The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-01-01
RICH FARMER
TAKES. LIFE
AFTER KILLING
WIFE IN BARN
]. Valentine Kaufman, Found
by a Neighbor Woman,
Leaves Letters Telling OF
Domestic Trouble.
CONTENTS ARE SECRET

When Mrs. William Hudson, wife OF
farmer living near Pennville. went to
the home of her neighbors, ]. valen.
tine Kaufman and wife, one-half mile
south OF Pennville. Sunday afternoon.
to extend New Years greetings to
them she almost swooned when she
found the body of Kaufman sprawled
on the kitchen floor with a gaping
bullet hole in his temple.
Near the body was a piece of paper
or which was scrawled: Go look in
the barn" Hurrying to the barn Mrs.
Hudson found the body of Mrs Kauf.
man. dead from a bullet fired through
the side Of her head
After completing an investiga ton of
the double tragedy, DR. r. D. Morrow,
county coroner, announced today that
he would return a verdict that Kauf.
man murdered his wife and then com.
mitted suicide
Murders Wife on Saturday.
1t is believed that kaufman murder.
ed his wife Saturday morning whila
she was in the barn as it was her
custom to go to the barn every morn.
ing to feed some calves. Kaufman
killed himself some time Saturday
afternoon or evening. Neighbors saw.
him as late as o'clock Saturday
afternoon and the condition of the
mans body indicated that he had been
dead probably twenty-four hours wnen
the body was discovered.
Some letters written b. Kaufman
were found by the coroner. These
letters were addressed to a relative
and in them Kaufman recited his do
mestic troubles. Coroner Morrow has
nos divulged the contents of these let.
ters. Prosecutor Strayer is working
on the case but has secured no evi.
dence which would indicate that
third person had figured in the
tragedy.
Son is On Honeymoon.
Z fhe only child or the counie. ce.gl
Kaufman. has been on honeyn,oon
trip, having beer married to Miss
Marjorie Mayhem of this city, shortly
before Christmas. a telegram inform
ing him of the death of his parents
reached him yesterday at Chambers
burg, Pa. He is expected TO arrive in
Richmond some time this afternoon.
The Kaufman's were well.to-do
farmers, living on 197-acre farm
which was owned by Mrs. Kaufman
Neighbors state that for some time
there had been trouble over the man.
agement of the farm, which Vas jointly
managed by father and son, it is un.
derstood. Neighbors also state. that
whenever such dispute arose Mrs.
Kaufman. owner of the farm, almost
invariably sided with her son.
It is also stated that Kaufman was
high tempered man and it is believed
that he murdered his wife while In
sanely angry.
No Evidence of Struggle.
There is no evidence to indicate any
struggle between Kaufman and his
wife in the barn and it is believed he
shot her without warning Follow
ing the crime kaufman probably de-
beted in his own mind for several
hours as to his own fate; whether he
should surrender himself to the author.
tiles and accept the laws decree, or
whether he should impose the death
penalty upon himself and be his own
executioner. He decided to take the
law into his own hands. Seating him.
self on the floor of the kitchen Kauf-
man placed a mirror between his legs.
Gazing into the mirror he placed the
muzzle of the revolver, 80 calibre.
against the right temple and pulled
the trigger. There were only two
cartridges in the revolver One killed
Mrs. Kaufman, the other her husband.
Head Dress Is Scorched.
Probably Kaufman held his wife
when he shot her. A head dress worn
by the woman was scorched and burn
ed showing that the muzzle of the gun
was pressed to her head when the shot
was fired.
The Kaufmans lived In western
Wayne county for many years and
both were highly esteemed Although
it was known that there had been
domestic troubles of late the neigh
bors were dumbfounded when they
learned of Kaufman's deed
George Crull of Williamsburg, is tho
father of Mrs. Kaufman.
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