Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-31
F|[ND|SH FATHER
SHOOTS CHILDREN
Chicago Parent Calls His Chill
dren to Him and Coolly
Murders Them
DID IT TO SPITE HIS WIFE
Says He Wanted to Be Hanged to
Bring Disgrace Upon Woman-ons
Child Dead, the 'other Dyins-Fisnd-
ish Father a Man Of Wsaith-Gen-
eraI News.

Chicago, Jan. 31.-One Of the most
shocking crimes in the history Of Chi
cago was committed by William
Meutsch, carriage and wagon dealer
living at 419 Armitage avenue, yester-
day afternoon. His shop, underneath
his home, was the scene Of the crime.
With strange GOODNESS and delibera-
ton he called into the shop one Of his
little daughters who had been playing
in the street in front, and shot her
dead. Then he called in her little sis
ter and fired two bullets into her chest.
She probably will die. Then he walked
upstairs and shot his baby son as he
The dead child was Gertrude, the
wounded girl is Jennie, and the wounds
ed baby is William Meutsch, Jr.
When taken by the police the father
seemed more calm and collected than
were the men whose hair had grown
gray in lifelong fight with crime. He
spoke in a connected, rational manner,
and startled the policemen with his
frankness on the way to the station.
Il loved the children" he said. but
I thought it would be better to kill
them rather than have them grow up
the children of such woman as their
mother"
what is the matter with their
mother?" asked Capt Harding.
20, she calls them bad names and
is not a good woman" said the MUIR
derer.
"If you hate the mother so, why did
you not kill her instead of the chill
dren?" querfed the captain
Il decided to put her in the position
of a woman whose husband will be
hanged" was the startling response.
Meutsch, who, the police say, is q
thirty-second degree Mason and q
Shriner, has had a home decidedly
better than those Of most of his neigh
bors and has been considered by them
a man Of property and of some i'm
portance. Besides the wagon and
carriage shop, which takes up the first
in barber supply business at Forty
fifth street and Cottage Grove ave-
nue., in partnership with a man named
Kline.
Yesterday he expected to go to the
south side establishment, but failed to
do so, complaining Of feeling i'll. He
quarreled with his wife at noon, but
as that was no unusual occurrence
she thought nothing of it at the time.
It was near $3.50 o'clock in the after
noon when Meutsch went downstairs
to the shop and called to his little
daughter Gertrude, aged 5 years, who
was playing with some other children
in the street
"Come here. Gertrude" he said.
papa wants you"
Gertrude ran to the shop, and he led
her inside. Then he closed the door,
and, as appearances afterward indf-
Gated, drew her close to him, placed
a revolver to her breast and fired a
bullet into her heart Death must
have ensued instantly. Then, 1t Is
believed he cody laid her body in a
corner Of the shop before he called her
sister in.
Little 4-year-old Jennie, along with
the other children. had ceased her play
at the report of the revolver, and was
looking in wonder at the building when
Meutsch again stood in the doorway
and called to her. AS she entered the
door he closed it and instantly fired
on her The report was heard at once
by the children. The shot took effect,
but did not kill. so he put another bull
lot into hor frai1 hO6v
Then Meutsch heard his wife. who
had been alarmed by the shots, hurry
down the rear stairway from the ltv-
ing rooms above, and instantly he ran
up the front stairs. There he found
the youngest child. William, aged 2
years, lying in bed, and he pointed his
revolver and shot the baby as he lay.
In the meantime another son, Charles.
who is II years old, had been attracted
by the noise of the shots and entered
the workshop, but fed as soon as he
saw the terrible scene on the floor.
Fails to Get Gypsy.