The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-07-25
DAILY DISPATCH.
~.-, MA MORNING. q. 1857
THE CINCINNATI rp.c,rn.,~.- TN
JEALOUSY, MURDER, ARSON, AND ATTEMPT,
Ed SUICIDE

kh SUICIDE.
II has been announced by telegram tha. =.
Tragedy occurred In Cincinnati Moniay ii. 4,
"t'tch Joseph Loefrer, German, killed hi. am
p'oy'r aud wife, and, after setting the ho,.o ~,
hre' attempted TO shay himself The Con,,,a.oi., :,
OF Wednesday gives the following account Of ,ha
bloody deed: VI '"e
AT about O'Clock yesterday morning the r,,,
SION occupied by Nicholas T. Horton Ts,, In nht
avenue. St the head of Vim. stree, hfit ~ n'o
weed TO he on fire. Judge Parker whose r.i
denre y "h the opposite side of the way wa. ar,,,
Sd by the screFms of the inmates of MIR. Horton.
mouse, and speedily dressing himself ha rnsbeJ .,
'h' scene when, upon entering the hall he Iiscn
NeTed gentleman named Coucklin eDdeayorino =,
remove the PROSTATE body of Mr. IIorto, m
smoke was sufocatng, but between them they sur
ore'ied m carrying their charge to the lawn when
II WAS discovered that he was bleeding nrnf,.al,
from a cut inflicted in the head. and a dreadtiI
cash given evidently by the downward stroke of
some sharp weapon. in the left groin. and with
had severed the femoral artery lie appeared son
Slhle. but was rpeechless, and in few moments
hrcathed his last
Previous To- this and at the first alarm of fire. the
mother Of Mrs Horton rushed into the hall when
-h" perceived her unfortunate sonin-lAw stagger-
ing towards the bedroom of his wife. who had hut
recently been confined. and eXclaiming, ''Oh. mo
ther, am stabbed He fell upon the SPOT where
b" Wa7 discovered by Judge Parker and Mr..
Conckliu.
In the meantime, the excitement had spread and
some tiTciIeI from the Mohawk engine house ar
riying upon the spot, the fire was extinguish.
ed. and suspicion having fallen upon servent man
named Joseph Lorfner. who had for upwards OF
two years been engaged in the family Of Mr.. IIor
ton, some persons hastenrd 10 a house on the cor
ner of Vine and Green streets in which Loefntrs
wife resided. In few minutes afterwards. how.
ever, and while the party assembled in front Of the
house. were yet in a state Of horrid bewildermrnt
LOetneT was seen staggering towards them from
u"ighborng orchard, bleeding profus-ly from II cut
IN the hand and hDrrid cash in the throat. Some
Of the party advanced to meet him, but he sunk
upon the grass upon his hands and knees. They
traced the blood tn an apple tree, beneath which
they found a large sharp butcher knife and razor
Nith the former he had inflicted the fatal blow
which deprived Mr.. Horton of life aud with the
latter lac attempted to accomplish his own dcstruc-
tlon. When interrUgated to whether he had
committed the arson and murder, he nodded for
h" was sprrohess) assent, and also that he had cut
his own throat
Ia the meantime the party who had first started
IN pursuit OF him arrived ut the residence Of his
wife. hut found the door ii tn" room locked sub
sequenty they burst it in, and there. stretched
nearly naked upon the bed but with her shoes on
her feet they brhrld the dead body Of the llfttcd
wife ut the murderer of SIR. Horton no wound upon
her person, but otherwise exhibitn. marks which
made it evident that she had died from strangua
tion.
The wretchcd man, Joseph loe'ner, was removed
to the Commercial Hospital, where at % late hour
last night he lay in -pepChless agony the attend.
ants expecting momentarily that he would breathe
his last. He had previously sgnfrd by signs that
his motive for committing the double murder, sui
eide and arson. was jealousy Ut his wife and Mr..
Horton, and after being taken to the Hospital he
succeeded IN tracing upon slate i'll intell9ble
characters that he had to believe his wife on
the day previous had given him poisoned butter
upon his bread, and which had caused the alterca-
ton that had led to her murder after which he had
hastened t. III" house Of Mr. Horton, in the front
f.t t,frl. i,
died the fire with the intention of burning the
house and its inmates, but meeting Mr.. Horton
who was aroused by the smoke. he inflicted the
fatal stab, and then rushed forth into the orchard
To cOnsummate his own destruction.
