Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-22

Special to Times Republican.
Toledo, June 22.-One of the most
shocking tragedies in the history Of
Tana county came to light yesterday
with the discovery of the dead bodies
of an entire household on the Mrs.
Joseph Ludvicek farm, eight miles
northeast of this city in Otter Creek
township. The official version of the
fair is a triple murder and suicide
The dead are:
Mrs. Joseph Ludvicek. aged Sc.
James Ludvicek. aged %.
Albert Ludvicek. aged q.
Miss Helen Ludvicek. aged IS.
Albert Believed Murderer.
The younger son Of the household,
Albert, is believed by the officials to
have been the murderer Of his mother,
brother and sister, and then to have
taken his own life. The only theory
assigned by the officers is the mental
derangement Of the younger son. Each
body bore the mark of a 22-caliber
bullet thru the head. and a rife of that
caliber was found lying beside the body
Of Albert.
Makes Grewsome Discovery.
The discovery Of the crime was made
by Joseph Buresh. a sonin-law of
Mrs. Ludvicek. who had butchered a
hog and had taken some Of the meat
TO the Ludvicek home for the use of
his mother i'll laws family, Buresh
lives few miles south of the Ludvicek
home. He thought it strange when he
saw no signs Of activity about the
place, aEi; &c he entered the kitchen
door was shocked TO find. lying
stretched out on the floor. the body Of
Albert Ludvicek. with a bullet hole in
his head and the rife lying by his
side.
Fearing the worst because he knew
Albert had been acting oddly Bur
esh searched the house. His fears
We're confirmed by finding the bodies
OF the other members OF the house
hold.
All Shot While in Bed.
Mrs. Ludvjcek. her son James and
daughter Helen had all been shot while
asleep. The mother was in room adj
joining the kitchen, James was dead in
his bed in his room upstairs. and
Helen's body was in her bed in another
upstairs chamber. From the condition
Of the bodies 1t Is presumed that the
crime had been committed at least
thirty-six hours. and possibly forty
eight hours, before. The officers are
inclined, however, to believe the quad
ripple shooting took place either Tues
day night OF "Wednesday morning at
the break of day.
Coroner Holds No Inquest.
DR.. Benjamin Thompson, of Tama;
Sheriff \. S. Petermon, OF Toledo;
County Attorney H. J. Ferguson. of
Tama, and Times-Repubiican CORE
spondent visited the scene of the muir
der yesterday. afternoon. After inves-
tigating the case the officers were so
convinced that Albert Ludvicek had
committed the murders that Coroner
Thompson decided an inquest was un-
necessary. The bodies were removed
to the Peterrnan & Belknap morgue
here.
Not Fright" For Year.
Joseph Buresh. the brother law
Of Albert Ludvicek, told the officers
Albert had been acting queerly for a
year. The family had not thought he
was mentally deranged, yet all realized
that at least he was odd Buresh
said that as far as he knew there had
never been any trouble within the fam
lily circle, and that the other members
Of the family had never had any oc-
casion to fear Albert.
Many Other Relatives in County.
The Ludvicek family is one Of the
many large Bohemian families in Tama
county. and lives in a Bohemian
neighborhood. Mr.. Ludvicek is living,
= n ie xx-ff o
have not been living together. Lud-
week resides with a daughter, Mrs. AL
bert Uchytil. In addition to Mrs. Uehy-
I'll and Mrs. Buresh the other children
in the family are Joseph Ludvicek, an
older son, who lives in Otter Creek
township: Miss Emma. who lives with
her brother Joseph. and Mrs. John Fox.
the latter Of Elberon.