Sep. 29, 1912, Charles Pfanschmidt, his wife, daughter and a
school teacher who lived in the same house were dismembered, beheaded, skulls
split open, and their bodies burned before the house was set afire.[1] His son attempted to hide Charles’ body, in
the hopes Charles would be blamed for the murders.[2] He was eventually convicted of the murders.[3]
Category: Family.
Suicide: No.
Weapon: axe, at least.[5]
[1] “Four
killed in Sleep in Farm Home,” Rock
Island [Ill.] Argus, Sep. 30,
1912, 1; “Burned Bodies in Stove,” The
Daily Gate City [Keokuk, Ia.], Apr. 8, 1913, 6.
[2] “Demands
Death for Pfanschmidt,” The Day Book [Chicago,
Ill.], Apr. 19. 1913, 3.
[3] “Delay
for Pfanschmidt,” Rock Island [Ill.] Argus, Oct. 18, 1913, 14.
[4] “Burned
Bodies in Stove,” The Daily Gate City
[Keokuk, Ia.], Apr. 8, 1913, 6
[5]
“Horrible Deed of Despondent Man,” Dubuque
[Ia.] Telegraph-Herald, Dec. 28,
1911, 87
Interestingly enough, I was looking for mass murders not in the Wikipedia list. The phrase "mass murder" appears to be uniquely 20th century. So I hunted for family and murders within 10 words of each other.
Again, I recommend the book The Man from the Train. By Bill James (known as father of Sabremetrics).
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