Foul Murder

HANSEN

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 10/24/2009 at 09:52:22

Maquoketa Excelsior Record, October 14, 1919

FOUL MURDER

Ernest H. Hansen of near Elvira, Friday morning shot and killed his wife and two children, boys two and four years old respectively and then turned the shot gun on himself and pulled the trigger. When found by the neighbors they had all been dead for a day or so. After killing the rest of the family he took off his shoe and placing the gun with the muzzle to his breast pulled the trigger with his toe and death was instantaneous. He left a note saying he intended to commit the deed and that it was on account of his wife’s people, but neighbors say that the couple had been heard quarreling the day before. The evidence shows that the wife had been crying as she held a handkerchief in her hand and was holding it up to her face even in death. She and the little one were lying in the bed and the gun wound was in the back of the head. He may have been insane and he may not have been. The only trouble is that he killed the wrong person first.