Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-07-30
THE STATE.
THE KNOCK TRAGEDY REVIVED
VIM. Horrigan, a Notorious Character, Ar
raigned for the Murder.

ralgned Tor the Muroer.
William Horrigan, well known char
acter in the criminal history of Detroit,
has been arrested and arraigned for the
murder of the Knoch family near that city
in December last Horrigan is an lonia
convict and was released from that place
but a few days ago before his arrest upon
the charge The arrest was made 10y Detec-
tive Stader of Detroit, who has been at
work on the case from the time the murder
was committed
The first clew was obtained in the Wayne
county Jail. There were two prisoners
confined therein awaiting trial for penal
offense On reading a paper containing u
description of the murder of the Knoch
family and the burning of the house TO
hide the crime, one of them slapped his
knee and exclaimed
IL can call the turnr'
His fellow prisoners were of course af
ficted with natural curiosity 10 learn
more about the affair, and he gratified
their curiosity by telling them as much as
he cared about the perpetrators of the ter
rible tragedy. The two prisoners were
shortly afterward sent 10 stat e prison, and
Sheriff Stellwagen, he appointed Detective
John Stadler TO work up the case.
The latter interviewed the two prison
erS, who declared that several weeks be-
fore the Knock tragedy, VIM. Horrigan
spoke TO them on the subject of a job
which he had in contemplation. The job
was the robbery of market gardner who
lived in n retired house near Woodmere
cemetery, who always had large sum of
money in his possession. He said the job
would be perfectly easy affair, and that
they would be sure TO have n goodly
amount of "swag" without any trouble
afteIward.
The next job was TO find HorriGan. He
was traced to Battle Creek, and thence to
Marshall, where he committed larceny
and was sent 10 the Ionia house of correc-
ton for four months. He was taken from
prison on a warrant issued by Justice
Kurth on complaint of John Stadler on
the 9th inst, and brought TO the county
Jail in Detroit, where he has been incar-
cerated.
His arrest and incarceration have been
heretofore kept secret, in the hope of also
capturing his accomplice in crime.
reporter of a Detroit evening paper
interviewed Horrigan in Jail. He is APP
parently about % years of age, darkroom
plexioned, and talks quite intelligently.
He spoke freely .and unreservedly, and
complained of not being allowed to see his
relatives and friends or lawyers He had
see Lawyer McGrath through the door of
ward, but the turnkey would not allow any
conference. He had never lived in Spring.
wells, but lived last winter with his sister
at the corner of Tenth and Porter streets
His sister moved to Kansas and he then
boarded with another crelative in the
western part of the city. On Dec ~ he
went to Battle Greek to visit a relative
and also in the hope and expectation of
getting work at his trade as a moulder in
which ne was successful. He acknowledge
ed that he was afterwards sent up for four
months to Ionia, at which place he was ar
rested.
Detectives Stadler states that the pris.
oner was in Detroit on Dec % and a, last
The Crime.
On the night of December Is last, the
cottage Of Frank Knoch, in the little vii
lage of Woodmere, about five miles west
of Detroit was burned. The remains OF
the owner, his wife and two small children
were found among the ruins After care.
ful investigation il was finally decided
that the family had been murdered and
the building burned 10 conceal the crime.
Knoch was believed to have had several
hundred dollars in money about the house.
He owned III acres Of land and was
I. hos al. ~
the sale of cabbages. He had paid por-
tion of this sum 20 ID. j. Campau OF De
troit. on the land and the remain der was
unaccounted for
Bullet holes were found in the skulls of
Knoch and his wife. Owing to several
suspicious circumstances which developed
during the investigation. Mrs Christian
Knoch mother of the murdered man, and
Gustavus and Herman. two brothers, all
residing together at the Knoch homestead
in Springwells, were subsequently arrest
ed 10 answer TO charges Of the commission
Of the crime. "Aleck," a discharged
Polish employee of Frank Knoch, was also
strongly suspected of completely, but
could not at the time be found. The pros
ecution failed TO connect them with the
crime, however, and the mother and
brothers were discharged from custody.
Mrs. Knoch has since died, also from
rather mysterious causes. Impressions of
tracks in the snow, leading from the home
OF the murdered family, were taken by
the officers.
Murderer Caupht