Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-07
KEMMLeR'S LIFE.
The Murderer Man of Low Mental and
Moral Qualities.


Kemmler was n man Of low mental and
moral qualities. The surroundings OF his
birth and early life were very bad; HIS
father was butcher in Philadelphia,
where William, the murderer, was born IN
1860 The boy grew up IN the shambles
and in the market-place. His parents sent
him TO school for brief period and seye-
raj times he saw the inside of church and
heard the service there. These feeble IN
fluences constituted the only contact the
bov and man ever had with things pure
or good. kemmler's was a life that grew
rankly. % On no side did 1t bear the I'm
press OF polish Of any training or efforts TO
cnnoblement. He was sample product or
conditions existing to-day III all large
cities. 90,
He worked in the slaughter-house with
his father, then he became brick;yard
worker, and finally he became huckster
on his own account. OF his rascally de-
vices 10 cheat customers while huckster-
ing Kemmler since his imprisonment mas
told with chuckies and much gustO.
In 1887 Kemmler married worthless
woman named Ida Porter III Camden. n. j.
Two DAYS later he found she had been pre-
viously married, and he left her TO hive
with Matilda Ziegler. They moved 10 But
falo, n. y. Kemmler frequently found his
mistress purloining money. from his
clothing, and he suspected inhdehty on
her part. They quarrelled, blows were eX-
changed Kemmler became O hopeless
drunkard.
THE MURDER.
On the morning Of March 20, 1889, all
Buffalo was shocked by the news OF the
brutal butchery of O woman at NO. 626
south Division street. The woman killed
was "TiIlie Ziegler." and the murderer
was the Philadelphia butchers son keInm-
Ter. The murder was tho first that had
been committed in the State OF New York
after the law to kill murderers by electrici-
" had become operative.
Kemmler was arrested, and in the mean
time the unfortunate woman was removed
to hospital Her face, arms, and breast
were covered with blood, and she was
quite insensible. A casual examination re-
suited in the discovery OF twenty-six DIS
tinct gashes on the face and head, and i've
bad wounds ON the right hand, arm, and
shoulder, she having evidently tired to de-
fend herself from the savage attack of her
paramour. She fingered i'll a comatose
condition until the next day, when death
ensued before she had once regained con-
seriousness. and she was therefore unable
10 make anv dnie-m0riem statement. The
only eyewitness was the four-year-old
daughter of the victim, who said Papa
hit mamma with the Ratchet when she
was lying on the floor"
The couple in Buffalo had lived under
the name Of Hort. The victims father, a
Philadelphia huckster named Tripner,
came to Buffalo and identified the body Of
the dead woman a. his child. With him
came Henry Kemmler, the murderer's
brother, who had married sister OF the
dead woman.
The woman was described by the Buffalo
papers at the time as prepossessing bru-
nette OF about ls5 pounds, and quite stylish
looking.
| THE SOONER THE BETTER"
After the arrest the murderer refused to
talk Of the crime, and at one time there
were doubts as to his sanity. He made no
attempt to escape after tho assault. When
pressed 70 give reason tor the deed he