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-MURDERED HIS TWO GRANDCHILDREN.j Burlington, Feb. 18.—Adam Wirt, anold man who Jived on a farm twelve miles north of this place, attempted to kill his daughter-in-law jesterday morning, but failing in this he set fire to his house, burning to death his two infant grandchildren, and then committed suicide Wirt, who it is thought was insane, had been very mcody during the pest few days, aetiug in an absent minded manner and scarcely seeming to know what was going on about him He arose yesterday morning about the usual time, and going to the kitchen sat there until breakfast had been j repared After breakfast his son, William Wirt, started for a neighbor’s house,where he was working, leaving his wife! and two children with his fatherHe had scarcely passed out of s:ghtwhen the o‘d man’wt nt to a ehlt; d near by, armed himself with a corn knife, ar d returned to the house and entered the kitchen. Mrs. Wirt was bu-v washing dishes and pa;d no attention to her f.sther-lu-law, who stole up behind her, caught her by the hair, and attempted to cut her throat. She screamed anil struggled so violently that her assailant, afterslightly wounding her. allowed her to escape. She ran to the house where her husband was working. still bleeding from her wound, and managed to tell her story. Several men immediate y started for the Wirt farm, hut be-j fore they could reach it flames were seen bursting from the bouse. There were no means of fighting the fire. While they were standing looking on Mrs. Wirt again rushed up. and in a half crazed way said that her two children were in the house. Her husband dashed into the burning I building in the vain ii pc of rescuing the hebes, but, overcome by the smoke, vrus f reed to return to the open air. Repeated Jlt; fforts wt-re made to reach the roomwhere the children uad been left sleeping.but each time the dense smoke drove therescuers back * jMrs. Wirt, who had watchtd the attempts to save her childr« n, tainted when Jshe saw that all the efforts were useless. She was taken to the house of a friend, w'here she bea in a critical condition, I physicians fearing that the shock will prove fatal. A search was instituted f°r I Adam Wirt, and after some time his bodv Iwas found hanging to a rafter in a barn. I His ori lias been driven nearly insane by I the fearful affair, while his wife's condi- I ] tion is being kept from him. the pliy si- I cians thinking that this additional shock I lt;would destroy the onlv chance of saviDg I 1his reason. I ‘
Newspaper Details
Dubuque Daily Herald
Dubuque, Iowa, US
Sun, Feb 19, 1888
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Burlington P.
IA, USA 02 Feb 2022
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