Year: 1866




About nine O'Clock yesterday morning
word came to town that a most shocking
and terrible tragedy had been committed at
the house Of John Wiffen bach, who lived
about half mile out on the HawkinsYiIle
road Upon repairing to the place horri.
bic sight presented. In the bedroom, on
the bed, lying on her side, was the body o.
Of Mrs. Wiiienbach, still warm and evident
lv but Il short time dead. A large-sized
Iayy Colts six-shooter was lying on the
bed, near her. Three chambers of the pis-
tol had been recently emptied and the ham
mer was down on the fourth, showing tha
the weapon had been cooked for a fourth
shot but afterwards let down. The bed
was completely saturated with blood,
and presented a most CHASTITY appearance.--
Two bullet holes were in the side Of the
wall, making it evident that t,vo Intellectual
shots had been fired at her before the bloody
deed was consumated The fatal bullet
struck her in the left jaw near the corner
of the mouth and ranging upward under
the ear lodged in the base Of the brain, pro
ducng death in few minutes In another
room used by the family as a pantry lay
the body of John " WIfienbach, the husband
of the dead woman. The body lay on it's
back across the centre of the room. where
it had fallen. A double barreled shotgun.
one barrel of which had been recently
fired, lay near the corpse. The room pre-
senied picture of ghastly horrors such as
is seldom seen. THe fl or was literally
covered with the blood and brains Of the
unfortuuant man. The ceiling, the walls,
the doors, and everything in the room was
spattered with brains and sprlnkled with
gore. Several large fragments Of the skull
were lying around the room, one piece as
large as the bottom OF tumbler. being
blown over the doorway Of an adjoining
room. TIE entire head was blown clear
of, leaving only the skin of the face, AID u
shapeless portl)n Of the scalp. The muzzle
Of the gun had been placed in his mouth
and the charge consisting of bucksnut ana
pistol bullets, after tearing the head to
fragments passed out through the roof Of the
dwelling.


a Coroner's Jury was Immediately con
vened and after making thorough investi
CATION Of the premises and examining a
number OF witnesses, among whom was tae
little daughter OF the unfortunant parents.
the jury rendered the verdict = that the de
ceased, Mrs Catherine Wifenhach. came to
her death on the morning Of the 4th day OF
january, 1866, from the effects of pistol
shot wound, inflicted bv some person IA
known and that John " fienbach came t.
his death by his own hands about an hour
afterwards


From all the information we can gather in
regard to this most terrible deed. and the
unfortunate man and woman who were the
victims. we publish the following account:


The deceased, John Wjfenbach, is about
orty years Of age and a native of Ger
many. He came to Yreka in 1858. and com
menced farming on the ranch owned and
occupied by him at his death. Always in
duStrious. honest and frugal, he in few
years amassed considerable fortune and
married the wife who is the Joint victim in
this fearful tragedy Four children were
born, the eldest of whom is the little
girl about five years old, before mentioned
During the last three years Mrs WiHenbach
who Is aged about thirty years, has been
subject to fits Of insanity. during which she
won1 act wildly and strangely. but rs fll
we have heard never offered any violence
to herself or any one else. but was very
afiectionate to her children. Within wear
or two past, Wffenbach himself. has at diff





Of insanity, which bave rather been increaS
ing until those with whom he was doing
business regarded him as not being in his
right mind, but never thought him in the
least degree dangerous. as he was never
known to manifest the least violence 1t
appears from all the facts and circumstances
elected, that while in fir Of insanity YES
terday morning about half an hour before
dayilg t. he was seen by one Of his neigh
bors, who spoke to him and noticed that be
looked very pale and seemed much agitateG
The nelghbnr soon left and WifFenbach re
turned to the house. made a FIRE in the stove
and prepared some coffee for the children
who had got up. He told the little girl v ia
Is the oldest Of them, that their mother had
tri d to Kill him. and had killed herself. he
then took pass book and wrote the follow
ing message to Mr.. Chas. Hoffman Of thi;
city, directing the child to he sure and de
liver IL:


8 Chas. Ho6mon-Ta my children anC
my properly and take them to Germany t'
my sister, My wife has shot herself, and
will not live any longer.


Wiffenb bach then loaded a shotgun with ;
double charge of buckshot, stepped into th'
kitchen out of sight Of the children. placet
the muzzle of the gun in his mouth and witt
his foot fired the fatal shot that Launched
him into eternity. Both victims were mem
bers of the NJ. f. Church, and much esteem
ed and respected by all the community
While nothing conclusive is known as +,
who really fred the shot that killed the wife
whether herself or her erring usband We
it is the opinion of those with whom w
have eonyersed that while in a fit Of INSANITY
as above related he committed the dreadful
crime.