The fire which L0ctner had kindled was imme-
'Iiately underneath the apartment occupied by Mrs
Horton. Mr. Horton, III consequence OF tho recent
confinement of his lady, occupied II sleeping room
upon the other side of the hall and in the rear OF
the house. He was an old and respected citizen,
aged about 80 and leaves ha wife and six children
to mourn his loss. lie was extensive manufac-
turcr of CRATES and maTbleiZcd iron, doing business
Oh Third street, between Race and Elm, the manu-
factory being on Plum street Tho firm was
known Nicholas I. Horton 4 Co. Formerly be
WAS in copartnership with MIR. Baker, and more re
Gently til, firm was known As Horton Macy, but
this connection was dissolved two years since.
Joseph I1oefuer, the murderer is barely - years
Of age, and il said to have several occasions eX
hibited violent and unguycrnuhle disposition.-
He was engaged by Mr.. Horton as Il gardener and
to take of the horses. and il is said that upon
one occasion, when the harness became cntangled,
he seized Il knife and cut il TO pieces after which
he turned and served his coat, which was hanging
from peg in the stable, in the same manner. The
evening previous to the tragedy he had been repri
mHndcd hy hr. Horton, for exercising undue cru
city to the horses and it is said that at that time
lac had mutfeTei dark and malignant threats He
was German by birth, but has lived in this coun-
try for years.
FRANCESCA his illfatcd wife, beautiful Ger
name koehcr, and it was by this name that
both herself and husband was most frequently
called. She had contracted the i'll futed marriage
but Il short eight months. and was five months ad-
vanCcd in pregnancy. To a beautiful and expires
~iVe face, and form faultless in it's symmetry she
is said to have cOmbEed the lasting charms of
alnlahiity of disposition and siDgulary-fur her
statiou-re fined and cultivated mind.
Mr.. Horton had resided i'll this city some twenty
years; lad many friends, and generally re-
spected and esteemed. lie man of energy,
enterprise and integrity; had been engaged for a
number of years i'll the iron business; and had re-
Gently entered largely into the manufacture of ena
mcled CRATES. He was man of means, and a di-
rector i'll the Ohio Life Insurance Company. where
his life was insured for the benefit of his family
consisting of. six children, two of whom, young
men, have been for come time i'll business in the
city
Mr.. Horizons wife was confined last week and
WAS lying in very feeble sslte when the shock of
her husbands murder drove her almost mad The
previous weakness, combined with this last blow
may cause her death. Last evening she wns still
iii 1t precarious condition.
THE MuRDERER's CuNFEssI0N-L4TER
After the above was in type, and ut late hour
last night, We visited the Commercial Hospital
whore We learned that the murderer had confessed
To the attending physician and TO others, ii short
time previous, BY writing upon slate, that he had
committed the murders of which he was charged.
He said he was inspired by jealousy. lie had
seen Mr.. Horton IN bed with his (the murderer'si
wit and no then apai to bin, Ii
kill him and glad of it. The night he killed
his wife (Monday) he called to see her at their
room, when she offered him piece of bread and
butter. lie suspected that il poisoned. and
told her she must or he would kill her. She per
sisted in her refusal and he did kill her" He also
made II similar statement TO priest called at his
request to receive his confession.
Persons living adj jacent TO the room occupied by
Lnfner state that they heard L. charge her with In
fidelity and that she denied il earnestly and per-
sistently.
At nine O'Clock last night reaction took place
in the murders system, and soiLe time after he
fell into easy slumber, and at midnight slept
soundly. The attending physician stated that his
case was not only not hopeless but that he might
get we'll. If the etophagus is uninjured, fact not
determined, he will probably recover; otherwise he
will die. To all appearance he was IN fair way at
the hour dc&gnated 10 recover.
The evidence given before the COroners jury
held over the bodies confirmed the facts given
above.
STRUCK BY LIGaryISG-The Galveston Texas
News Of the 10th, describes the singular effects of
flash lightning which killed negro and the horse
upon which he Was riding:
lie was riding On Mrs. henards pony, with a
pitcher of milk in one hand, and was just on the
city limits when he was struck with the electric
mud, and both he and the pony killed. They both
FELL together and persons who saw them fall ran up
immediately, but not the slightest sign of anima-