The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-18
Miss Pffer Tells
Story Of the Near
Tragedy at Home

From Fridays Daily.
When seen at the hospital this
forenoon by a Free Press reporter,
the young woman who was shot
gave her name as Alice Maude
Pfifer, and said that she would
be nineteen years old April %
next. She said that her father is
forty-two years old. and that he
was born in Nebraska or Ar
kansas, and moved from there to
Iowa, and to Minnesota seven
years ago, and four years ago
went to live on the Thomas Evans
place. They moved to Judson
Nov. 30.
Is Handsome Young Woman.
Miss Pfifer is quite a handsome
young woman, and both she and
Colt have been living in MankatO
recently, at the home of Colts
uncle, Lonis C. Colt, on Prospect
Heights. Julius Colt arrived from
Dakota in December, and she had
known him since then. He went
To work in the gas plant in this
city and lived with his uncle, I'M
til he hurt his thumb two weeks
ago. and then he went to Alden
and then to Nicollet and got work
with Oscar Door few days ago.
Miss Pfifer spent four weeks and
three days at the home of Louis
Colt, working, but went home
week ago Tuesday, returning to
Mankato the next day, and then
going back to her home on the day
following, where she had remained
since
Tells Story of Last Evenings Events.
When asked about the events of
last evening, Miss Pfifer stated
that she was taking a nap when
Colt called at shortly before eight
o'clock. He remained only five min
utes, after she joined him in the
dining room, where the family
were assembled. Her father sat
during the time with his head
bowed and did not speak. Colt
left at about eight o'clock.
After Colt had gone. Mr.. Phfer
for the first time raised objections
to his waiting on his daughter.
He had never objected on any pre-
vious occasion. although he had
seemed cranky" so Miss Pffer
said. whenever she went with any
young man. When she was GO
ing with Tommy Tanley of Bethel
a year ago last fall, this young
man had asked her to 90 to
church. when her father had said:
Il will wade in blood to my neck
before | will see You go with Il
- Welshman," so Miss
Pfifer said
Miss Pfifer gave the following
account of what took place after
Colt had gone last evening:
Wanted to Know if julius Was Work
ing.
81 asked Julius whether he had
gotten work, and he said that he
had, at Oscar Doors. After julius
went, pa said: What TO hell diff
ference does it make to you wheth
er Julius got work or not?'
81 said: 1T makes me whole
lot of difference
"He said: What difference? Is
he anything to you?
Il said: Yes
''He said: 'What3
s.V g.
of mine | might have said that
he was true friend The mean
ing is the same.
"He said: Which do you like
best, he or me?'
81 replied: "Why, you, of
course. How could l give up my
parents for someone else?'
This was all that was said,
and at that he pulled his re-
volver, from his right hip pocket,
/ think, and got around partly be-
hind me and fired at me, the bull
let striking me at the top of the
right hip, little from behind.
The bullet is still imbedded there,
and is very painful.
Then pa shot at mamma. |
saw this, and | saw her duck.
Then | ran with my eleven year
old brother, Robert, to Peter p.
Johnson's. As | went | heard an
other shot fired, and suppose that
was the one that he shot at him
self. Mamma came over to john
sons in about ten minutes, after
pa had fired both shots at himself.
He did not try 10 shoot mamma
again. | sent Robert 10 Mr.. Thorn
as, the blacksmith, to have men
90 to the house.
"All of the shots were fired
downstairs, and the shooting must
have occurred about $3.50 o'clock.
1t occurred in the dining room, and
besides mamma and l and Robert,
three of the younger children
were there. They were Pearl,
fourteen years old Minnie, eight
years, and Raymond, six years.
Jimmy, the baby, four years old,
was asleep in the downstairs bed
room.
Threatened to Shoot Once Before.
PA threatened to shoot me last
Jan. IL, and once before that, and
last winter he also threatened to
shoot himself. He had whipped