Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-20
ARSON FOLLOWS MURDER.
But the Traces of an Awful Crime Not
Destroyed.
From f6e Mem York Tines.


Destroyed.
From the Nea0 York Tines.
DETROIT, MICH, Dec. 1.-THE fire trag-
edy near Woodmere Cemetery, by which
Frank KnOch, his wife, and two children
lost their lives yesterday morning, now
proves TO have been a murder OF the most
appalling character. This noon the ru-
mnrs Of foul play had become so numer-
Gus that the prosecuting attorney directed
Dr. r. W. Owen, the county physician,
toma6e a searching investigation upon the
few remains that survived the IRE. After
examining the trunks OF the bodies search
was Begin upon the brains. TO do this
/ the remains OF the man were laid out on a
| board. The first discovery was clOt OF
blood, which caused DR.. owen 70 make
an exclamation. he at once declared
That II was an ante-mOrtem clOt. The
hood bad time to coaguiate before the IRE
bad destroyed the rest Of the body. The
search was continued in haste, and mo-
ment later the doctor said: "Here is a
bullet" He held up as be spoke small
bullet, No. % calibre. Its course was
then traced through the brain. Itentered
the left temple and passed to the posterior
lobe on the right side. The tissue OF the
brain was well preserved, but as it
was exposed to view the clotted blood
lay IN matrix over it, and even bad the
bullet not been found, science was thus
able to declare that murder had been
done. The coagulation of the blood was
Enthusiastically OF a considerable period
before death. but the finding OF the bullet
OF course dispelled every shadow of
doubt. The other fragments OF the bodies
were then carefully inspected. Piece
after piece, some as small as a hickory
nut and Others as large as the two fists of
man, were put on one side after under
going the Doctors keen scrutiny. A piece
of cloth, button, a hairpin, some melted
metal, probably a cheap ornament, were
one after another laid aside, for now
nothing was too trIfllng to be passed over.
At last the doctor said: ~ have found
the brain of an adult. 1t is, of course,
that OF the woman. 1t is the only piece
EFT that | could have told what it was"
Bringing the tissue to the window he bent
over 1t with his knife. and q second later
he produced another bullet. tho counter
p art of the first. 1t was lodged in the
tissue of the brain, but it was impossi-
bic to tell what part OF it. The brain had
been burned so much that only a lttls of
it remained, ard it was in that part that
the bullet was found. Here was the in
disputable evidence of crime. There
could be no mistake. That the murder
was deliberate was proved by the fact
that the bullet had, in the cases Of both
the man and woman, been carefully
planted in vital part, and must have
been fired at short range. Under what
circumstances this tragedy was com.
mitted is as vet unknown. The MUIR
dered couple are not known TO have had
any enemies, and robbery is supposed to
nave oeen the motive. The man was a
thrifty and industrious market gardener.
and always kept small amount of money
in the house, but never, so far as known,
a sum that would excite the cupidity of
any one. Still, his steady work aud fru-
gal habits may have given rise to suspi-
cions that he had considerable accum la
tons of his earnings secreted in his little
dwelling. A 22-calibre pistol has been
found in the ruins Of the house, which
was undoubtedly used to perpetrate the
crime.
The funeral over the few remains of the
father, mother, and their Two children,
was held THIS afternoon with services ac-
cording to the simple rites OF the Lutheran
Church, TO which the murdered couple be-
lOnged. The relatives of young Knoch
presented a noticeably Indifferent de.
meanOr during the affecting ceremonies.
While the family connections of the young
wife were almost overcome with grief
and nearly drowned the voice OF the
preacher with their continuous wailngs.
The funeral cortege passed the still smo-
king ruins Of the house on its way to the
neighbOring cemetery. A careful search
among the ashes of the burned house Is
now going on TO see If evidence may per-
chance be found that shall reveal or point
to the identity of the perpetrator OF this
horrible crime.