Newspaper account of the murder of Samuel Breakwell, transcribed by Jan Mackie. The articles have been reproduced as printed, and contain some inaccuracies with regard to dates, places and spelling of names.

The Waukegan Daily Sun, Thursday, August 18, 1898.

  TRAGEDY

 "Pethke. Pethke!" These words, gasped in the last struggle of a useful life, sounded the knell of Rev. Samuel J. Breakwell in the village of Highwood yesterday afternoon. With blood gurgling from a fearful jab in his jugular vein, with a fearful slash across his nose, another just below his right eye on the cheek bone and a gash over his throat, the terrible butchery of a pocket knife in the hands of an engaged assassin this innocent God fearing man died. His last audible expression was to twice pronounce the name of his murderer, "Pethke." Carl "Pethke" the man who had caused him all the trouble of his life, who ruined his home, broke up his family and on account of whom he knew not at what moment his days of existence would come to an end in murder, just as they did in such a tragedy.

The cold blooded crime occurred about two o’clock in the afternoon on Highwood avenue, half way between the depot and the street car tracks on Waukegan avenue. Between these streets a little railroad park beautifully verdant, with grass and shade trees is situated. On the edge of this park beneath the shadow of a great tree the sidewalk dyed a deep red with the blood of the murdered man marks the scene of the awful act. There is a spot covered with clots of blood about four feet in circumference, and in it can be seen the imprints of feet and the pathmarks of bicycles which served to grind the stains in where they may be seen for a long time to come, and the little children as they see and talk about it will say, "There’s where Grandpa Breakwell was killed" for he was highly respected by all and a favorite with the children.

The murder was a cowardly act. Ten minutes before two o’clock it occurred. The best account was given in the words of Mrs. Harriet M. Fox, a Chicago music teacher who gives lessons in Highwood. At the inquest held by the coroner at the home of Samuel Breakwell, her story was as follows:

"I was walking east on Highwood avenue a short distance behind Samuel Breakwell and at the depot I went into the little park, when I heard some noise that attracted my attention and on looking I saw two men struggling upon the sidewalk between the railroad track and Waukegan avenue. I did not know what the matter was until I heard groans, when I ran toward them and screamed for the police. Mr. Breakwell was half sitting up and I saw a wound in the side of his neck to which I applied my handkerchief, holding it there with my hand. I asked him if he was badly hurt. "Yes," he said. "Pethke." The man who I saw scuffling on the sidewalk with Mr. Breakwell was standing just over the fence in the park.

He said nothing. I did not see the man when they met. I was in the Breakwell home just before and held conversation with him. When I first saw them scuffling they were standing up, with Mr. Breakwell’s head bent on the top of the fence, held there by Pethke, and before I got to them both were down on the walk. I saw no knife.

In the barbershop of Lew Schetzley, just across the corner, Justice Wm. E. Cummings was being shaved, when he heard the cries of the woman for help. He jumped at once from the chair and rushed outside with the barber towels yet upon him. He saw the men struggling and ran towards them. He picked up a club and as he came up to the men Breakwell was lying on the sidewalk and Pethke was stabbing him with a knife. When he saw Cummings, he stopped for his vicious job was done. He dropped the knife rose up and turned calmly and leisurely around. At this juncture S. J. Breakwell, Jr., rushed from his store on the corner of Highwood and Waukegan avenues, to the body of his prostrate father, hurrying back to the telephone for Doctor Wescott, who soon arrived.

Meanwhile, Cummings turned to Pethke and walked along with him toward Highwood avenue. Pethke said to him, "I want to go to Hogan’s store. That old fellow has been trying to do me, but I’ve fixed him now."

"Do you realize what you have done," asked Cummings.

"Yes, sir," he replied. "I know what I have done," and with that he attempted to enter Hogan’s store. His face was covered with the blood of his victim and his hands dripping with gore. "I want to go in and wash the blood off my face and hands." But Cummings said he must go with him. "I will" muttered the murderer. "I know what they will do with me." He was taken to the jail and locked up by officer Beddick."

