Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-05-16
TIE HOMESTEAD MURDERS.

-
Great excitement continues to prevail
over the terrible murder of an entire
family at Homestead in Western Penn
sylvania. Rewards to the amount Of
$4,000 were at once offered for the cap
ture of the murderer. A man named
Mintzing has been arrested in Allegha-
ny City, who confesses that the bloody
deed was perpetrated by him with "A
axe, and that his object was plumber.
The following is the confession Of the
fiend
He started out with the assertion that
the murder had been entirely unpre-
meditated. lie then proceeded 81
left Hammers house just after supper,
on the evening Of the murder, and went
| directly to Homestead. | called at a
saloon and drank two glasses Of beer.
That was all had that night. After
leaving the saloon / went to grocery
store Kept by a German and purchased
some cigars and five cents worth OF
candy for the children. don't know
the name OF the store-keeper, but / had
been there several times. L think ]
was at the store about nine o'clock in
the evening. Just as was leaving it
came into my head that / must have
Uamnetts money, thought he had a
great deal of money in the house, and
as | felt so queer all at once inmy head,
| though / must get it. went directly
! to the house, but don't know how got
there. | suppose must have been out
of my head. After getting into the
house found Mr.. and Mrs. Hamnet
had not come home, and it occurred to
me that to get the money / must kill
the children. ] found an axe in the
kitchen. and taking that with me, went
up into the room over the kitchen,
where Robert Smith and myself slept
The bed was in corner Of the room,
and | saw Robert sleeping soundly with
his face toward me. 1 took position
at the front of the bed. and with one
blow killed the boy. He never moved.
1 can't say how it was that the boys
throat was cut. l may have cut him
twice, but he never groaned. After
the boy was dead went into an ad-
Joining room, where Ida and little En-
ma were sleeping. Both Of the little
girls were sleeping. | struck Ida first,
and she never moved. | then raised
the axe and struck at Emma She ut
tered a cry, and l hit her second time.
She did not groan again. After this, l
went down stairs and took a position
Just inside the door of the room adjoln:
ing the kitchen, and waited for Mr. and
Mrs. Hamnet 10 come home. They
came between 10 and ii o'clock. Mr..
Hamnet came into the room first, l
was standing that he could not see me,
and struck him from behind, using
the same axe. lie fell TO the floor.
Mrs. Hamnet then came rushing into
the room, and as she passed through
the door, struck her, but did not kill
her. She shrieked once or twice, "Oh
God, John =" and then l struck her a
second blow, which killed her instantly.
Mrs. Hamnet ana the baby were the
only ones | hit twice The others were
killed with one blow. | used the axe
all the time. l committed the deed to
get Mr.. Hamnet's money. searched
Mr. Hamnets pockets and obtained his
rocketbook. 1t contained only fifteen
dollars in paper money. I found Mrs.
IIamnet's pocketbook on the sewing
machine There was only fifty cents in
it. | looked over the house, but all the
money / got was fifteen dollars. The
silver money l spent yesterday | brought
with me from Germany. did not get
it from the house. My only motive for
doing this deed was to get money. |
never had any i'll feeling towards any of
the Hamnets always liked the chill
dren, and always bought them candy
when | went to Homestead. The boy
Smith and / were good friends, and |
always liked Mr. and Mrs. Hamnet. |
did not fire the house, and it was not a
part of the plan to cover up the murder.
When searching the house, | put an oil
lamp in the sitting-room, and when
rushing away from the building it was
overturned. l thought it would 60 out.
| did not think the house would burn.
AWRONG CUSTOM CORRECTED.
1t is quite generally the custom to
take strong liver stimulants for the cure
of liver complaint, and both the mine
raj and vegetable kingdoms have been
diligently searched to procure the most
drastic and poisonous purgatives, in or
der to produce a powerful effect upon
the liver, and arouse the tagging and
enfeebled organ. This system of treat.
ment is ON the same principle as that of
giving a weak and debilitated man large
portions of brandy to enable him to do
a certain amount of work. When the
stimulant is withheld, the organ like
the system, gradually relapses into a
more torpid or sluggish and weakened
. condition than before, What then is
wanted ? Medicines, that, while they
cause the bile to flow freely from the
liver, as that organ is toned into action,
will not overwork and thus debilitate it,
/ L.. Ill r,Io, tho;r peo &c discontinued