The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-09-20
A TRIPLE TRAGEDY.


Desperate Attempt t0 XIII his Wife, his
BrOther-in-Law and End his Own Life
Probable Su. cess OF the Latter Effort
Mrs. Blessing Not Fatally Injured, and
the Result in the Case Of the Other Victim
Doubtful.
ST. LOUIS Mo-, Sept. IL.
About eleven o'clock last night the neigh
borhood of 1851 Cass avenue was startled
by six shots fired in rapid succession, and
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, a 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, young man who
had been attracted by the noise of the
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 fouIud him in the garret,
lying on his stomach, and were Mortified to
gaze on a severed wihdpipe and throat
cut from ear to ear, while their ears were
assailed by gurgle that the escaping air
made. The would-be suicide still clutched
in his hand a Wade q Butcher razor, with
which he had so viciousiy slashed himself.
The officers took 1T 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 an affirmative reply.
1t was CLEANED from him that his inten
tion 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-
sented a shocking spectacle. His infuriated
brother-in-law had slashed him on the left
side of the neck, severing artery. He
then inflicted a 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 excIamatiOns. Blessing had
used on him the razor and an American
bulldog self-cOcker, cemter-fire revolver.
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 most painful
one. 1t was six inches in length, extend
ing from the umbilicus to the short ribs on
the left side. The surgeons said, however,
that the cavity was not penetrated, and
.I,s
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
she gave her brother. She did not display
much grief for her husband. "OhPS she
exclaimed, "what will they do with me If
they should dieY''
When the wounded men arrived at the
Dispensary they presented fearful sight.
Blessing wore nothing but his socks, draw
ers and shirt, and had standing collar on.
he was wrapped up IN sheet. Everything <
| about him was covered with blood. His
throat was most CHASTITY looking object,
and at each respiration the blood would
Aspurt forth. He also pulseless. DR..
Blickhahn made brief examination of the
men's-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-
| tion DIR. Dean made closer examination
| and discovered that Blessing had cut his
/ throat Immediately above the larynx, sew
ering the windpipe completely, and can not
| possibly recover. Thelemann's wounds
! consist of bullet wound under the left eye,
ranging downward, but not inJuring that
| organ. A second shot entered the back
/ Immediately behind the left arm, near the
| shoulder, the ball having penetrated the
/ left lung. Another wound was onthe right
side of the abdomen, being about six
! inches in length, and gaping" nearly
/ two inches, but the abdominal wall was
1 not entered A fourth cut was upon the
/ sibly get well, but it is exceedingly doubt
| full. When asked as to why he was shot
/ he hesitated and seemed unwilling to an
| swer, but when told that he would most
| probably die, and that he ought to make 9
| statement, 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 woman, twenty
four or twenty-five years Of age, an Ameri
can brunette, refined and educated. She
bears a 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 1t Is said that ever
/ since then he has been drinking and quar-
! Teling 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 Jeal
| ousy was the motive for the tragedy. He
was known as man of violent temper, and
it was asserted last night that he had TWEEN
tv years ago shot and killed his sister at tbs
Planters House and then attempted sui
eide.
Deadly Assault on a LeadViIle Newspaper
Man.