The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-18
ATTEMPTS
DAUGHTER'S LIFE;
SHOOTS HIMSELF
From Fridays Daily.

Crazed through sickness and the love
affair OF his oldest daughte:, which hs
did not approve of, Robert s. Pfifer
labOrer at Jndson village, last even
ing fired bullet into the daughter
and then shot himself twice He will
probably die, but the daughter was not
seriously injured, it is thought. Boil
are now in st. Joseph's hospital.
The trouble seems to have beer
started by the alleged love affair OF
Miss Maude Pfifer and julius Colt, q
yonns farm laborer. VINO lives acros:
the river from Jndson, in Nicollet
county. 1t appears that these young
people have been going together for
some time, and that Mr.. Pffer has
objected TO Colt keeping his daughter
company. Colt called early last even
ing, and his call precipitated Il quar-
re! between the father and daughter
later in the evening.
Father Shoots His Daughter.
While Pffer and his daughter were
quarreling, at about eight or nine
pocket his revolver, thrtytwo cali
bre, five chamber weapon, apd shot his
daughter, the bullet striking her in
the hip. Mrs. Plifer, who was wit
ness To the affair, at once took her
daughter and ran to the nearest neigh
Dor, Peter johnson, the buttermaker,
and informed him of the shooting.
Johnson started ont To inform the men
ofthe village, and Mrs. Pffer returned
10 her home. Her husband was in an
upstairs bedroom, sitting on the bed
and in great pain. He had shot him
self two times in the breast, and his
wife then took the weapon from him.
Four of the five cartridges that it had
contained were exploded
In the meantime Mr.. Johnson had
run to the store and told the people
there what had occurred, and also
went To the depot and notified the
operator. A half dozen men then went
To Pliers house. and found him sit
ting on the bed suffering agonizing
pain. He was unable to lie down.
Sheriff DOnahue on the Scene.
A telephone message was ut once
sent to Sheriff Donahue, and to DIR.
j NJ. Edwards, and Sheriff Donahue
and Deputy Sheriff Eli Klugherz start
ed at $3.50 o'clock TO drive out, and
arrived at Judson three hours later,
having made Il slow trip on account of
the darkness and bad roads. Dr. Ed
wards also drove out and arrived at
shortly before three o'clock. Or. Ed
wards dressed the wounds, and all
three Mankato men returned on the
) a. m. train, bringing Pfifer and his
daughter with them. The two injured
persons were placed in st. ,jOseph's
hospital.
1t appears as though Plifer had con.
tempated the act for some little time.
According to members of the family,
he loaded the cartridges himself yester-
day afternoon. cutting the bullets, out
of lead and fashioning them into
proper shape with his knife and a file.
Discussed Daughters Love Affair.
During the words that preceded the
shooting, Pffer asked his daughter
whether she cared for Colt, and when
she told him that he was Il very dear
friend. he asked her whether she cared
more for him than for her parents. She
told him that she did not, and that
she cared for her parents more than
for anyone else in the world. He then
whipped ont his revolver and shot her.
Mrs. plfer believes that he fired one
bullet at her, as one is unaccOunted
for.
Some time during the night, Pfifer
was asked why he did the shooting
and replied that he did not intend to
shoot his daughter, but only himself
He claimed that the shooting of his
daughter was an accident This does
not coincide with the circumstances
surrounding the affair, however, and
little stocks is placed in its by officials
and Others who were summoned.
Colt Well Spoken Of.
1t does not appear that Pffer had
any particular objection to Colt, per-
sonally, but that he was simply jeal-
ous of his daughters growing aflec
ton for someone else. Colt is wei
spoken of at Judson. He was fire.
quent visitor there, and no one today
as able to recall anything that should
have influenced Pffer against him. Tic
il a young man of good habits, so fai
as known.
Piifer has lived in the county al
least ten years. He lived on Thomas
Evans place in Butternut Valley fol
the past ten years, farming, untii he
moved TO Judson last fall, and since
then was engaged in teaming and do
ing any common labor that offered
He owns team, but the family have
not been in very good circumstances
Pfifer Not Drinking Man.
Plifer is said not to have been {
drinking man, and it is not recalled
by the residents of Judson that III
was quarrelsome, or that he ever hat
had trouble with his family. He seems
TO have been all right until within
the last few days. He had not beer
feeling we'll for several days, and DIR
r. O.. Juliar was called to treat hin
night before last, and diagnosed hi