The New York herald., 1874-07-23
PHILADELPHIA'S CRIMES.
A Discharged Workman Horribly Mutt
lates His Wife and Kills Himself.
A CHAPTER OF HORRORS
A Peaceful Home Destroyed in an Instant
An Infant Quietly Sleeping.

PHILADELPHIA, July %, 1874.
within the brief period Of month there liss
occurred In the city Of Pniiadelphla succession oil
crimes, each OF which has been OF such unusual
and exaggerated nature that il has been sun1cient
to startle the community aud centre upon this
single Commonwealth the eyes OF the entire
country. And now am called upon to record an
additional one. which, In intensity OF horror, sur
passes them all.
OF this last example OF human depraviy are aa
follows: In this city, located ut No. 1889 North
Ninth street. stands little Two stOried brick
structure which this morning was the scene Of ths
borr bic incidents OF the sequel. The house Is neat,
cosey and quiet. replete with all the appointments
OF plain but comfortable home. The name OF the
party who owned the house is George W. Hon.
man. and he has paid for it out OF the earnings
OF many years OF toll. Holman was thirty-eigns
years of age and bright, industrious, intelli'
gent and sober. With him resided mother, aged
seven:y-two, and beautiful wife, aged twenty
eight years, with one child. five months old. BY
occupation Holman is a carriage blacksmith, very
adrot in his line, the admiration OF his employ.
ers and among the very foremost of his trade.
He had been Tor some time without WORK, ana
all his efforts to obtain it had proved unsuccessful.
Great mental depression had resulted, and he sew.
eral times stated 10 his vile that nothing but
death remained to him. This morning
he arose from his bed at seven O'Clock
and passed into an adjoining apartment
and attempted to kndle the fire. His vile
arose and followed him into the same room. In
! stirring the embers OF the already kindllng name
Hoffman used very heavy poker. Upon the en- q
OF i. was ponderous brass knob. Without mo-
mcnt's warning-without, indeed, betraying any
! Consciousness OF his vines presenCe-he grasped
the heavy IRON bar, ana. turning about, suddenly
with a crushing blow in the direction OF his wife's
head she uttered terrible cry and instlnctively
raised her arm. She sustained terrible bruse
and the poker, being red hot, burned the part
where it ell to crisp He struck at her thus
three times @ and in each each instance she managed ia
the poker and put one nand behind him. The poor
wife, bruised and terror stricken, rails upon her
knees, clasps ner hands ana asks him. In the name
OF heaven, what he means The next instant the
blade OF a razor flashes Ia mid ar and moment
later IL Is buried IN her head,
CUTTING DEEP HORRIBLE CASH
down her lett temple and through her lett ear. In
vain the woman places her feeble strength against
the brutal ana Irenzled determination OF the man.
Eleven times the razor rises and alls. each time
! her countenance is literally cut to pieces. while
! from 1t the blood rushed in streams Again the
husband pauses Tor moment. while his wife, with
| Outstretched arms, bllndy sraggers toward him.
Thrusting her aside he tlghtens his grasp upon the
razor: he draws 1t across his own throat three
times and sewers the juguar vein. The wife, dis
regarding her own wounds, wildly shrleks as She
recognizes MS intent, and, catching her husband.
already mortally wounded himself and that he Is
rapidly dying. The blood from the eleven wounds
OF the Vile mingled III StreaIn WHICH uOWS IrOI0
the three gashes across the throat OF the hus'
band, and wnen the noise OF the terrible struggle
mad brought in the neghbOrs they found both lying
upon the oor the husband dead, In pool OF blood,
and the wife in state OF Inconsistencies beside
HIM.
THE WIFE WAS REVIVED
sufficiently to communicate the above, and was at
once taken to hospital. The little INFANT was
found quietly sleeping up stairs, and beng taken
up in the arms OF q kind neghbor was taken 10
her home for protection. 1t is impossible to de.
scribe
THE CONDITION OF THE APARTMENT
IN which this horrible scene was enacted. TheI
walls, the carpet and the furniture were all stained
with blood while the body OF the suicide was most
terrible to view. The relatives OF both parties did
not arrive until about nine O'Clock A. NJ, and their
grief can better be imagined than described. The
wounds upon each were OF q most sickentnG
nature, the blood clotted within the ugly gashes
adding to she horror Of the spectacle. The affair
Is all the more sad from the fact that the would.
be murderer and suicide was sober, industrious
and upright man, Il worthy member Of the church,
and was driven to commit his crime because no
This case bears strong resemblance TO thA
Blackstone murder, committed here about I'VE
years ago, the two houses beng OF the same gen.
eral model, and the husband Killed his wife while
she Klndling the fire, killed his children and
then killed himself. The circumstance has ere.
ated great popular excitement, and is one OF the
boodest ones that has ever occurred in the history
of the city.