The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-08
THE WILLIAMSBURGH HORROR.

THE WILLIAMSBURGH HORROR
Ono WorkinEmRn Killed BY Another ant
Chopped to Pleces--A Terrible Story.
The mystery Of the murder of vii
liam W. Simmons, the unfortunate iror
worker whose severed head was found
in Greenpoint lumber yard, has beer
fully and completely unraveled. The
murder Is one of the most horrible ir
the annals of homicidal crime in this
country. In many Of its features it will
remind the reader of the Parkmar
tragedy in Boston, although the present
crime possesses more ghastliness in its
outlines.
The unfortunate victim in this case,
it appears, was murdered by one Of biz
fellow workmen, named Andreas Fuchs,
in the domicile of the latter, in the pres
ence of his little step-daughtsr, and ther
the body was hacked to pieces and con
cealed in various parts OF the two rooms
occupied by the murderer's family.
William W. Simmons, the murdered
man, had been, it seems, living sort OF
double life. Ostensibly he was a man
of correct habits, except that he drank
occasionally, although not to excess.
His wife and children lived at Derby,
Conn, where he visited them occasion.
ally, his work keeping him resident
of Williamsburgh. He was free-hearted,
kind to children and always spoke well
of his family, and seemed to idolize his
own children but absence from them
had broken down the barriers OF virtue,
and he had maintained a liaison with the
wife of the man who killed him. At least
that is the assertion of his murderer.
On Thursday Simmons left his house
and visited that of Fuchs. He found
the family, consisting of Fuchs and bis
wife, formerly q Mrs. Kehoe, and hel
daughter Helen, partaking Of some
beer. In response to Fuchs invitation,
Simmons also drank some of the beer,
and then gave Fuchs money to gel
more; he also presented little Helen
with doll he had purchased for her.
Fuchs was gone but few moments, and
after his return they drank beer and
brandy, of which he had quantity In
the house, until both the men and the
woman were somewhat stupehed.
The statements of what occurred
thereafter are somewhat conflicting, but
Mrs. Fuchs becoming intoxicated, was
by her husband and daughter taken to
bed, falling on the way and scratching
her face. When she had been laid
down Fuchs returned to Simmons, who
was then still more under. the influence
of liquor, and pulled him off the chair.
When he was prone on the floor Fuchs
struck Simmons three or four blows on
the neck with hatchet, and 80 killed
him, tie little girl witnessing the terri.
bic tragedy. When Fuchs found that
his victim had ceased to breathe, he sent
the child to bed and, taking q heavy
drink of brandy, also retired himself
and went to sleep. The body OF the
murdered man remained on the floor OF
the kitchen, Just where it had fallen in
DEATH. The blood flowed from the
ghastly wounds inflicted by the hatchet
until the corpse stifened and grew rigid
in the silent hours of the night.
The scene was o peculiarly horrible
one. On the bed lay the murderer IN
his drunken sleep by the side OF his
wife, who was also sleeping away the
effects of her debauch. At the foot OF
the bed lay the innocent little child,
whose dreams were undisturbed by the
dreadful crime her eyes had witnessed.
Almost too young to know that her step
fother had taken the life of q fellow
creature, she lay there the only relief to
the gloomy and horrible picture. In the
other room, only few feet distant, the
body OF the Murdered man lay motion
less in death. The silence OF night was
undisturbed, and dreadful as the crime
was, and loudly as it called for retribu-
ton, no human voice was heard, and
the neighbors remained in ignorance OF
the tragedy which had just been perpe'
trated in their midst. The solitary
policeman went his lonely rounds un-
conscious OF the necessity for his action,
and as he tried the street doors and
watched to prevent crime, he little i'm.
agined that so great an offense against
tie laws of God and man had been
enacted. No man living knew OF the
crime which was to horrify the entire
community on the morrow Of its discov-
cry, and the murderer slept bis drunken
sleep unmolested and unharmed. Sci
dom has so terrible o scene been pre-
sented, and fiction never realized Its
horrible features.
The morning while Fuchs was still
asleep, the child Helen, who is only
eight years old, awakened her mother
and told her what had been done by her
stepfather. She also told her mother
that had it not been for her own inhu-
ence she '{Mrs. Fuchs) would have
shared the fate OF Simmons. Mrs.
Fuchs arose rom her bed much excited,
and on going into the kitchen was hor-
rifed BY seeing the corpse Of Simmons
living on the floor, between the stoveand
the table. The woman, frenzied with
horror and excitement, began to moan
and wiring her hands, exolaiming: "We
shall all be hung; we shall all be hung"
Her cries awoke Fuchs, who Immediate
ly got up and dragged the body of bis
victim Into the bedroom, saying as he
did so: "Oh, no; I'll make it all
right" =,
The body being placed in the bed.
room Fuchs ordered his wife to get
breakfast, which being prepared the
family sat down to the table and ate
heartily, undisturbed by the presence OF
the CORPSE in the next room or the blood
that lay on the floor at their side. As
soon as the meal was over Fuchs gather:
ed together some knives, q Ratchet and
a saw, with which he ooolly proceeded
to cut up the body. His horrible work
was unskillfunY done, and as he hacked
and hewed at the lifeless remains, his
wife and step-child remained in the
kitchen; but now and then the woman
and child peeped into the bedroom and
watched the ghastly work with wonder.
ing eyes. To this they were prompted
by the sound of the tools used by the
murde r. AS Fuchs cut the body up
he hid the pieces in boxes and pals, and
placed these under the bed and in other
parts of the two rooms.
The body thus disposed of for the
time being, Fuchs went to the shop and
asked if be should light up the fire fol
the forge. He was told of course to dc
so, but the fact of Simmons absence
was such strange matter that he was
next instructed t., run around and see
where Simmons Was. Ina few moments
he returned and said that Mrs. Beck,