Cummings went back to the scene of the tragedy where R. E. winter and several men had gathered to assist the dying man. Winter gave Cummings the knife and he returned to the jail. He showed it to Pethke who said, "yes, that’s my knife, and that the knife I did it with." There was satisfaction in his tone. He seemed not to regret his awful act and rejoiced that the climax of this feud had come.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wescott, D. E. Winter, a Highland Park jeweler, and Mrs. Fox and several others were doing all possible for the victim of Pethke’s assault. At one time, Breakwell seemed to recognize Mr. Winter and raising his arm he gasped , "Oh, Pethke, Pethke." Dr. Wescott found the man on the walk and sent for an old door, which was brought and the body placed on it. Blood was flowing from the several wounds, mainly from a gash in the jugular vein which had been apparently severed. He tried to revive him, but on finding it impossible, ordered that he be taken to his son’s home just across the railroad track west and a little south. Breakwell was fast failing and died on the way to the home. There was a triangular wound severing the jugular vein one inch in circumference two inches below the ear, a slash nearly severing the nose, a small cut on the cheek, and a cut three inches across the throat. This was Dr. Wescott’s report at the inquest held in the son’s home about 4 o’clock. The jury was as follows: James E. McDonough, J. E. Miller, Charles J. Robey, H. A. Lockard, Charles Gordon, and Wm. Lee.

The verdict of the jury was that Breakwell came to his death by hemhorage resulting from severing the external jugular vein by a knife in the hands of Carl Pethke and they recommended that he be held to await action of the Grand Jury.

Thus was the end of Rev. Samuel Breakwell, the pioneer merchant of Highwood, and well known minister of the gospel. The tragedy closed an eventful life marred by Pethke’s importunities, which resulted in a divorce of Breakwell from his wife, who went to live with Pethke and here lies the beginning of years of strife, litigation and domestic trouble. Carl Pethke was a tailor in Highwood. He came to Fort Sheridan about eight years ago, a regimental tailor in the 15^th infantry. Here Mrs. Breakwell and Pethke met, here they formed an attachment and to make the story complete the history leading up to a separation from Breakwell and trouble over property is necessary.

There are three lawsuits in the story of the three principals. When Breakwell and his wife were living together, he gave her a title to a piece of property. This after she left her husband Pethke induced her to transfer to him. She did so, but Breakwell as her husband, would not sign the deed and held a dower interest in the property up to the time of his death. It was a cloud on the title and hindered Pethke in getting loans and mortgages on it.

Angry at Breakwell for his refusal, Pethke who was not married to Breakwell’s wife sued both of them for board money. The case was tried here in the October term 1894 and a judgment against Mrs. Breakwell granted for $146, but Breakwell was not held responsible inasmuch as he showed in court that he was able and willing to support her would she but live with him.

In the same term a bill for divorce was entered by Samuel Breakwell against his wife on the grounds of desertion and adultery. The decree was granted December 4, 1894. When this was finally settled Breakwell was greatly relieved. She never married Pethke and always told of Breakwell’s cruelty.

But the cloud of the whole affair was Breakwell’s refusal to sign the deed on the land which Mrs. Breakwell had transferred to Pethke and which the latter built a house on. This cloud hindered him in getting loans on it. He was a hard working tailor but needed money. A loan was finally secured, however, several years ago from Robert Perlman, of Chicago, on the property. In March, Mr. Perlman filed a bill to foreclose on Pethke, and the time of redemption expired last September without payment of the mortgage. Then an ejectment suit was started before Justice Heath by Perlman to get possession of the property. Papers were sent to Marshall Gordon a few days ago to take possession of the property. Gordon went to Pethke and told him he would have to move out today. Pethke came to Waukegan yesterday and spend the morning at the court house and with Attorneys Heydecker and Talcott. He had been under the impression that the judgment against Mrs. Breakwell had been paid, and when he found out different he was wild.

Incensed that his property was lost and because he could not get any further loan on it on account of Breakwell’s dower interest, Pethke was almost crazed with anger, as all of his labors, and he was industrious, had been for his property’s sake. Now it was lost. He contacted S. D. Talcott who told him of only one chance to save it by going to Chicago to see the mortgage holder at once. "I will go" he said but he went to Highwood, met Breakwell on the street and killed him.

The weapon that did it was an old, worn out pocket knife. Two blades were broken but one was pointed enough to cut.

