New-York tribune., 1920-01-18
Axnan Kills
4, Wounds 2;
Hangs Himself
Mad Farmer Stays Woman,
> Who Crushes 4-Day-Old
Child i'm Her Fall, Then
Murders Man and a Girl
Blow Chances From Wife
She Crawls in Snow for Aid;
Maniac Ends His Life in
Moose Made From Reins

BROOKLYN, Conn.,, Jan. 17.-Victor
Lipponenn, farmer. living west of
this village, went insane this morning
and after causing the death of his
four-day-oid child, and killing his
wife's nurse with an ak, drove into
the country attacking those who came
out to greet him at farm houses
where ne stopped. He killed Christian
q. Ritter, neighbor, and Elsie Rose
Kimber, daughter of another neigh
Dor, and inflicted injuries which it is
believed will prove fatal on Miss Kim
ber's mother, Mrs. Charles Ray. Then
he hanged himself.
He was carrying the ak when he
entered his home this morning after
doing the chores. Going to the room
OF his wife he aimed blow at her
as she lay in bed. The blade just
grazed her and she rolled to the floor
Mrs. SELMA Luoniala, wife Of q
nelghbor, who was acting as Mrs. Lip
ponepn's nurse, flung herself between
the maniac and his child's crib. Her
head was split by the axe and her body
fell across the crib, her weight crush
ing the life out Of the infant.
Wife Crawls Through Snow
Lippcnenn strobe out to the barn,
where he tried to kill his four cows,
gashing their heads with the axe. and
then hitched his team to a sleigh. His
wife, pausing only to throw a blanket
over her. shoulders, crawled from her
hiding place under the bed and made
her way painfully through the drifted
snow to the home of neighbor. She
was at the point of collapse when she
arrived
Her husband, the weapon concealed
by the lap robe, drove out to the road
and turned west. A third of a mile
from his home he drew up at Mr.. Rit-
ter's farm. AS is usual in a neighborly
countryside, Mr.. Ritter came to the
roadside to chat, where his daughter,
Cecilia, fourteen years old, and her
brother. Stephen, twelve, soon Joined
him.
anecdote about horse-tradinges e'" Still itI
smiling and talking, he reached be-
meath the robe and the next instant
brought the axe down on Mr., Ritter's
skull, cleaving it. While the madman
!!eaped from his sleigh to hack at the
body the children fed.
Llpponenn did not follow. He got
into the sleigh, >rranged the lap robe
as Defore 80 as to conceal the ak. and.
gathering up the reins, drove on.
Inc next house was that of Charles
Ray. The owner was not at home and
no one came out to gossip. Lipponenn
turned his team into an angle of the
fence and, taking the ak, went to the
side door. He greeted Mrs. Raw. who
appeared at his call. with a smile and q
cheerful Good morning" AS she re-
piled he brought the ak down on her
head. 0"'' oA nei
Miss kimber rushed to the door az
her mother fell and was struck glanc-
ing blow on the head. She turned
TO flee and Lipponenn again struck
almost severing her left arm. Charles
Kay, Jr., eleven years DID, ran Out of
the house as his sister dropped, dying
ana escaped. Possibly thinking that
the boy had hidden in the barn. Lin.
ponenn set fire to the structure. which
was destroyed with two horses and a
COW. ''''u q
Dies at Deserted Farm
Backing his team into the road 1;n-
ponenn kept on to the west. At H.
nIst crossroad he turned off, stoppino
at deserted farm. He unsnapned w.
re1ns, from the bits and with them IN
one hand and his ak in another ho ~,
entered the house. Ae
Deputy Sheriffs Edward por,o.4