The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-11-12
TlIEOPnILUS PARSONS
Horrible Tragedy at Port Clinton.

A horrible tragedy occurred at Port Clin-
ton, on + ilay last, the 3lst uIt,, two young
women ha, ,ng been murdered, the life of
another attcln, ted and The murlorcr tenni-
mating his own Ine by suicide. AncXtra from
the Ottawa Democrat gives the luIl details
of the affair, from which we coudensc the
following account;
Early on Friday morning. Mr.. T. J.
Kirk, living few rods east OF the corpo-
rate limits of Port Clinton, went with his
wife and two small boys to visit friends at
Elmorc, intending to stay n few days.
The house was left in charge of two laugll-
ters, Alice aged Il, and Amy aged II years,
together with an adopted ohiid. Naomi
Knight aged Is years. \ young man,
named Henry Riqnartz, aged - years, who
had been employed during the simmer,
was also left on the premises.
About nine o'clock in the morning, after
the departure of Mr.. Kirk, Alice, the eldest
daughter, went to dentist to have some
work done. On returning between and
o'clock p. NJ, she found the table prepared
ana the plates having the appearance that
the three Cthe two girls and the young Iaan)
had been to dinner, but no person was to
be seen about the house. Being disap-
pointed at finding the house alone. she went
into the yard, called aloud for the girls, but
hearing no response, went to the barn in
search of them; not finding them she re-
turned to the house, at which time the
young man made his appearance from one
of the chamber rooms An inquiry was
made as to the whereabouts of the other
girls; Riquartz answered that he knew
nothing about them
An hour passed; the girls not making their
appearance, Alice again Went to the barn,
where the young man was, and again made
inquiries about the girls, receiving the
same answer as before, that he knew moth
ing about them. The two then returned to
the house, Riquartz repairing to his room
where he gathered mp his clothes and
started towards the village, Alice suppos-
ing that he was taking some garments to
the place where lie usually had his wash
ing done, but which proved to be all his
clothes. When night came on and the
girls had not returned, Alice went to look
for them, and met Rquartz, who then told
her he had seen them at their unclc's house
in the village, and they would he home.
Alice went back to the house. and on the
suggestion of Riquartz she lit the fire aud
prepared for supper, after which she said
she would go and accompany the girls
home.
Riquartz Immediately grasped her by
the throat and strangled her until she be-
came unconscious. He then bound Ler
hand and foot, and remarked that he did
not desire to murder her, but only wanted
to place her in such n condition that she
could not alarm the ueighhorS until he
killed himself, then telling her that the
other girls would "nevcr come back, bid
her good bye and left the house.
He was met at the door by Il woman
who was going to the house on an errand
and who asked him where the girls We're
He replied up in the chamber. On enter
ing she found Alice bound as es.ribed, re-
leased her, and the two started 10 alarm
the village.
By this time it was between five aud six
o'clock, The people of the village came
and began to search, when Riquartz was
found hanging in the barn, having been
dead about half an hour. Further search
was rewarded by the discovery of the
bodies of the two girls in the granary, il
being evident that Rlquartz had first raw
ished them and then strangled them by
leather bands around their necks. The
younger girl had her hands tied behind her
back.
The deed was probably committed just
after the girls had got their dinner, and i
appears that after the tragedy had beer
done, the murderer had gone to the house
and eaten his own dinner. An inquest was
held on the bodies, and the verdict ren
dered in accordance with the above facts.