Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1891 — GHASTLY MURDER DONE [ARTICLE]

GHASTLY MURDER DONE

SIX CORPSES FOUND IN A NEBRASKA FARM-HOUSE. J. B. Poter'baugh, a Prosperous Firmer Living Near E lis, Big Wife, and Fqur Chi’dren Discovered Lead wiih Bullet Holes in Their Beads. Mrs. Dr. Alien', of Beatrice, went to Ellis, Neb., on a visit to hor brother, John H. Puterbaugh, who lived a mile and a half south of town. She was driven to the farm by Louis Perling and knocked at the door, but receiving no response entered the house, the door not being locked. As she entered she saw her brother on the floor near the door, and supposed ho was asleep. She spoketo him, but there being no response, she looked more, closely, and saw blood on her brother’s ghastly face. Mrs. Alien called Per ing In, who made an investigation, and found a horrible state of affairs. On a bed in the room in which the husband and father lay was the mother with a bullet through her head. In bed with her was a 2-vear-old babe, also shot through the head. On a lounge In the room lay a lad of 10 years dead, shot, through the head. In the room above was another bed occupied by two young, girls, one 13 and one 15, both dead with bullet-holes in their heads. The dead are John Puterbaugh, his. wife, and four children. How they met. their terrible fate is as yet not known, only by surmise. The general belief is that the terrible aeed was the work of the husband And father. The motive ia not known, as Puterbaugh was a peaceable man in comfortable circumstances, and it is believed no trouble existed in the family. It seems certain that the terrible crime was committed by Puterbaugh. By his side, under his arm, lay a 32-caliber sixchambered revolver with all the chambers empty. The scene in the house was a horrible one and made the strongest hearted turn away. The faces of the dead, though covered with blood, were calm as though sleeping. No signs of fear were portrayed on any of them, and no evidence of a struggle werte seen anywhere. All seemed to have been killed while sleeping, and all were shot directly through the skull. In every case the pistol was placed close to the head, as powder stains were visible upon the pillows or bed clothing. Puterbaugh was not a drinking man and had the reputation of being an honest and peaceable citizen. He suffered from grip last spring and since then has not been ip the best of health, frequently complaining of a pain in his head. He was a man about 38 or 40 years of age, and his wife was a year or two younger. The murdered children were as follows: Carrie, 15 years; Mabel, 13 years; Charles, 10 years; Ralph, 2 years One son, Allen, 17 years of age, survives. Ho was away from home at work. Puterbaugh was in Beatrice a few days ago and is said to have then purchased the revolver with which the terrible deed was committed. In the barn near the house were the two mules and three horses Hitched to a wagon in front of the barn were two more horses, and in the field a number of cows. Tho house was farly well furnished for a farm bouse, and in the cupboard Was an abundance-of good food. Puter- - baugh owned 240 acres of land, which lie purchased in March last from A. Wisnell, of Beatrice. He was liked by all who knew him there and at his former home in Diller.

The Electric Chair. Many States will follow New York’s example within the next few years.— Minneapolis Tribune. So far as preventing publicity in the press is concerned, the law seems to bo a failure. Perhaps It would be more exact to say that those who are charged with the execution of the law talk too much.— lndianapolis Journal. Those electrocutions in New York appear to have been entirely successful in removing from this life the four condemned murderers. Electrocution is probably more merciful than hanging.— Dayton Times. If wo must have capital punishment it Is possible the new,mbtlmd is preferable to the old, but the people are entitled to know whether that is so or not, and they never could know if the press gag clauso of the law were respected and observed.— Rochester Herald. It will undoubtedly bo many years before the electric death is adopted In the other capital punishment States of the Union, and perhaps before it Is generally adopted there may be simpler, although probably no less painful, methods of execution. — Detroit Free Press. On the whole, there is every reason for tho opinion that electrical execution of crimina s is a distinct advance of civilization. The only respect in which the new law is a failure is in its attempt to prevent the press of the United States from giving the news with regard to that important change.— Pittsburg Dispatch. Evidently tho eloctrical process of killing is morp.hijmane th»n s hgpging, although It is barbaious enough, heaven knows. Capital punishment is a hideous and an awful thing, and it seems a safe prediction that twenty-five years hence It will not be j raeticed in any form by any people pretending to civilization. — Indianapolis Sentinel. It does not need a careful reading of tho official story to convince any one that the attempt to regulate by law the sencationalism in reports of executions is a farce, and that the regulation cannot bo repealed too soon. Apparently executions by electricity comply with all iho requirements of a humane law, but the off eial report must be filed away with other unsuccessful experiments. —Troy Uimes. The exeent on of the four murderers,. Sioeum, Smiler, Wood and Jugiro,which occurred in Sing Sing Prison, seemed to demonstrate the fact that electricity furnishes the most humane method of taking life. The tions which made the taking off of Kewunler a horror were avoided, and all witnesses testify that the four men died quick.y and painlessly.— Orand Rapids he nocrat It is safe to say that In New York at least tho rope and scaffold will never more be tho method of legaJly puttingcondemned murderers to death. The adoption of electrical execution by other States will not long be deferred.—Cleveland Plain D;aln\ There are differences of opinion as to the deterrent influences of the death penalty on evil-doers, but there is n» room at all for donbt that while this penalty remains in vogue the electrical system of inflicting it has many and conspicuous advantages over all other methods jei devised.—Sf. Louis Globe-Demo-crat.