Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-01-31
The MURDER RECORD.
A CRIME WITH SCARCELY A
PARALLEL.
A MAN LITERALLY CHOPPED IN
FRAGMENTS.
THREE DOLLARS THE MUIR
DERER'S REWARD.
The MURDER RECORD
New York. January 30

New York, January 80.
Detectives were working busily to-day on the
Greenpoint murder case, in which the head of
VIM. w. English was found in the ship yard of
John English, on Milton st. From the proximity
OF the head to the river, it waa t.'ugtt the how
has been thrown IN the water. Inquiries were
made at places where Simmons was in the habit of
visiting, but no person acknowledged having seen
him since Saturday night. Victor krez who was
an intimate friend of the deceased appeared to be
uneasy under the questioning of the police, and
told the detectives of Simmons being in the
habit Of visiting some female friends in Green
point, but on making inquiries this was found to
be untrue. kretz was detained in the police of
flee two or three hours. The detectives did not
think that Kretz knew any thing about the murder,
and he was allowed to go home.
The watchmen on the docks were interviewed.
One was found who said he saw a man answering
to the description of kretz, down the dock
on Saturday morning, and was quite positive about
his identity. The detectives then supposed that if
kretz was not the guilty man he knew something
about the murder, and they arrested him. On his
way to the station house, he purposely cut his
hand. 1t bled freely, and he kept rubbing it on
his pants. When this was observed an examina-
ton of his clothing was made, which revealed
large spot of dried blood on his pants. The de-
tectves then visited his house again, and found
his trunk locked and nailed together so tightly
they found packed the legs and arms of the muir
dered victim, and in the boiler they found the
trunk of the body skinned and cut up. The en-
trails had been removed and quick lime put in
side so as to cause speedy decomposition.
There had been pool of blood on the floor,
but efforts had been made to obliterate it, BY
scraping, until the boards were almost white.
Upon the dress of Mrs. kretz, which had Just
been washed, were stains of blood. She said she
scraped the floor at the request of husband, that
simmons called at the house en- Thursday and
they all had drink together, Simmons drinks be-
ing made stronger than those of the others, and
that when he was stupefed with liquor kretz took
Ratchet and chopped his head of, the act being
witnessed by his little step-daughter. Mrs. Kretz
said that she herself was then up stairs. When
kretz heard that the body was discovered he ad-
mtted his guilt and said he hal done it because
he had found his victim in criminal intercourse
with his wife, but this Mrs. k:etz denies. The
murder was no doubt committed for robbery, as
Simmons was always known to have money on
his person. The prisoner was also in possession
of Simmons watch, and the little girl says her
father took three dollars and some cents from the
pockets Of the murdered man. Mrs. Kretz was
taken to the station house and confined in a sepa-
rate cell. The prisoner who says his real name
is kretz, is an Alsatan by birth and speaks both
Frelch aud German. He is about 40 year.
of age.