Obit: Hanne, Charles "Carl" (1870? - 1903)
Contact: ken@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Hanne, Riplinger, Benjamin, Peterson, Pankratz, Eder, St. John, Freeman,

----Sources: Marshfield News (Marshfield, Wisconsin) Thursday Oct. 8, 1903 P. 1 C. 2

Deed of a Maniac

A dispatch from Colby under date of Tuesday says: Last night Carl Hanne of the town of Hull, drove his wife into the woods, set fire to his barn, and then killed himself. His body was found this morning with a bullet through his head and a revolver in his hand. His wife has not been found. The man had been an inmate of the Northern Hospital for the Insane and is thought to have been crazy.

----Source: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) Thursday, 8 Oct 1903

Hanne, Carl (? - 6 Oct. 1903)

On Tuesday morning of this week, the sons of Carl Hanne, a farmer of the town of Frankfort, Wisconsin came to Colby, Wisconsin and swore out a warrant for their father, charging him with having set on fire and burned two barns on their farm, (and with having shot at various members of his family) the night before.

Judge White issued the warrant, and same was placed in the hands of Constable Ben Riplinger for service. When the officer reached the premises situated seven miles due east of Colby on the Wausau road, he discovered the body of Carl Hanne in a field adjoining his own premises behind a stump, dead, with a revolver clutched in his right hand. The officer returned to Colby and reported the facts to Judge White. The Judge immediately impaneled a jury consisting of G. T. Benjamin, N. P. Peterson, John Pankratz, Jr., Henry Eder, Fred Riplinger and Grant St. John, and subpoenaed Dr. Freeman to make the medical examination.

The body was found as stated, with a bullet hole in the right temple the body on its hands and knees face on the ground and the muzzle of the revolver almost in the wound and the face blackened by the powder. Dr. Freeman made a thorough examination, removing the top of the skull and found both lobes of the brain shattered and the bullet in the back part of his head, said bullet fitted the revolver which deceased held in his right hand. The jury returned a verdict of suicide without any hesitation.

There is no question but what Carl Hanne committed the murderous assault upon his family and burned the barns with all their contents while insane.

About one year and a half ago Mr. Hanne sold his farm and all personal property to his sons, and soon afterward developed symptoms of insanity, was examined at Wausau and pronounced insane and was committed to the Northern Hospital for the insane. Last May however, Hanne was discharged as cured, since which time he has lived with his family, but has frequently made threats against various members of his family and also threatened to commit suicide.

Last week the farm was sold, and on Saturday all personal property was disposed of at auction, since which Mr. Hanne was practically violent, and on ............. missing content.

Family Notes

1870 Federal Census, Wisconsin, United States

Charles Hanne, white, single, male

Household Members
William Hanne M 35y (1835) Prussia
Fredericke Hanne F 28y ((1842) Prussia
Charles Hanne M 5m (1870) Wisconsin
Anna Hanne F 4y (1866) Wisconsin

1905 Wisconsin State Census, Hull, Marathon, Wisconsin, pg. 367, family 105, line 24

Charles Hanne, single, white, male

Household Members
head Edgar Wilken M 56y Wisconsin
wife Charlott Wilken F 42y Wisconsin
son Rosco Wilken M 23y Wisconsin
son Ernest Wilken M 13y Wisconsin
son Eddie Wilken M 6y Wisconsin
Charles Hanne M 18y Wisconsin

*Charles, the son of Carl Hanne, married Emma E. Pacholke (b. 1897, Hull Marathon, Wis.) about 1918 in Hull, Wis.

1920 Federal Census, Marathon, Wisconsin

Chas Hanne, white, married, male
father's birthplace: Switzerland
mother's birthplace: Switzerland

Household Members
self Chas Hanne M 32y Iowa
wife Emma Hanne F 25y Pennsylvania
dau Lila Hanne F 5y Wisconsin
dau Audrey Hanne F 11m Wisconsin

1930 Federal Census, Hull, Marathon, Wisconsin, enumeration district number: 0031, family 77, line 79

Charles Hanne, white, married, male
father's birthplace: Switzerland
mother's birthplace: Switzerland

Household Members
head Charles Hanne M 43 (188) Iowa
wife Emma E Hanne F 35 Pennsylvania
daughter Lila L Hanne F 15 Wisconsin
daughter Audrey M Hanne F 11 Wisconsin
son Harold F Hanne M 9 Wisconsin
son Elroy L Hanne M 7 Wisconsin
son Eldred A Hanne M 7 Wisconsin
son Vernon A Hanne M 3 Wisconsin

1940 Federal Census, Hull Town, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States, enumeration district number: 37-30, family 177, line 10

Charles Hanne, white, married, male
relationship to head of household (standardized): Head
residence in 1935: Same House

Household Members
hired man Eldred Hanne M 17 Wisconsin
head Charles Hanne M 52(1888) Iowa
wife Emma Hanne F 45 Pennsylvania
son Harold E Hanne M 19 Wisconsin
son Elroy L Hanne M 17 Wisconsin
son Eldred A Hanne M 17 Wisconsin
son Vernon A Hanne M 13 Wisconsin