The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-02
QUlNTUPLE MURDER.
= whole Family Butchcrcd and
Burned.


Ida, aged eight years. The particulars of
the tragedy, as far and as correctly as can
be learned during the excitement attending
the discovery. are as follows
THE SCENE AND TUE VICTIMS.
John Hamnct, wcll-to-do farmer. aged
forty years, lived on the Lebanon road,
about mile and half back of the village
of Homestead, on the Monongahcla river,
Pennsylvania, and situated so as to over
look Minhall farm. The farm consisted of
70 acres of we'll improved land, and on
which, among other improvements, was a
substantial brick house of two stories.
John IIamnet came from England in 1853,
and was married some ten years ago lie
was considered well off, and was supposed
to have considerable money and govern
ment bonds in the house at all times. lie
was good, quiet citizen at peace, SO far
as was known, with all his neighbors.
never having any quarrels. but being. on
the contrary. man whose chief character
istic was the settled plan of mindng his
own business
THE BUTCnERY oN THE THRESHOLD.
Wednesday night Hamnet and his wife
had been visiting in the village Of Home
stead, about Il mile and half from their
residence, and it was in all probability ff-
teen minutes after eleven o'clock before
they returned They must have been strick-
en- down Immediately on entering their
house, as from tho appearance of their
bodies they had not yet laid aside their
outer wrappings. 1t is possible that the
murdercrS were in the house on the return
of the parents. and. finding themselves dis
covered, killed them also in order to escape
A bloody Ratchet was found which fitted
exactly to the wounds ON the head Of the
boy whose throat was also cut from ear TO
car.
DuRNlNG THE uor.E ANp rnr DEAD.
There is blank IN the story from the
o'clock last Thursday morning, when Frank
Alderman, a coal digger, was awakened by
a bright light bcaming in the windows Of
his bedroom lie aroused a companion and
they both hurried TO the scene of the fire.
When they arrived tue root had fallen in.
but the brick walls were still standing. and
out through the glassless windows the
glare of a he'd of burning Goals within
gave forth an intense heat and dazzling
light. No living souls but these two men
were there and they stood for some time in
silence, looking upon each other speeches.
with horror. When they had recovered
from the terror that for the noncc had al
most paralyzed them, they gave an alarm
and in few minutes the neighbors for
miles around were flocking to the scene. 1t
soon became apparent that the dread fears
which had first fallen upon the minds of
the two discoveries were but two well
founded. The sickening stencil of burning
bodies filled the air and gave an indescriba-
bic feeling of fear to the spectators
DRAGGING OUT TIE CHARRED REMAINS.
1t was daylight before the ruins cooled
off, and then rs soon as possible search
was commenced for bodies. Tue first
body dragged from the ruins was that
of farmer Hamnct. 1t was a charred and
almost unacceptable mass of human flesh.
Portions OF his partially consumed cloth
ing were, however, still, in places, cling
ing to the unconsumed remains. The face
was blackened and charred. The search
was continued and in few moments the
horror of the people was increased upon
the discovery and the dragging out of
another body from the ruins. This was
Robert Smith, the apprentice, who was
badly disfgured. His right hand only was
whole, but shruaken and shrivcled. The
left arm was dislocated at the shoulder, the
member lying across the breast. The feet
were entirely burned off, the shin bones pro
truding from the burned and steamng flesh
The throat was cut in three places, the
horrible gashes gaping open at those who
gazed upon the horrible spectacle. A thirC
Emma Hamnet, four years of age, but hel
features were totally unacceptable. Tht
lower members were entirely destroyed
from the ends of the small ribs, which
| protruGcd through the back near the spina
column. A fourth body found WAS that o.
Agnes, the wife of Mr. Ilamnet, She was
recognized by portions Of clothing whlcl
were still clinging to the remains. He
outside dress had been burned. but thu
undertaking was not entirely consumed
The wires of her hoopslsrt were still abou
the body, furnishing the proof that she ha'
not retired to bed when she met her death
Ida IIamnct, the eldest daughter, eight
years old. is still missing, but it is supposed
that she also fell victim.to the wholesal,
slaughter,
TIE AUTHOR or THE TRAGEDY.
The supposed author Of this most unnatu
raj tragedy is Ernest / owe, a young Ger
man of about % years Of age, who has beei
in the employ of IIamnet from nidwinte
up to time of the tragedy. He has not beei
seen since, which is something, indeed, yer,
unusual, and though search has been mad
for him by several detectives, no clew Il
his whereabouts has been obtained. Love
is stout young man with ilorid com
pleXion, and whose dialect would at ono
betray his nationality. He has not been il
this country any great length of time, bu
he proved a valuable assistant to IIamnet
who at all times spoke well Of the youn
man as being sober and industrious.
The police and citizens in the neighboi
hood of the crime are out securing til
woods in search of the fugitive and his
escape will prove a dillicult undertaking.
THE ELDEST DAUGHTER MISSING.
| When the corresDondent left the ruins q