Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-19
"A FATHERS FIENDISHNESS.
Horrible fortunes Inflicted by a st. Louisan
Who Died at His Sons Hands.

ST. LOUIS. Mo-, Dec. 1S.-A horrible tale
of the alleged barbarous cruelty of George
A. GueDther, the aged and defenseless old
man who was slain by his 15-year-old son
yesterday morning, was related today by
Charles Guenther, an elder brother of the
murderer, who called at the office of the
chief of police at 8 O'Clock this morning 10
secure permission to interview i
Guenther in his cell in the hoidover, t..e
murderer having surrendered himself yes
terday afternoon.
The sons story brands the dead man rs
q savage fiend incarnate, who delighted in
acts of inhumanity towards his children.
Among other cruelties alleged was the
claiming up of children in dismal apart
rnents nude and while in that condition
torturing them with all the cruelty prac-
ticed in the lnquisition.
II have not lived at home for five years, "
began Charles GUenther. I'm 1884 | left
the place on Franklin avenue because |
could not stand the way | was treated by
my father. Since then | have had but lit
tie conversation with the family at home,
but | am convinced by what / have heard
from those who knew of what was going
on there that his savage cruelty toward
my sisters and Emil has been kept up
left the place after one period of slow tor
ture that made me desperate. 1t was in
1854 | had done something that my
father did not like. In fact il was rarely
any of us could do anything that he did
like. Il was Il small offenSe for which my
father tortured me. He made me 20 up
stairs to a room in the back part
of the house seldom used. He showed
me in and came in himself and locked the
door behind him. Then he brought out
some chains that he had hidden somewhere
and when caught sight of them / set Up
MI cutlery that must have almost cieaved
the ceilings My father shouted to me to
stop that internal noise and when he found
lie could not brighten me he jumped at me
and we had p regular fight. | bit and hit
about me and struggled to throw him of,
but he was more powerful aud finally got
the better of me and by threatening to do
me even greater violence compelled me to
keep quiet. Then he brought out those
{ ans. He put them on my hands and
bound my feet with them and another one
lie fastened around my neck and fixed il
So | could hardly move my head. Then he
lett ME. suffered fiendish fortunes then,
but l was compelled to submit
TO more, however. After the lapse of "A
few hours he returned To the room with a
bottle of whisky in his hand. He released
me from the chains and compelled me TO
strlp nahtu anu tueh TechaIneu me, ana
the most circulating agony that could
ever be endured ensued. With good-sized
pin he pricked me from head to foot until
] was bleeding all over. My father wet his
finger from the bottle and applied it TO
every sore he had made on my body. This
lasted for long time, for my father did
not rub the whisky all over my body at
once, but would rub il slowly over a small
space until ali the liquor had been rubbed
in and then begin on fresh sore. l must
have tainted from the torture for | knew
nothing until morning, when my father
came and released me. After that ran
away"
The boy Emil, who is held for
beating his father to death, acts like an
imbecile, and it is believed he has been
driven insane by the cruelty of his father
and the tragedy of yesterday. Today he
failed TO recognize his own brother.