Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-11-08
A Double Murder and Suicide
From the Cleveland Heral

A horrible tragedy occurred n. Port
Clinton, Ottawa Co, Ohio, on Friday last
the 3l>t ult two young women having
been murdered, the life of little girl at.
tempted, and the murderer terminating his
own life by suicide An extra from the
Ottawa Democrat gives The full details Of
the affair. from which we coudcnse the fol.
lowing account:
Early OIL Friday morning, Mr.. T ].
Kirk, living few rods eust of the corpor.
ate limits OF Port Clinton, went with bis
wife and two small boys to vi>ite friends nj
Elmore, intending to stay few days. The
house was left in charge of two daughters
Alice, ugrd Is. and Amy, aged II years,
together With an adopted child. Naomi
Knight, aged lS years. A young man,
named Henry Riqunr,z, aged % years.
who had been employed during the sam
mer, was also left on the premises
About o'clock in the morning, after
The departure of Mr.. Xix, Alice, elder
daughter, went 10 DENTS 10 have some
work done. Ou returning, between and
2 o'clock p. NJ, she found the table pre-.
pared, and The plates having the appear.
ance that the three, he TWO girls aud the
young NAM had been 10 dinner, but no
person was to be seen about the house
Being disappointed at finding the house
alone, she went into the yard, called aloud
for the girls, but hearing no response, went
10 the barn in search of them not finding
them she Ogain returned to the house. ut
which time The young man made his ap.
pearance from one Of the chamber rooms
An inquiry was made as to the Whereabouts
Of the other girls Riqnarlz answered that
nc knew nothing about them
An hour passed, the girls not making
their appearance, Alice ugan went To The
barn, where the yourg man was, and again
made inquiries about the girls, receiving
The same answer AS before, that he knew
nothing about them. The two then re.
turned to lhe house. Riquarlz repairing 10
his room, where he gathered up his clothes
aud starred towards the village, Alice SUP
posing that he was taking some garments
TO The place where he usually had his wash.
ing done, hu which proved 10 he all of his
clothes. When night same aud The girls
had n returned, Alice went to look after
them, and met Rlqu4rlz, who then told
her That he had seen them at their unclr's
house in The village, and they would SOON
be home. Alice went back 10 the house.
aud on The suggestion of RiquarIz she lii
the fire aud prepared for rsupper, after which
she said she would go aud accompany the
gi'lS home.
Rquarlz Immediately graSped her by he
throat and strangled her until she became
unconscious. lie then bousd her hand and
foot, aud remarked that he did not desire
to murder her, but only wanted to place
her ia such u condition that she could not
alarm the ucighhors unlil he had killed him.
self, then telling her that the other girlS
would never come back, bid her good bye
aud left the house
He was met at the door by u women,
who was going to he house on an errand,
and who asked him where the three girls
were. He replied. up in the chamber On
entering The chamber she FOUND Alice
bonnd as described, releasing her aud the
Two strarted 10 alarm the village.
by this time it was between and 6
o'clock. The people Of the village came
and hrgan 10 search, when Riqnariz was
found hanging in The barn having been dead
half an hour. Farther search was rewaded
by the discovery Of the bodies of The two
girls in the granary, it being evident that
Riqusrlz had FIRST raVished Them. aud then
stranglpd them by leather bands around
their neCks. The younger girl had ber
hands tied behind her back.
The deed was probably committed just
after The girls had got their dinner, aud
it appears that after The tragedy had been
done, the murderer had gone to The house
aud eaten his own dinner. An inquest was
held on the bodies, and the verdict render.
ed In accordance with the above facts.