The murderer was brought to jail there last evening by Sheriff Brown and Marshall Gordon. He is a short, thickset German, with round face and dark mustache. He has wild eyes and is very nervous and impetuous. He is not crazy.

The murdered man was of medium height and slight build. He was fair but had a gray beard and mustache. Breakwell was sixty-three and Pethke about forty-five years of age.

Rev. Samuel Breakwell was born in Parish Hopton Wafers, England, Feb. 22, 1836. His father was Methodist minister, but died when the son was very young. He began to battle his own way in the world when ten years of age and has told awful stories about himself how he used to get drunk three or four times a month before he was fourteen years of age. When sixteen years old, he became a shoemaker and prospered. Converted in early life, he became a preacher shoemaker, a Methodist, by the way.

He was married in 1854 in England to Mary Ann Norris, and by that union were born five children, three living: Mrs. Ellenah Tetlow of South Evanston; Mrs. Harriet Elizabeth Stears, of South Evanston, and Samuel Breakwell of Highwood. Samuel, Jr., who runs the old Breakwell store in Highwood now, son of the murdered man, talked freely to a reporter.

"My mother died in England in 1863. When she died father sent for her sister in London, Mrs. Jane Nutman, a widow, to come and take care of the children. She came. Several years afterward father married her and in 1873 we all came to America. We were going to Denver City, Col., but in the east father ran across a man named E. Ashley Mears, who laid out the town of Highwood, and he wanted a shoemaker so we came here. Father started in business and soon bought that corner grocery store. That was one of the first stores in town. He prospered and accumulated considerable property. He was a station agent for the Northwestern here for twelve years and was postmaster under President Grant.

During the time he preached in the Baptist churches in Benton and Newport, having been ordained as a Baptist minister in 1880.

"What is the cause of all this trouble," asked a reporter.

"Oh there is a deep mystery surrounding it all. After we came here everything was peaceful for a few years, but mother, we always called her mother, began to cause trouble. About eight years ago this dutchman, Pethke, came to town. Mother used to meet him in the store when he bought gasoline, and when she went out nursing at the fort. He was a magnetic man. Oh he was a bad one and I think he drew mother away. So one day she took her things and left us, going to live with Pethke."

"Father married again to Mrs. Nellie Lambert, a widow who came here from England. They were married in Kenosha May 22, 1897 and went to Darien, Wis. to live, where he was a pastor of a Baptist church."

Breakwell had been in Highwood several days on a visit to his son.

"This afternoon when father left the house, said his son, he was reading the Bible."

"Have he and Pethke ever had trouble before?" asked a reporter.

"Oh yes, they never met but what Pethke insulted him and spit at him. Several years ago as he was coming home from church Pethke shot at him twice with a revolver, but we never had him arrested. About a week ago he insulted him. Father said, ‘Get away you dutchman,’ and then Pethke slapped him in the face. I knew something awful would happen some day. I am a spiritualist and since father was killed he has been saying to me, ‘Don’t blame Jane, poor Jane.’ I forgive her all.’"

The Breakwell homestead is situated just west of Railroad avenue. Diagonally across the lot is Pethke’s home. Yesterday afternoon as the inquest was in progress there was a pathetic picture. The grandchildren of the deceased sat on the back porch weeping, and through their tears they could see the old lady who lived with Pethke as she sat calmly on her back porch, gazing over on the mournful scene. She was motionless and her wrinkled face resting on her feeble hands, did not show remorse or grief. When seen by a reporter she said, "Pethke was driven to it. He had been drinking. I like him better than Breakwell and I know he was going to put us out of our home." She was shrivelled and worn (?) , almost 70 years of age.

The dead man’s wife and three daughters at Darien, Wis. were telegraphed for and arrived today. The funeral of the deceased will be under the auspices of the Foresters of which the deceased had been a member for over forty years.

Pethke was brought before Justice Heath about one o’clock today at the jail. He came out of his cell crying. Acting State’s Attorney E. J. Heydecker explained his position to him and asked him if he would waive examination. Pethke did. He then asked, "Is he dead?" When the affirmative answer was given, Pethke wept again on the way to his cell. He was bound over to the October term of court without bail.