The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-16

The murderer of the lIamnct family at
Homestead. Pa, Ernt Mintzing, dltas Love,
was arrested IN Allegheny City on the 2d. In.
tense excitement prevailed, and it required
the strongest efforts OF the local police force
to keep him from the hands of the cnraged
crowd and place him safely in the lookup,
Mintzing soon If er his incarceration made the
following confession: Il left Hamnct's house
just after supper en- the evening of the muir
der 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 a grocery store, kept by
a German, and purchased some cigars and
five cents worth of candy tor the children.
| don't know the name of the store-kceper,
but had been there several times. | think
| was at the store about O'Clock in the even
ing. Just as | was leaving it came into my
head that must have Hamnets money. |
thought he had great deal of money in the
house, and felt so queer all at once in my
head though i must get it. l went direct
to the house, but don't know how got there.
| suppose must have been out of my mind
After getting into the house | found Mr. and
Mrs, Hamnct had not come home. II oc-
CURED to me that to get the money | must
kill the children. | found an AK in the kitchen
and taking that with me / went up into the
room over the kitchen where Rober. Smith
and myself slept. The bed was in a corner
Of the room, and saw that Robert was sleep,
ing soundly with his face toward me. took
a position at the front of the bed and with
one blow killed the boy. He never moved.
| can't say how it was that the bows throat
was cut. | may have struck him twice, but
he never groancd After the boy was dead |
went into the adjoining room, where Ida and
little Emmie were sleeping. There were two
beds in the room-one in the corner and the
other, the one occupied by the children, near
the center. Both of the little girls we're
sleeping. / struck Ida and she never moved.
| then raised the AK and struck ut Emmic,
She uttered cry and hit her second time.
She did not groan again. After this | 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 ten and eleven
o'clock. Mr., Hamnet came into the room
first. | was standing so that he could not see
Inc, and struck him from behind, using the
same Ak, He fell to the floor Mrs. Uamnet
then came rushing into the room, and as she
passed through the door struck her, bat did
not kill her. She shrieked once or twice
Oh, God, john and then | struck second
blow, which killed her instantly. Mrs Hana
net and the baby were the ones | hit twice.
The others were killed with one blow. fused
the AK all the time.
Il committed the deed to get Mr.. Hamnet's
money l searched Mr.. Hamnets pockets
and obtained his pocket book /; contained
only $lj in paper money. | found Mrs Ham
nets pocketbook on the sewing machine.
There was only fifty cents in it. l looked
over the house, but all the money I got was
s15 The silver money l spent ON yesterday
brought with me from Germany. l did not
get il from the house.
Ny only motive for doing this deed was to
get money l never had any illfeeling
oward any OF the Hamnets. always liked |
he little children, and always bought them
candy when | went to Homestead The boy |
smith and were good friends, and always !
liked Mr. and Mrs. Hamnet
Il did not fire the house, and it was not a
Dart of aplan to cever up the murder When
searching the house put an oil lamp in the |
setting room, and when rushing away from
he building it was overturned l thought it |
would go out; | did not think the house
would burn'