Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-05-08
THE SEN Ell.
The Homestead Murders.
THE CONFESSION OF THE MuaDEnEn.

THE CONFESSION OF THE MURDERER,
A telegram dated Pttsburg, May Q, says !:
The tiend who committed the quintuple
murder at Homestead, Pa, on Thursday morn
ing, was arrested last evening at Watchers
saloon, in Allegheny City. In the saloon
were number Of men discussing the murder
Of the Hamnet family Mentzing Joined in the
conversation, aud said that be had worked for
Hamnet, and that he was very nice man.
AS soon as he had made this statement he
turned and hurriedly left the saloon Officer
Qhelrk of .he Alegh eny police force came up
as The man got outside of the door, and i'm
mediately took him into custody and con
veyed him TO the City Hall lookup in Allie
gheny City. The Chronicle reporters inter-
viewed the murderer this forenoon. He gave,
in substance, the following details of the
damnlng crime answering questions without
the slightest hesitation. He started out with
the assertion that the murder had been entire
ly unprecedented. He then proceeded: 81
ielt damnets house just after supper, on the
evening OF the murder, aud went directly TO
Homeslea | called at saloon and drank
two glasses OF beer. That was all ! had that
night. After leaving the saloon | went 10 "A
grocery store Kept by German and purchased
some cigars und five cents worth of candy for
the childrea. | don't know the name Of The
store-keeper, but had been there several
times. | think was at The store about nine
O'Clock ia tue evening. Just as was leaving
II came into my head that must have Ham
nets money, l thought he had a great deal Of
money in The house, and as fell so queer all
at once in my head, thought | must get it,
went directly 20 the house, but dom know
how got there. ! suppose must have been
Out OF my mind After getting into the house
found Mr.. and Mrs. Hamnet had not come
home, and it occurred to me that to get The
money must kill the children found an
ak ia The Kitchen, and taking that with me-
went u u INTO the room over the kitchen " here
Robert Smith aAd myself Slept The bed was
in corner of the room, and saw Robert
sleeping soundly, with face toward me =
TOOK a position at The front of the bed and
with one blow killed The boy He never mov-
ed. ] can't say how it was that the bows
throat was cut. | may have struck him twice
but he never groaued. After the boy was dead
went into The adjoining room, where Ida
and little Emma were sleeping Both of the
little girls were sleeping. / struck Ida first,
and she never moved. ] then raised the AK
and struck at Emma She uttered a cry. and
hit her second lime. She did not groan
again. After this, went down stairs and
took position just inside the door of the room
adjoining the kitchen, aud waited for Mr. and
Mrs Hamnet TO come home They came be-
tween 70 and ! | O'clock Mr. Hamnet came
into The room first | was standing so that he
could not see me, and struck him from behind,
using The same ak He fell 10 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, ION, God, John ~ and struck her a
second blow. | used The ok all the time
committed the deed to get Mr.. Hamnet's mon
ey. | searched Mr.. Hamnet's pockets and OBJ
tanned his pocketbook. 1t contained only
fifteen dollars in paper. found Mrs. Hamnel S
pocke'book on the sewing machine. There
was only fifty cents in it. / looked over the
house, but all the money got was fifteen
dollars. The silver money | spent Yesterday
brought with me from Germany. | did not
get ii from the house. Ny only motive for
doing this deed was TO get money. | never
had any il-feeling towards any of the Ham
nets. always liked the children, and always
bought them caody when went to Home
stead. The boy Smith and / were good friends
aud always liked Mr. and Mrs Hamnet.
did not fire The house, and il was not a part of
the plan to coverup the murder When search
ing the house, put oil lamp in the sitting
room, aud when rushing away from the build
ing il was overturned. | thought it would
20 out. | did not think the house would
burn.
The prisoner then detailed his escape and
whereabouts until arrested. Mentzing gave
the following sketch Of himself.
Ny name is Ernst Meuiz ng was born in
Stuttgart Wirtemberg, aud am twenty-eieht
years Of age. Ny mother and father are both
dead but have two brothers and three sisters
living near Stuttgart. ! was 10 the Bayaliau
army, and served in an infantry regiment
participated in the battles of Woerlh and
Leichtenberg, and participated in the seige Of
Paris. ! served out my time in that army,
and escaped withouta wound. Ny father and
mother died in 1870. ] came TO this country
about 8 months ago, and worked with Peter
Ramsey, at Olkdae, New Jersey, as a farm
hand, which was my occupation in Germany
| came to Piitsburg in January last, and OBJ
tanned employment at Hamnets where nave
been ever since.