Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-09-20
SHOCKING DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

HenryJ Blessing, a River Engineer, Makes
a Desperate Attempt to Kill his Wife, ms
Brother-in-Law and End his Own Life
Probable Success of the Latter Effort
Mis-. Blessing Not Fatally Injured, and
the Result in the Case of the Other Victim
Doubtful.
ST. LOUIS Mo-, Sept. ii.
About eleven O'Clock last night the neigh
b ,rhood of 1851 Cass avenue was startled
by six shots fired in rapid succession, and
a few minutes later Mrs. Ida Blessing, who
resides at that number, the family consist
ing of Henry J Blessing, his wife and her
brother, VIM. F. Thelemann, knocked at the
door of her landlords house, on the ground
floor, and when it was opened she handed
his son, Henry Eicks, q revolver, saying
that her husband had shot her brother and
cut his own throat. She did not mention
any injuries inflicted upon herself Young
Eicks and Tom Foley, a young man who
had been attracted by the noise of tho
shooting, hurried upstairs. Blessing was
pacing around in the room nearest the
porch. One of the young men called
"Blessing, come out here;" but the man
made no reply and continued his march.
The room was unlighted, and the two young
men were not disposed to risk an encounter
in it with him. They returned to the yard
for the lantern, but when they came up
stairs again Blessing had disappeared.
Meanwhile different policemen had been
summoned, among them Officers Walker
and Messer, and they, although belonging
to the Third District, outside the scene of
the occurrence, at once instituted a search
for Blessing, and found him in the garnet,
lying on his stomach, and were Mortified to
gaze on severed windpipe and throat
cut from ear to ear, while their ears were
assailed by a gurgle that the escaping air
made. The would-be suicide still clutched
in his hand Wade & Butcher razor, with
which he had SO viciously slashed himself
The officers took it from him and .endeav-
ored to obtain from him some information
as to the deeds he had done. The man could
not speak, but was fully conscious, and a
quick shake or nod of the head indicated a
negative OF an affirmative reply. b
1t was cleaned from him that his inten
ton was to kill his wife, his brother-in-law
and himself. The patrol wagon was tele
phoned for and Blessing was sent to the
City Dispensary, the officers meanwhile
turning their attention to the other men,
bers of the family. Thelemann was found
lying on pallet in the sitting-room, where
he had been placed by his sister. He pre-
brother-in-law had slashed him on the left
side of the neck, severing an artery. He
then inflicted deep cash on the right side,
cut him across the bowels, and shot him
under the left eye and in the muscle of the
left arm, the bullet penetrating the lung.
He suffered intensely, as was evident from
his frequent EXPLANATIONS. Blessing had
used on him the razor and an American
He was also sent to the City Dispensary.
Doctors Vogt and Eaton were called in
to attend Mrs. Blessing, who was more
seriously hurt than was at first supposed.
Her blood-thirsty husband had used the
razor on her too, and though he inflicted
but one wound on her it was a most painful
one. 1t was six inches in length, extend
ing from the umbilicus to the short ribs OH
the left side. The surgeons said, however,
that the cavity was not penetrated, and
that her chances for recovery were good.
Immediately after it had been dressed she
became hysterical and delirious, and no
statement could be obtained from her. She
wrung her hands. wept, screamed and
asked continually for "Drew," pet name
she gave her brother She did not display
much grief for her husbsnd "Ohw she
exclaimed. what will they do with me if
they should die?h --~"@-''--
When the wounded men arrived at the
DIspensary they presented fearful sight.
Blessing wore nothing but his socks, draw
ers and shirt, and had a standing collar on.
He was wrapped up in sheet. Everything
about him was covered with blood. His
throat was a most CHASTITY looking object,
squirt forth. He was also pulseless DR..
Blickhahn made a brief examination of the
mems wounds and found Thelemann suf-
fering, from two pistol shots, besides the
wounds inflicted by the razor. The Doctor
therefore decided to send both of the injured
men to the City Hospital. At that institu-
ton DR.. Dean made a closer examination
and discovered that. Blessing mad cut his
ering the windpipe completely, and can not
possibly recover. Thelemann's' wounds
consist of a bullet wound under the left eye,
ranging downward, but not injuring that
behind the left aI1nf, near the
shoulder, the ball having penetrated the
left lung. Another wound was onthe right
side of the abdomen, being. about six
two inches, but the abdominal wall was
not entered. A fourth cut was upon the
left ear. The physician thinks he may pos
sibly get well, but it is exceedingly doubt
he hesitated and seemed unwilling TO an
swer, but when told that he would most
probably die, and that he ought to make a
he said that Blessing was quar-
reling with his sister and that he took her
part and attempted to pacify Blessing when
the latter drew pistol and shot him and
then cut him.
Mrs. Blessing is a young we mar. twenty.
four or twenty five years of age, an Ameri-
can brunette, refined and educated. She
bears q very good reputation in the neigh
borhood, as does also her brother. who was
noted for being quiet and inoffensive. Bles,
sings last trip was made on the steamer
Ste. Genevieve from which he returned
four weeks ago and it is said that ever
since then he has been drinking and quar-
reling with his wife. Last night, however,
he was to all appearances perfectly SOBER
Those who live close to him say that he has
been jealous OF his wife for some time He
however, as best he could, denied that zeal.
ousy was the motive for the tragedy. He
was known as a man of violent temper, and
it was asserted last night that he had TWEEN
ty years ago shot and killed his sister at the
Planters HOUSE and then attempted sui.
eide.
Exa.nr -