The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-05
A TRAGEDY AT lRONTON.
A Worthless vagabOnd's Deeds
with a Navy Revolver.
His Wife Found Murdered and a
Son and Daughter Wounded.
The SCoundrsI's Unsuccessful
Attempt at Suicide.

IRoSTos, O., February 3.--Mrs. Mary
Muck, as she is commonly known, and
whose face, together with that OF her lit.
tie girl, has for years been familiar to
those who attended our markets, was
brutally murdered by her husband, Wen
eel SCHNEIDER, last Friday afternoon. It
seems that her first husband, who died
some years since, had willed all his prop.
erty, consisting Of snug hill farm, situ-
ated about one and a half mile from
town, and on which was a good two.story
frame house, also cattle, money, &C., to
his four children, his wife TO have the
use OF all during her natural life.
About eleven years ago Wenzel Schin.
dler was a soldier in our late war, and
also in the Mexican war. He being re.
garded as an Industrious man, married
Mrs. Muck, and took up his abode with
her on the little farm. It was not long
until SCHNEIDER began TO show signs Of
bad temper and quarrelsome disposi-
tion. He frequently demanded money
from his wife, which being refused, so
exasperated him that he made many
threats Of violence, and finally separated
from her and lived like a hermit in n
room in the house to himself, where he
always slept alone with large loaded
revolver under his head.
For years he has been living off the
earnings Of his wife and children, and
more aud more frequently has been de-
manding that the property should be
turned over to him. A few weeks since
he promised il his wife would turn him
over three hundred dollars in money he
would leave her forever. This she re-
fused, and told him for the first time Of
the situation OF the property, and her in.
ability to comply with his demand. From
that moment he became more and more
violent in his abuse, and threatened, un.
till last Friday after dinner, when as soon
as the two boys, John, aged nineteen, and
August, aged twenty-one, had gone 10
their work, he renewed his abuse toward
the mother, who was washing in the back
room.
August, who had been working out at
the crib, hearing the loud words used,
started toward the house. When within
few steps OF the door, the old man fred
at him with Colts navy revolver, which
missed the boy, who made quick jump
to one side and picked up rock which
he threw at the old man, missing him. A
second shot struck August in the leg, and
he started TO run, receiving another Sc.
we're wound in the leg.
The firing attracted the attention Of
John, who had started TO the top OF the
hill overlooking Ice Creek, and he made
all haste toward the house. When with
10 few steps, the old man met him and
pointed the revolver at his breast and
fired, but he jumped quickly down a
small embankment, and the shot missed
him.
John then ran behind tile crib and got
m old clock weight, which he threw with
all his force at the old man, vino was by
that time standing in the door again.
Seeing the boy about TO throw the weight,
he quickly shut the door, which was bro.
ken through the panel. John then pick.
ed up brick and threw il at the window
where the old man was trying to bring
the pistol to bear on him.
Finding the old demon was making q
barricade OF the house, he then ran to the
house Of MIR. RauCk, who lived few rods
distant, aiiera shotgun. No sooner had
John lett than the mother emerged IRON
the back door and started in the direction
OF August, who had disappeared down the
hill in his wounded condition. Seeing
the mother, the old man, who, by this
time, had reloaded his revolver, started
after her, and when within few feet Of
her fired shot, the ball entering the
back near the spine aud coming out
through the right lung. He then seized
her Us phe was about falling and fired
another shot into her abdomen, when she
fell and died almost instantly.
By this time the two girls, Annie aged
thirteen, and Minnie aged fifteen, who
had all the time been screaming with
terror ,ran TO SCHNEIDER and caught hold
OF him, trying to prevent him from fur
ther injuring the mother, when hc struck
the youngest on the bead with
the pistol, knocking her senseless,
and then shot at Minnie making tlesh
wound in the arm.
Seeing John approaching with lou.
bic barrelGd shotgun, accompanied bya
son Of Mr.. Rauck, SchindIer then went
into the house and locked himseli in. As
John approached the house he found the
dead body Of his mother, and near by, his
wounded brother lying near a post or
stump.
Finding that SCHNEIDER had fastened
himself in the house, he then started post
haste 10 town and informed Marshall
Munshower, who, with a posse Of about
fifteen police and citizens, went to the
scene Of carnage. On arriving at the
house SCHNEIDER was found lying on the
floor in large pool Of blood, having shot
himself under the chin, the ball coming
out at the cheek bone. He had, no doubt,
intended the shot 10 go through the top
othi4 head. lie was Immediately brought
TO town and placed in jail, where bis
wounds were dressed, and although his
face was much swollen this morning he
will probably recover.
The funeral Of Mrs. Muck took place
from the St. Josephs Catholic Church
this afternoon at . o'clock, a very large
large crowd Of people being present.
The above is substantially the facts as
elicited by the Corouer's jury, and intor'
nation derived by your reporter from
other sources.
Mrs. Muck was hard working woman,
and attended our markets for many years
with vegetables, poultry, &c. SCHNEIDER
wore large, iiercc.IOoking molstache,
and has a restless, treacherOus-looking
eye. Great excitement exists, pArttcu'
larly among the German population.
WElearn from the Cleveland Leader
that a gentleman Of that city has nego.
tiated n loan for 90 days amounting to
$4,000 in greenbackS, with this he rur-
,LosoJ SII7nn worth nj pnld. having