On This Date in Minnesota History: May 18

May 18, 1929 - Julius, Ida, and Ernest Schuch were found beaten to death in their Waseca County home by Julius' daughters, Elizabeth, 18, and Wilhelmina, 16,, who had gone into town around 7 p.m. to meet some friends and run some errands. Upon returning home around 10 p.m., the girls found the door open and the lights on in the house, unusual for that time of night. Much to their horror, they also found their little sister Ida, 11, unconscious and bleeding on the floor.  The phone lines had been cut, forcing Elizabeth and Wilhelmina to drive into town to contact the police.

A search by police and neighbors of the farm eventually located their father Julius who “was found dead by the front gate of the farm. He had wounds to his arms and head. His head had a hole in his skull where his right eye was supposed to be. Julius was also found with clenched fists. The clenched fists plus the condition of the grass around where Julius laid, led officers to believe Julius had put up a fight.  Ernest was also found dead in a wheat field east of the farm. His skull was crushed and beaten into the dirt of the field. Ida was taken to the hospital where she died the next day at 10 p.m. She never regained consciousness.”

The only thing missing from the Schuch house was a small safe from the girls' bedroom, which was “used for insurance forms and farm papers. However, when the murder occurred the safe held at the most $25.00 and possibly some school books. To this day the Schuch murders remain unsolved.”

http://www.waseca.k12.mn.us/vhm/1919-1940/schuch.htm

http://www.lakesnwoods.com/images/Waseca43.jpg

http://www.lakewoods.com/images/Waseca43.jpg

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