Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1874-05-12
The Homestead Murders.


Rewards to the Sameubt of $4,000 were at
once offered for the capture of the murderer.
Aman named Mintzing has been arrested in
Allegheny City, who confesses that the bloody
deed was perpttrated by him with an axe,
andethat his object was plumber The fol-
lowing is the confession of the 'fend:
LIE started out with the assertion that the
murder had been entirely uupremeditated.-
He then proceeded: Il left Hamnet's house
just after supper, on the evening of the MUIR
der, and'went directly to Homestead. called
at a saloon aud drank two glasses of beer
Thatwas all had that night. After leaving
the saloon weutEto a grocery store kept by
Alderman and purchased some cigars aud FIVE
cents worth of caudy for the children. l
don't know the name of the store-k keeper. but
i had been there several times. l think
was at the store about nine o clock in the
evening. just asI was leaving it came into
my head that must have Hamuet's money, L
thought he had great deal of'money in the
house, and as felt SO queer all at once in my
head, | thought [ must get it. Invent di>
rectly to the house, but don { know how got
there. I suppose nrust have been out of
my mind. Alter getting into the'house 1
found Dir. and Mrs. Hamnet had not come
home, and 1t occurred to me that TO get the
money l must kill the children. 1 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 a corner of the room, and saw
Robert sleeping soundly, with his face toward
me. [ took position at tho front Of the bed,
and with one blow killed the boy. lie never
moved. I can't say how it was that the boys
throat was cut may have struck him twice,
but he never groaned. After the boy was
dead 1 went into an adjoining room, where
Ida and little Emma were sleeping. Both of
the little girls were sleeping: | struck Ida
first, and she never moved. l then raised the
axe and struck at Emma. She uttered cry,
and hit her second time. She did not
groan again. After this, l went down stairs
and took position just inside the door of the
room adjoining the kitchen, and waited for
Mr.. and Mrs. Hamnet to come home. They
came between 10 and II o'clock. Mr.. Ham
net came into the room first. was standing
so that he could not see me, and I struck him
from behind, using the same ak. Hc 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 1 struck her second blow, which
killed her instantly. Mrs. Hamnct and the
baby were the only ones hit twice. The
others were killed with one blow. used the
axe all the time. I committed the deed to get
Mr.. Hamnet's money. I searched Mr.. Hams
nets pockets and obtained his pocketbook.
1t contained only fifteen dollars in paper
money. 1 found Mrs. Hamnet's pocketbook
on'the sewing machine. There was only fifty
cents in it. looked over the house, but all
the money l got was fifteen dollars The
silver money 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. I never had any ill>feeling
towards any of the Hamnets. I always liked
the children, and always bought them candy
wheD went to Homestead. The boy Smith
and were good friends, ana I always liked
Mr.. and Mrs. Hamnet. l did not Gre the house,
and it was not part of the plan to cover up
the murder When searching the house, [
put an oil lampin the sitting room, and when
rushing away from the building it was over
turned. I thought it would 20 out. l did
not think the house would burn"
- Daring the war Messrs. John Purcell
and Henry Ritter, of the White Hall neigh
borhood, in this county, in common with their
neighbors and our citizens generally, suffered
by the depredations of the Federal troops,
and on one occasion horse was taken from
each of them by scouting party. They had
almost forgotten tho circumstance, aud of
course had no hope of eyerreceiving any CON-
pensation for their loss. But one day last
week they were agreeubly surprised by the
receipt of letter from party in ChiIicothe,
Ohio, who acknowledged having taken their
animals, and requested them to call at Adams
Express Office in Winchester, and receive the
amount for which he had sold the horses
They did so. and Our lucky friends are now
each one hundred dollars better off than they
were few days ago. Which Strengthens
our faith in the honesty Of mankind, and en-
courages US to hope that some of our delin-
quent subscribers may surprise us, some day.
Winchester Times
TEMPERANCE MEETING YEsTERDAY.-
/ The temperance meeting held at the Wash
ington Hall yesterday afternoon was largely
attended, in fact the largest gathering that
has assembled for two or three weeks. After
tho usual devotional exercises were hnd the
Rev. DIR. j. McKendrce Kelley was intro
duced, and addressed the meeting. The rev.
erend gentleman handled the subject under
discussion with his usual ability, and made
forcible and eloquent appeal in behalf of the
cause of temperance.
{ TTAee1ing Register, lG'y 4.
Gs- The substantial features of the new
Currency bill, which the majority of the SEN
ate Finance Committee have sgreed upon, are
these: The maximum of the bank circulation
to be 1882, 900, 900; new bank notes to be
issued to the amount of SlG4,0O0,OOO; for
every million of new bank currency issued,
100000 in greenbacks to be retired, until
the total circulation is reduced to $500, OOO>
600; specie payments to be resumed January
1, 1877.