Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-07-02
A FIENDISH FATHER.
He Deliberately Murders HIS Three Lit
tie Children.

A SPRINGFIELD, Mass, dispatch of
June 21st gives the particulars of
the following horrible tragedy: The
worst local tragedy since the burning
of the Holyoke French church, in
1875, and one of the coolest and most
deliberate murders on record, was per-
petrated this afternoon at South Holyoke
by John Kemmler, aged 4S, and a
former Germania mills employee, in the
killing, by shooting, of his three chill
dren, Annie, aged 6; Lutmiller, 4; and
Amy 1.-The third beings relic of trip
lets. The kemmlers live in an attic at
No. 374 Park street, the Germania cor
poration block, in comparative poverty,
the father having been out of work
since February, when he deserted his
family to go to Denver Colorado, after
appropriating the family savings of
$3.50 from the savings bank at
Holyoke and Northampton, and
returning only recently. His wife
supported herself and children
by working in the mills and at odd
Jobs. Moreover, kemmler was ordered
to vacate his tenement on the ground
of not working in the mill, which
probably ripened his determination.
While he sent his wife up the street
about p. m. to buy hat for Amy, he
called the children up stairs on prom
ises of candy, and locked the doors.
He first designed to poison them, for
which purpose he had got enough cyan
ide of potassium to kill half a dozen
families. He tried feeding it to them
in Cruel, but was only able to get few
spoonfuls down Armies throat on &C.
count Of the taste, and, it being an
overdose, the victim threw it up. See
ing this wouldn't work we'll, he took
Lutmiller into the fro mt bedroom, shut
the door, and drawing a thirty-two cali
bre Smith and Wessen five shooter,
shot her through the head, just
back of the ears. Leaving her
weltering in her gore. He
took Annie to the bedroom, shot her in
like manner, and left her on the floor
covered with blood and vomit. kemm-
Ter then laid Amy on the bed in the
rear BEDROOM ard shot her also through
the head, behind the ears, burning the
pillow. The work in each case was
done clean, the revolver being placed
against the head. as large powder-burns
on each face clearly showed, and the
bullets going straight through both
parietal bones of each child's skull.
The murderer then, locking the doors,
went to neighboring saloon, where be
gave the barkeeper the tenement key,
and said he had killed his children.
He then strolled up town, remarking
that he had taken his last glass
Of beer. When arrested, in
an uptown saloon, he gave up
the revolver and coolly acknowledged
the crime. He said he didn't want his
children to grow up and run the risk of
becoming prostitutes. He could not
support his family, and could not see
them in want, and thought it was best
to kill them, when they would go to
heaven and be happy forever. He had
intended to shoot himself, but he final
ly concluded it to be wrong, and would
let the law take its course. He wanted
to die, anyhow. Kemmler takes the
affair very philosophically. There is
great excitement at Holyoke. Kemm-
Ter was born in Wurtemberg in 1881
and has been in this country seventeen
years. He could not agree with his
wife.