Some of my distant cousins made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

November 27, 1937 was not a good day for Valentine Biesemeyer, my 1st cousin, 4x removed.  After his amorous advances were rebuffed by his housekeeper, he struck her in the side of the head with a hatchet. She managed to survive the blow and recounted the horrific tale to the police.

After she escaped, Valentine used kerosene to set his house ablaze and then shot himself.

Yikes! Come to think of it, it wasn’t a great day for the housekeeper either.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: 1st cousin, 4x removed
Common ancestors: Valentine’s paternal grandparents, Friedrich Christian and Anna (Eikermann) Biesemeyer, are my 4th great grandparents

References:
Attacks His Housekeeper: Shoots Self. (1937, November 29). The Hammond Times, p. 2.