Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1891 — A THIRST FOR BLOOD. [ARTICLE]

A THIRST FOR BLOOD.

A MINNESOTA MAN STARTS IN TO BUTCHER HIS FAMILY. fwl Reher, • Wilkin County German, Shoots HU Wife, His Son, and His Daufhtsr. and Then Blows Hl s Own Br *h»s Out—Mrs. Reher Dead and thh Son Expected to Die —Family Quarrels the Causa of the Tragedy. [Fergus Fall (Minn.) dispatch.l The chapter of horrors which has marked the closing year in Minnesota is not yet complete, and the tragedy which took place a, few miles southwest of Carlisle, Wilkin County, in some respects caps all others of recent date in its horror and utter brutality. Yesterday the family of Carl Reher consisted of six persons. To-day the father and mother are dead, the son is hovering on the edge of the grave, and one daughter is dangerously wounded. Carl Reher was a German aged neany 60, who lived in a cabin on “the flats,” as they are called, in Wilkin County, about twelve miles from this city. His family consisted of his wife, aged 49; his son Henry, 25; and three daughters, aged 22, 16, and 14. Reher was a taciturn, moody man, who was held In much fear by his neighbors as a person of unbridled passions and dangerous disposition. His son Henry has served a term in the penitentiary for horse-stealing and was known as a hard character. Of the women of the family perhaps the less said the better.

For the last three years there have been bitter family quarrels which often resulted In violence. Against any outside interference, however, the family always united as one person, as in the case of the arrest of Henry Reher for horse-stealing, when the others did all they could to shield him from the law. A few weeks ago, after an unusually violent family broil, Carl Reher quit the house and went to Elizabeth, a German village eight miles from here, where he opened a shoe shop, and has since Worked steadily until last night. Saturday night he got a ride with a neighbor and went home. The rest of the horrible story of last night’s crime was learned from the lips of his dying wife and his daughters. Reher entered his home on the flats at about 9 o’clock in the evening. All the members of the family were there, and jumped up in surprise at the unexpected appearance. He walked to the table with apparent unconcern, and laid down several small bags of candy and a large bottle of whisky. “These are Christmas presents for you, and I have got some more,” he said, and stepped into a leanto at the back of the house, used sot a woodshed, and a moment later reappeared at the door with a self-cocking revolver in each hand. These he leveled and began firing. The first bullet was fired at his son, but missed its mark. The young man staggered back, and threw up his arms to protect himself. The second and third bullets struck him in the arm, which was shockingly mangled. The fourth bullet was aimed at his oldest daughter and entered her shoulder. The lamp was extinguished by the fifth shot, which entered the body of Mrs. Reher. By this time the whole family was in a frenzied state, and all made a rush for the door. Reher dropped his revolvers and drew a huge carving-knife. As Henry Reher reached the door his father plunged the knife into his son’s back, penetrating deep into the lungs. In spite of this ghastly wound the young man mounted his horse and rode two miles to the house of Henry Schomann, the nearest neighbor, who at once went to Carlisle and telegraphed this city and Wahpeton for surgeons. , The three daughters got safely out of the house and scattered to hide themselves in a haymow and outbuildings. Mrs. Reher was left alone in the house with the butcher. He attacked her fiercely with the carving-knife and stabbed her again ?nd %gain. She fell, apparently dead, and he went to find his daughters and finish his work. He did not succeed and returned to the house. His wife was gone. The youngest daughter, who watched the scene from the haymow, describes what next occurred. Her father appeared at the door with his dripping knife still in hand. The moonlight lit up the landscape brilliantly, and he saw his wife crawling painfully on her hands and knees fifty yards away. He ran to her and again fell upon her with fiendish ferocity and plunged his knife again and again in her prostrate body. Then he returned to the house. Half an hour later several neighbors, well armed, arrived. The three daughters were still in hiding. They had heard a single pistol shot, but no other sound. The neighbors entered the house and found Rehor stone dead with a bullet in his brain and a rope around his neck. He had thrown the rope over a beam and put the noose ai*ound bis neck, and as the noose tightened he had blown out his brains. He lay there with his own blood mingling in a pool with that of his wife and son. Mrs. Reher also lay on the floor. She had crawled back into the house and lay almost by the side of her dead husband. She had only strength to tell tfie story of the awful tragedy, and then died. Her body and limbs were hacked full of holes, any one of half a dozen of which would have been fatal. Dr. Thomas N. McLean, of this city, arrived three hours later, and shortly afterward Dr. Triplett of Wahpeton, and dressed.the wounds of Henry Reher and his sister. The former had lost a great quantity of blood and his injures are so severe it is thought he cannot survive. The girl will probably recover, though her wound is dangerous. Everything in and about the cabin was soaked with blood and the scene was one of the most ghastly that could be imagined..

Except the frequent quarrels. In the family there was. no known cause ; for Reher’s action. He was not a heavy drinker and according to the neighbors with whom he rode home he was perfectly sober the night of the tradegy. That the deed was premeditated is shown by the fact that he brought with him from Elizabeth three revolvers, all fully loaded, and the which he used ta hang himself with was entirely new, bought only the day before in Elizabeth.