Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-12-19
| Remarkable Tragedy.
HOW Two PROPOSED MAR
.sSlGES ERE KROKEN OFF.

Ehe ssary OF tIae St. Louis Murder
aS Fold by Young CrOnenoOld-A
Ss.ser and Brother BECOME Fnfat.
mated yxish Two Servants in their
Mothers EEOdSe.
From the 81. I42rs 0!olle, Dec. %
Yesterday afternoon, at about half
mast s o'clock, Benjamin Franklin
Croncnbo1d, son Of the late Judge, shot
and instantly killed Richard Bottisher.
at the corner Of Grand avenue ana
Chippewa street. Cronebold was az
rested an I,onr later, and locked up in
the First District station. The history
OF the crime Is complete in the story Of
the prisoner, related last evening t.
Globe reporter who visited his cell
"AIy name is Benjamin Frankiil
Cronerbold. I an twenty-five years cf
age, ana Nas born il this city. I live
with Iny mother. Mrs. Augusta Cronen
bold, or Chippewa street, near Grand
avenue. IN February or March last,
forget which, VIC needed servant ct
the house, and I applied to'the Ger
man emigration Office for man.
1.-The room was crowded when
went there, and while [ was talking
with Mr.. Hulse on the subject Boz.
fisher stepped up and said he wo.ll
like the situation, and thought he
him and took him to the house. On
the 1st OF April I sailed for Europe,
and arrived home ten weeks ago last
Thursday. While in Europe 1 spent
considerable money, some sixteen or
eighteen hundred dollars, part OF
which l took with me and part OF
which was RENTED from home. When
[ got back ] had fifty dollars. and /
felt badly-down-sp spirited, 1 mean
Affairs were not right at home This
man seemed to have stepped between
me and my interests, and felt he was
interfering in my family affairs to an
uuwarrantable extent. He was en-
gagged to be married to Cora, my Sis
ter, and that did not like. He and
my mother combined against ME in an
affair Of mine with a young lady, and
felt he was gradually creeping in to
take my place in the family. This,
added to the fact that [ could obtain
nothing in the way of employment.
t, oubled mo beyond ali measure, and
1 then determined to get rid of Bot
fisher as soon as possible. Mother
and Cora opposed me, and l found
him stronger in the family than my
self. | suspected something wrong.
A doctor came to see Cora rather more
often than [ thought necessary, and /
believed then, as [ believe now, Bot
fisher had seduced her. They were to
be married on Thursday evening last,
and lie came to the house for that pun
pose. He wanted to marry her before
[ was married, and in that way hurt
my interests"
RIPE FOR MURDER.
"How would that affect your inter
est?"
ooh. it would that's all. He came
to the house for that purpose, as /
Cora, and / shot him then, but no. to
hurt him. I shot him in the leg"
"Did you mean to kill him."
''I did, yes; he was removed that
night to the hospital, I think; any
way, he went away from the house. Sat
urday he came back when l was away
from home. and saw mother and Cora.
heard of it when [ returned, and
determined TO lie in wait for him. He
didn't come Sunday nor Monday, but
to-day he came, and | was home. The
first L knew of his presence in the
house was the sonnd of his voice in
mother OF C0ra's loom. Their rooms
adlGin. and are on the cast side of the
house. / was in my room; it used to
be flther's, and is Oh the west side.
I heard he and mother and Cora talk
ing, and then / went down into the
dining room, on the door below. l
waited in the hall and il the dining
room, and presently I heard mothers
step on the stairs, and [ went ont.
Bsttisl er was Standing on the porch.
started for him 5ut mother and Cora
caught me, and lie ran. Breaking
away from them, I followed him across
Chippewa street, around d fenced en-
closure on the corner, and then into n
florists garden"
At this point the young man becnrle
incoherent, aud it was almost inlpossi-
bic to understand him.
THE KILLING.
HE ran north, across Chippewa
street, aud around the lot; turning
west lie crossed Grand avenue, and
ran south to the florists house on the
corner. just as he was Jumping over
the gate ] fred, but don't think hi,
him. He ran around the west side oi
tie house to the rear. and / followed
14-Iu AtIt-IC. SIiti.
about fifteen steps from him. fired. I
don't know how many shots 1 fired, or
how many hit him, but kept firing
till he ran around me TO the front OF
the house. ] ran after him and saw
Linn fall. As he told it he pointed ont
I: the positions Oh diagram.
''Was he dead?
Il don't know. lett him there and
went home. / met mother, and she
and Cora had heard the shootins.-
Mother asked, Did you hit him?' 1
made no reply, but turned away from
| her. Cora felt awfully bad, and
screamed terribly. I locked up the
pisto! in bookcase in my room; it
was Whitney pistol, and [ bought it
Sunday. on the corner of Marion street
and CaroGdelet avenue. Then hitched
up the horse and buggy and drove
over to the residence Of my uncle.
Charles Cronenbold, on Second and
Carondelet avenue. He was not
there, but 1 told his servant Viii
Gam-his last name is Miller, l
think--what 1 had done, and he went
to q o gerry store near By for my uncle.
When my uncle came in told him
about it, and then I started for our
store, No. LOIS Carondelet avenue.
The firm Is +. w. Cronenbold & Co..
and it was my fathers firm. I am not
IN the business yet, as, under the pro-
visions of my fathers will, 1 cannot
enter it until AIN twenty-four. Ire
NAMED in the store until was arrested
at about half-past four O'Clock, by An
officer, and brought here"
How much money did your father
lcave?' ''About $3.50, 600, 1 think
"What was your share ?" .sOne-
fourth of the business
And your mothers share 90 Three
fourths of all the property"
"And Miss Cora's % II don't re-
member Cora's share she got some-
thing, but l don'S remember what"
''And Bottisher was after that -
Eyes. that's just what he was after"
Where were you educated?" "At
the College of the Christian Brothers
OF