Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-05-02
QUINTUPLE MURDER.
THE DREADFUL TRAGEDY AT HOMESTEAD P.
A WHOLE FAMILY BUTCHERED AND BURN

THE DREADFUL TRAGEDY AT HOMESTEAD. pa.
A WHOLE FAMILY BUTcHERED AND BURN
Ed.
PlTTsBURGH, Pa April 80, lS74.-A quintu-
pie murder not an everyday occurrence BY any
means, and in conseqencs OF a report of a irsge-
dy OF such dimensions having taken place to- day
1t caused great deal Of excitement i'm this CITY
The victims OF this dreadful butcheIy are John
hamnet, hts wife Agnes, their daughter Emma
aged four years; Robert Smith, q boy raised by
the family; and the eldest daug hter of MIR. Ham
net, Ida. aged eight years. The particulars of
the tragedy, as far and as correctly as can be
learned during the exciteme mt attending the dis
covery, are as follows
THE SCENE AND THE VICTIMS.
9 John Hamnet, a well-to-do farmer. aged about
forty years. lived on the Lebanon road, about
mile and half back OF the village of Homestead.
on the Monongahela river, and situated 40 as To-
overlook Munhall Farm where the Government
ooi'er experiments were made last fall The
house Is pretty little one (or was once, before
mend reduced ii TO ashes.) There is a grove OF
peach trees in the lawn in 'front.' where the bios
soma to-day were just bursting The grass was
oi the deepest shade of green, and the premis.s
altogether showing more thrift and care Than apv
within miles of il.
John Hamnet came from England in 1853
and was married some Ten years ago He w4s
| considered we'll of, and was supposed 40 have
| considerable money and Government bonds in
IN the house at all times. He was a good. ouiet
cluZen, al peace, so far as was known, with all
MS neignbors, never having any querrels, but be.
ing on The contrary, man whose chief charac-
terlstic was the settled plan Of mindine his own
business.
| THE BCTCHERY On THE THRESHOLD
Last night Hamnet and his wife had been vi, :
lung the village OF Homestead about mile and
ha'i from their residence. and it was in all
probability fifteen minutes after II o'clock be.
fore they returned. They must have been stricS.
en- down Immediately on entering their house.
as from the appearance Of their bodies they hsd
not yet laid Aside their outer wrappnes. is
! possible that the murderers were in the house Oh
the return OF the parents, and, finding themselves
discovered, killed them also in order TO esespe.
A bloody haichet was found which fitted exactly
TO the wounds on the head Of the toy. who's.
throat was also cut from ear to ear.
| BURNING THE HoUsE AND THE DEAD.
there is a blank in the st DRY from the time the
llamnets lett Homestead till O'Clock This NOR.
ing, when Frank Ackerman, a coaLdierer Nas
| awakened by bright light beaming in the win
| dowS ol us bedroom. lie aroused his compan-
ion, and they both burned to the scene of IA,
| lire. ''''
THE AUTHOR OF THE TRAGEDY.
The supposed author of this most unnatural
tragedy Is Ernest Love, young German of about
twenty hive years OF age, who hes been in the en-
poy of farmer llamnet from midwinter up till the
time OF the tragedy. He has not been in this
country any great length of time, but lie proved
| a valuable assistant TO Hamnet, who at ali time,
spoke well OF the young man as being sober and
| industrious.
Inc ponce anu Citizens III the neighbcrhood OF
the crime are out scouting the woods in search OF
the fugitive. and his escape will prove a difficult
undertaking.
| THE ELDEST DAUGHTER MISSING.
| When your correspondent lett the ruins Of Ham
nets house Tonight all the charred rubbish had
been removed, and Vet most minute exam,ua.
ton failed to bring te light any portion OF the
bones OF Ida, the oldest daughter. What has
become ot h.r Is Il source of much gossip Ii II
rumoredt that she was murdered and her body
concealed IN the woods, and parties are in hopes
OF discovering them. They are now searching
beneath The brush wood. and arc also exploring
the river banks.