Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-03-14
Horrible Tragedy.
MURDER OF TWO YOUNG WOMEN.

Hampshire on IorteHouth, oh No"hoo-
day night of last week. It occurred on
one of the islands known as Smutty
Nose Island, on which there is but a
single dwelling, the occupants of which
we're three men and three women, the
former being absent from home large
portion of the time engaged in troll
fishing. Their names are John and Mat
thew Hontvet, brothers, Ivan Cristen-
son and wife, Miss Anethe, and Miss
Karen Cristenson. The women were
left alone Wednesday night while the
men we're in Portsmouth batting their
trolls for the morrow's fishing, Louis
Wagner, the murderer, being in the en-
ploy of Hontvet, and during portion
of Wednesday evening was assisting
the latter in the task of troll batting.
During the evening Wagner disap-
peared, and, as 1t proved, went to the is
land where he murdered the two girls,
Mrs. Hontvet having escaped from the
house and saved her life by hiding
among some rocks. The motive of the
murder seems to have been robbery.
One of the girls was killed in the house
by blows with a chair and an axe. The
other succeeded in getting out of win
dow when the murderer struck her on
the head with the axe and felled her to
the earth. After killing her he dragged
her body into the house, and then light
lug lantern he searched about the is
land for Mrs. Hontvet, fortunately with
out finding her. The woman was ac-
companied by little dog belonging to
the family, and retained sufficient pres.
ence of mind to keep the little creature
hidden beneath her clothing all the time
the murderer was searching for her, that
she might not be betrayed by his bark
ing. Her feet we're badly frozen, and
the terrible experiences of the night had
distracted her before her position was
discovered. There were between three
and four hundred dollars in the house
but tae assassin failed to find it. 1t is
not known that he obtained more than
about fifteen dollars.
Here is an extract faom the testimony
of Mrs. Hontvet:
| was in bed Anethe slept with me;
my sister Karen slept on the sofa in the
kitchen; in the night Karen cried out
"John scared me" Cthinking that John
Hontvet had returned); l heard some
one pounding Karen the door of the
bedroom which opens out of the kitch
en- was fastened by stick on the kitchen
side; | shouted, and then opened tht
door; l reached out and got Karen by
the arm, and was struck twice with 8
chair; | pulled Karen into the bedroom
with Anethe and me; told Anethe tt
Jump out of the window, and she did SO
ened she could not was holding the
door of the bedroom, when the person il
the kitchen was trying to force his way
in; when he could not get in he went
outside around the house, and | heard
Anetbe shout, Louis, Louis he wen
back to the door and got the axe, and
saw him strike her three times / coulG
not see the face, but could see the figure
of man, and | knew him to be Louis
Wagner; jumped through the win
dow, and ran down around the henery
| tried to get Karen to come too, bu
she replied she was too tired | raj
down TO the dock to find dory, Blu
found none; | then went out on the is
land and hid behind the rocks we wen
; to bed about 10 P. NJ. When hid be
hind the rocks the moon was just set
ting. / stayed there till after sunrise
feeling that Wagner was still on tn,
island. ] went down to the north sid,
of the island aud swung my skirts as /
signal for help. | came up on the Poin
: and shouted, and man heard me anC
came over from neighboring island ant
took me to his house on Hog Island.
Wagner went to Boston next day at
ter the murder, where he was arrested
on Friday. He had changed his ap
| pearance as much as possible, by shaw
| ing off his whiskers and putting on
new suit of clothes. His old cothe
have been found, however, and ON then
are spots of blood. He was taken bacl
to Portsmouth, where the police hat
considerable difficulty in preventing th'
crowd from lynching him. Wagner is I
Prussian, and had been taken into th,
employ of Hontvet as charity. TIT
murdered girls were Swedes. The island
ON which this terrible crime was commit
ted is in the jurisdiction of Maine, and
to that state the assassin will be taker
Tor trial. On Saturday night he was
taken out of Jail and conveyed to Saco
Maine, and while passing through Ports
mouth the police had to fight vigorously
against the crowd, who wanted to lynch
the prisoner. A relative of the muir
dered girls tried to get chance to shoo
, Wagner, who was struck ON the head by
, a brickbat thrown by another person
: causing blood to flow freely. The pris
1 oner was greatly frightent d, and trem
; bled violently, and the officers had tx
/ hold him up to keep him from sinking