People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1896 — KILLED HIS FAMILY. [ARTICLE]

KILLED HIS FAMILY.

AND THEN ENDED HIS OWN LIFE IN THE SAME WAY. Because They Were Cold and Hungry and He Was Out of Work and Despondent—The Awful Deed at Chicago. ■» The following dispatch, dated Feb. 5, comes from Chicago: “An entire family of six, father, mother, wife and three children, were murdered last night by Richard Klattke, a Lake View carpenter, who then completed his work by killing himself. The dead are: “Richard Klattke, carpenter, aged 38. “Kate Klattke, his wife. “John Klattke, his father, aged 73. “Wilhelmine Klattke, his mother, 71. “Mina Klattke, daughter, aged 9. “Anna Klattke, daughter, aged 8. “Emma Klattke, daughter, aged 7. “The members of the Klattke family were found dead early this morning in their cottage at 207 Berteau avenue. The discovery was made by Matthew Brown, a saloonkeeper. Mr. Brown wishing some work done, called at the Klattke residence to secure the services of the carpenter. He rapped on the door, but there was no response. Knowing that the Klattkes were early risers, he became suspicious, called neighbors and broke in. In the house he found the seven corpses. Each had a bullet wound in the head. In each ease the ball had penetrated the brain and death had evidently been instantaneous. “Beside the bodjf of Richard Klattke lay a revolver, and empty cartridge shells were scattered about the rooms. One peculiar feature was the lack of any indication of a struggle on the part of any of the victims, and a heavy odor which appeared to be that of chloroform pervaded the house. From this it was surmised that Richard had first chloroformed the entire family, and had then at his leisure taken deliberate aim and had put the bullet into the brain of each. Mr. Brown took a hasty surveyonly of the premises, and then hastened to send word to the police. A detail of oflicers was sent to the scene in a patrol wagon and a more careful examination was made of the surroundings. There seemed but little more to complete the tale told by Brown. Everything pointed to a deliberately planned murder by the head of the family, and a desire to place himself and family beyond any further earthly troubles. “A close examination of the remains showed that one of the victims alone had any warning of her fate. This was Mrs. Kate Klattke, the wife of the murderer. She, it appeared, had struggled with her husband before the'fatal shot was fired. Her hands were scratched and her clothing torn. She had evidently been overpowered and thrown on the bed beside the dead body of her little 7-year-old daughter Emma. Both were found in the rear room of the frame cottage where they lived. The pillow and bed clothing were saturated with blood, which had flowed from the wound ip the right cheek, just below the eye of each. The bullets had been fired at close rangeland the faces of the victims were burned and torn by the force of the powder. The snot for

the revolver’s mark was carefully chosen and was the same in each of the victims. “On a chair lay a whetstone and two knives, each of which had been eharpened to the keen edge of a razor. It was evident that Klattke had prepared for a possible failure of his revolver ind had arranged for a sure substitute, if needed. “Klattke was despondent. His family were cold and hungry. Since Christmas he had been out of work, and he ended his troubles just as relief was in sight. "This morning his next door neighbor. Adolph Smith, called at -the cottage with the joyful news that he had found a job for Klattke. At the same time Matt Brown arrived on the same errand. They came too late, just how much no one knows, for the bodies were cold when discovered.” Oh, God, how long? In this beautiful world of sunshine, and' peace, and plenty, a man denied by law the right and opportunity to earn his living. In this land of wonderful rivers, shimmering lakes and babbling brooks, the poor choose death by violent means rather than by the slow process of starvation. The fields of golden grain fill granaries and elevators to oyerflowing. The fertile fields of the sunny South produce cotton for half the world. On the backs of million of sheep grows the wool to clothe the nations. Our extensive forests contain lumy ber to shelter the world. From the bowels of the earth we produce ores such as old Ophir ne’er dreamed of. In our great cities are hundreds of churches whose spires pierce the blue above. So plentiful and bounteous do all these stores of nature yield, that “overproduction” has been named as one of the evils of the times. Amidst all this plenty, and right at the threshold of the church and almshouses. people are literally dying by inches through the slow process of starvation. Only a short time ago a woman murdered her family in Kansas and then took her own life. Cause, hunger and cold —destitution. Now a man murders his family and himself for the same cause. One was in the rural districts, whil - Ihe other was in the city. Had he only waited a day longer he would have had work. But it came too late. The deed was done. The cold, stiff, stark bodies were past all suffering. The white, silentmpturned faces appeal to heaven for vengeance; for “vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” “I will repay.” “I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick in prison, and ye visited me not.” “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” Special laws and our system of distribution gives millions to one and misery to thousands, Christian people uphold these systems, this condition, by fltelr votes.

We lay it to their door, the condition, and they are responsible for these murders.