lay
acToss the body of the baby on the
bed with an empty revolver beside
her
1t is believed that Mrs. Cooper com
mitted the murders and then killed
herself.
Used ChIoroform.
Developments indicate that the.
crazed mother first chloroformed the
amtly before shooting them. There
were no signs of a struggle in any in
stance. Neither were there powder
marks, which indicates that the wo.
man stood some distance away in fir
ing the shots. A four-ounce chloro-
fern bottle was found in one of the
rooms.
1t has also developed that the Wo~
man had been mentally unsOund ever
since the birth of her youngest child,
Florence, Is months ago. She was
sane at intervals and during he lu-
cid moments brooded over her mental
condition. She frequently cursed the
baby, even in the presence of her pag-
! tor, DR.. Johnston of the Presbyterian
church here DR.. Johnston had ex-
pressed fear of such a tragedy.
Apparently Premeditated.
Mrs. Cooper apparently had pre-
meditated the wholesale killing Fri
! day night she made a festive coca
sion. She took all her children to
the Alamo theater, where a special
vaudeville bill was given. She bar
gained with the ticket seller to admit
the entire family for so cents. The
seller said he would do so, but that
it should not be considered as a
precedent.
You will never need to again" re-
! piled Mrs. Cooper, because none Of
us will ever come here after tonight"
She treated the children 20 candy
and peanuts and they marched up
and down the streets after tho show
all in a happy mood, and with Mrs.
Cooper appearing especially cheerful.
Tncn they went home and the killing
evidently followed shortly after