The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-09-06
BUTCHERED BY. BURGLARS.
A Horrible Tragedy In the; ;.Suburbs OF
Savannah.

SAvANNAH, August 27.-Henry Her.
tel and wife, German shopkeepers, were
found murdered yesterday in their store
IN the suburbs of Savannah. Customers
vent to the store yesterday morning and
found it closed. Looking through the
window blinds they discovered Hertel
lying on the floor in pool of blood.
The door was hn!st in snd zhes.ly
| sight was revealed. The murdered man
| was lying in the middle of the room with
handkerchief tied over his eyes. His
| skusl was crushed il with some blunt
instrument. His wife was found living
on the sofa in the parlor with her throat
cut, and one arm nearly severed. The
matter was reported to the police and a
search was begun for the perpetrators of
the crime. Two negroes were arrested
| on suspicion and lodged in Jail Hertel
was supposed to have large sum of
money in his possession, aud It is be.
| iIeved he was murdered while defending
his property from burglars. The crime
was committed between o'clock Satur.
day night and o'cioci Sunday morning
Hertel and wife were middled a-ed and
highly respected.
Dcta:.d OF tho Crime.
The Savannah Mo,miny Meus of "a.
terdaay contain the following additional
details of the horrible crime:
On entering the store, the body of tho
murdered man was found lying on the
floor,
IN POOL OF. BLOOD,
in front of the counter. His skull wss
crushed in and long, deep cash ex-
tended across the back Of his head. His
throat bore the marks of fingers. Across
his eyes and around his head handker.
chief was closely tied, completely blind.
folding him. From all appearances he
was IN the act of drawing measure of
! syrup from barrel, and while STOPPING
down was struck tho fatal blow. He fell
on bis back, where he lay until discover.
, ed yesterday morning.
| In the parlor adjoining the store, lay
the corpse of the dead mans wife-soon
TO become mother-presentipg sick
ening spectacle as she reclned on a sofa
saturated with blood from her Young
life. Her body bore marks OF most hor.
rible and brutal treatment. The deep
gashes on the face extended from both
| sides OF the temple to the chin, while
| her skull was cut open and the brain
| exuded. Her left arm was nearly
SEVERED FROM THE BODY.
probably thrown up to defend herself
against her assailant. She wore loose
calico wrapper, and was apparently
about to retire, waiting, no doubt. for her
husband. The sight of husband and
| wife was one not soon to be forgotten as
they lay in their home slaughtered bv
fiends in human shape.
The murdered man was about thiriv.
eight years old and was natiye of Ger
many. He came to this country about
SIX years ago, frat going to Chattanooga,
where he rensiued about year, when
ne came to Savannah, and obtained n
situation as barkceper With Mr. Charles
Seller lie was afterwards EMPLOYED in
similar capacity with George Ch. &c.
mundea and A. Bssler. BY frugal hab-
its ana strict economy he managed to
save up little money, and about twelve
months ago bought out the store he
owned at the time of his death.
About nine months ago he married q
Miss Anna Nilsson. Having gained a
competence and built up fair business.
anu having an atfectionate helpmate, his
start IN lie seemed success.
INTENSE EXCITEMENT,
!he coroner was at once notified, but
before he could get out to the scene the
neighborhood was aroused and a crowd
had collected. A thorough search of the
premises was made, when it was disclos.
ed that the murder had been deliberately
planned, the fiends making quick work
OF theIr victims. One of the money
drawers behind the bar was taken ont Of
lis place, rined and afterwards placed on
barrel. Another money drawer looked
'ls II 1t had been tampered with, but left
on account Of the combination. There
were no signs of any
INSTRUMENT OF DEATH
about the premises, and no traces of
blood except around the bodies of the
murdered man and wife. From the
Character of the wounds it was believed
thai sl;, crime was committed either
with hstchet or axe, or some sharp in
strument of that nature.
THEORY OF THE MURDER.
From the statement of colo-ed bow
living in. the neigbborhood il apeears
that on Saturday afternoon Hertsi en-.
gaged the boy TO .vatch the store yester.
DAY, as ne was going out to Thunderbolt to
buy the Asendorf place, where he would
remove his business. Ha told the bow
he was to pay cash for the property.
The ssupposition is that the boy. highly
eiated over the prospect Of attending the
store, went around among his friends
and neighbors and told them of the cir
cumstances regarding NJ. Esrteia pro
spective cash purchase, giving the idea
that ne had considerable money in his
possession. It has been surmised that
the murder was committed under this
impression for the purpose of getting the
money.
AN inquest was instituted by the coro.
1er on sundsy. afternoon, but no evil
dence of a positive nature was developed.
Further inquiry into the matter however.
developed the fact that Thos. Horton. a
colored man, living in a house on the
Ihunderbolt road east ofthe toll gate. had
just pulled off a pair of pants stained
with blood, and which were found Ia a
tub of water on his premises. The coro-
ner took possession Of the pants, and had
the psrty arrested and sent to Jail to await
further developments.
A suspected coloredE boy living with
Mr: Grimes, near the cornei of Wheaton
and Liberty streets, was vilited by the
coroner and searched, together With biz
trunk. He was also taken to iaii to
await further action and an examination.
LATER.-Four negroes are now in. Jail
in connection with the murder of Henry
Hertel; the German grocer, and his
wife. Suspicion against them Is. very
strong.
- We ara told Tho ,pbat To,n1, I;,,,a