The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-11-14
TRIAL OF RICHARD F. KUNKE FOR THE
MURDER OF ELIJAHP. MUM
FORD.
THE PRISONER CONVICTED.

The people Of this county will remembcr
the cold-blooded murder Of Mr.. Mumford, OF
Pleasant Prairie, . lengthy account of whicL
appeared in the TELEGRAPH of May 10Th.
They will also bear in mind that man
named Kunke, who had for some time previ-
Gus to the preparation of the terrible crime,
lived with the ,Mumfo.d family, was sus-
pected as the murderer, and arrested in Ra-
cine. After preliminary examination he
was committed to the care of our Sheriff, and
has since that time been an inmate of the
county jail. .rf g.g
The case came up for trial last Thursday.
in the Circuit Court OF this county, before
Judge Hardness. The prosecution was con-
Quoted by Head q Quarles, and the defence
BY I. W. Webster, appointed by the Court to
defend. 38t -~&.ttAi12 a4
During the trial the prosecution gave evil
dence to the effect that Kunke had been
bred on the 18th Of March, as q farm hand,
on the farm of the deceased, the engagement
to labor being made with the son of the de-
ceased, he having charge OF the farm, that on
Saturday the defendant and the deceased
came to Kenosha late in the afternoon to
make some purchases, afte. which they re-
turned home about II or 10 O'Clock; that de-
tendant did not 80 to bed At all, that night,
premises, In the privy, barn, kitchen, ETC.,
until morning; that in the morning he told
some Of the family that he had returned to
Kenosha alter coming home TO see his sweet
heart; that he had had several vopportuni-
ties to know that Mr.. Mumtord had money
about his person, how much, no one knows !;
that Sunday morning IAN unusual th.ng) he
said he was going to church and left the
premises that he went to town and spent
the day there, got bottle Of bibters and
bout eleven O'Clock at night started to re-
turn to Mumlord's; that some one supposed
to be him was heard at night to walk around
the house, and to walk about the room nd
joining where the deceased slept; that in the
morning Mr.. Mumford, jr., at hal. past six.
went to call his father and found him dead
with the left side Of his head crushed as If
struck heavy blow with bludgeon; that
the gold watch and pocket-b ook of the de.
ceased were:mlssing; that Kunke was also
missing; that search WAS made for him, he
was traced to Kenosha, and thence to Racine.
where he was found in a public house fast
asleep; that he had been on sort of spree
had treated everybody he could get to drink
with him, and had spent his money freely
4 hof h. toI, ~
In money, and several articles OF clothing
etc., belonging to the family. were found on
his person or in his possession that he was
arrested and acknowledged that the watch
waNMr- Mumford's hut denied any knowl-
edge OF the tragedy; that he frequently
broke out In ordinations of "My God, If you
knew my condition." my God. might as
well be dead" etc. These are some of the
circumstances relied upon to establish the
guilt OF the defendant.
The defence relied mainly upon the EVIL
dence Of Kunke, substantially as follows:
When returned from Kenosha to Mum
ford's, Sunday night about IL O'Clock, and
stepped into the kitchen door,I was seized
by the throat by an unseen person, who i'm
medistely tore open my clothing and took
from u string around my neck next to ny
person, a pocket-book containing $500 An
other man stood by with q bludgeon threat
ening me IL made any noise. They took my |
silver watch, and when asked for 1t they
gaveme Mr.. MumfUrd's gold watch which
lay on the table. They asked me where my
things were. told them in the bed ROOM
pointing to Mr.. Mumford's room, where he
and slept usually, when he was there.
They got my bag and loaded it with whstev.
err they could find, making me 60 with them
up stairs in my bare feet, where they took
rom the front room some of young Mr..
clothes and put them into my
bagl; they then called for water, but one Of
them found in the cupboard q pan of milk
and drank OF that; they then discovered in
my pocket the bottle of btters / had
brought for Mr.. Mum ford; they drank of
that and gave 1t to me aud drank little.
Then they took me out to the railroad track
near by, asked me If / was Catholic, said
yes they then made me kneel down and
swear that never would tell what / had
seen and never come back there again; left |
then and went to Kenosha to the hotel at
the depot, raped, gotno reply and went on
up the railroad some distance, intending to
go into Ken Dsha by another road the i'm
ages OF the men were before me all the time,
/ fell asleep on the track, being so tired, and
was wakened by man coming along. l got
q boy 10 get team and take me to Racine,
there was arrested. On cross exa animation
he stated am 80 years old, was born in
Prussia near the Polish line, came to the
United States three years ago, Was robbed in