The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-11-10
BUTCHER STAYS SON
LOUIS HOFFMAN,, CEDARBURG,
ASSAiLS us WIFE AND
CHILDREN.
INSANE BELIEF OF FRIENDS
Fails to Appreciate Enorm'r Of Ac,
Until After Being Locked Up,
When He Expresses Remorse.
Mrs. hoffmann's Sto y.

Cedarburg. - Supposed to have
been tempo rarily insane, Le1s Hoff-
mann, a local butcher, made a muir
| derous assault upon his family, all
save his wife being as eep In their
beds. His twelve-year-old son Carl
was instantly killed. and his wife,
brother and a nephew wounded.
HOFFMAN,. covered with blood. was
taken into custody by Deputy Mar
shall Joseph Weber. who WAS attract
ed to the scene by the shots. After
being locked up, Hoffman, came to a
realization of what he had done and
was filled with remorse. He declared
that he had been drinking and did
not know what he was doing.
Mrs. Hoffman, later told the story
of the shooting. Thursday after
noon at about 4 o'clock Louis eft
the house to go to visit farmer.
from whom he wished to purchase
some cattle. He was so good natured
when he left, and | remember how
glad l was TO have him in such a
mood. He Is a man who drinks heav-
lily, and when he has been drinking
he has an awful temper.
"But he had never really been
cruel TO me or the children. He was
too good hearted ever to harm us.
Why, all the neighbors will tell you
what kind, good man he Is.
wei, my husband returned about
$50 and noticed that he was act
ing strangely. He had not been
drinking, however. He told me that
he and the farmer could not come to
terms on the price of the cattle, but
that the farmer had promised to call
him up. About O'Clock he said he
would phone to the farmer"
She told her husband it was too
late to telephone, and he became
angry.
Louis succeeded in calling the
farmer to the phone and talking to
him" she continued, land after that
he acted very strangely. | have seen
him in moods like that before, and |
had a ways thought that at times
like those he was sort of insane.
After 9 O'Clock we ate lunch together,
and then | went to bed. | pleaded
with him to retire too, because |
thought if he would go to sleep he'd
sleep off that queer fit of his. He
refused to come to bed, and It fright
ened me. Usually l can coax him to
DO most anything.
1T must have been after -
O'Clock when I heard shot. l fol-
lowed him, and he was in the room
where the children slept. Little Carl
| was 'ying in a pool Of blood, and
blood was streaming from the head
of Walter, my nephew. Charlie,
Walter and Willie were in the same
room, but none of the bullets struck
them. | rushed back to my room
and shortly after that my husband
came in, holding the revolver. Ernst,
his brother, walked into the room.
and, seeing him with the revolver in
his hand, said, Then it was you,
Louis, who shot me- Then | Crap
pied with my husband in an attempt
TO WreSt the WeapOn from MN, anu
| in doing so both my hands were shot
at the base of the thumbs"
Or. O. j Furth, who cared for the
woman and the wounded boy, said
| that Mrs. Hoffman, and her nephe ",
Walter Hoffman,, aged II, would re-
cover un ess something unforeseen
| happened.
Ernest Hoffman, was shot In his
| nose. the bullet coming out back of
the right ear" said DR.. Furth. 1.-THE
| bullet which struck Walter passed
through the back of his head, and
fattened against his skull. | re-
| moved the bullet. His IS a miracu-
| lous escape"