Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-21
Ray Pfahschmidt of Quin-
cy Wins Appeal Before
Supreme Court.
CLAIMS WRIT OF ERROR
Crime With Which He Is Charg-
ed One of Most Gruesome in
Illinois History.

Springfield, ILL.,, Fec. s1.-Ray
Pfanschmidt, convicted in Adams
county of quadrupie murder, Won In
the supreme court today when the low
er courts finding was reversed on Il
writ of error. He will have a new
trial.
One of the points which won the new
trial for Pfanschmidt was the decision
by the upper court that the work of
bloodhoundS is too unreliable to be ac-
cepted as evidence. Hounds followed
a trail to Pfanschmidt's home and the
trial court admitted this as evidence
against the defendant. In the order
for new trial the supreme court also
granted a change of venue from Adams
county ito some county where preju-
dice does not exist"
Quincy, ILL.,, Feb. 21.-The crime
with which Ray Pfanschmidt is charg-
ed was one of the most gruesome ever
committed in Illinois. Four persons,
Charles Pfanschmidt, father of the ac-
cused, Mathilda Pfanschmidt, h;A
mother, Blanche Pfanschmidt, a sis
ter, and Miss Emma Kaempen, a
L
schmidt home, were found dead in
the ruins of the Pfanschmidt home,
eleven miles southeast of Quincy on
September %, 1912. The bodies al
though badly burned in the fire which
destroyed the house, showed signs OF
having been beaten and chopped II
was the testimony of the experts at
the trial that the four victims were
killed and their bodies later burned
Ray Pfanschmidt, then not 81 years
of age and the only surviving member
of the family, was accused of the
crime. Bioodhounds had followed a
trail to the camp where he made his
headquarters and later he was arrest
ed when a bloody khaki suit such as
he had worn was found in an out
building.
Heavily in Debt.
The trial of Ray Pfanschmidt began /.
in the circuit court of Adams county.
March Is, 1913, Judge Guy Williams
of Havana presiding. Owing to the
wealth and prominence of the Pfan-
schmidt family and the high intelli-
gence of the accused, who was form
er student at the University of Illi-
nois, the case attracted widespread ar
tention. Ten days were taken in get
ting the jury.
At the trial, which lasted one day
more than month the state made an
effort to prove that Pfanschmid.
heavily in debt and engaged to marry
Esther Reeder, killed his father, moth
er and sister in order to inherit the
estate and be the benz
ficiary of the insurance carried by hts
father and mother. The strongest
evidence against the young defendant
was the blood stained khaki suit, hoof-
prints in the barhyard which fitted the
shoe worn by Pfanschmidts horses
and his Indifference TO efforts to find
the murderer. In his own defense,
tried to establish an
alibi.
Sentenced to Hang
The jury on the first ballot unani-
voted Pfanschmidt guilty. At
first IL jurors favored the death pen
atty, one favored life Imprisonment
Finally all voted for the death pen
alty. Judge williams denied the mo-
ton for a new trial and On July s
sentenced Pfanschmidt to be execut-
ID Oct. IS. A writ of supersedas was
granted and the case was taken to the
supreme court of Illinois on writ OF
error.
Ray Pfanschmidt always has main
aimed his innocence and not once has
his courage failed. He has seemed
wholly unwilling to consider seriously
his predicament.
The family of Miss Esther Reed, the
fiancee of Ray Pfanschmidt. now re-
side in California.