Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-04
BUTCHERED.
A Family of Six Murdered by
Drunken Italians.
Revenge the Motive for the
Horrible Crime.

The Bloodthristy Mob Led by a Man Who
Had Been Wounded While Stealing
Wheat-A Little Daughter of Six the
Only Survivor The Most Horrible
Crime in West Virginia's History.
CATLETTsBURG, Aug. 4.-One of the
most horrible butcheries in the annals of
crime in West Virginia occurred on
Twelve Pole Creek, Wayne county,
about twenty miles from Catlettsburg,
Friday night. Six of a family of seven
were murdered by a drunken mob of
Italian railroad laborers.
The victims were B. Brumfeld, a
wel-to-do farmer, his wife and fcru
children, one child, Lille, 6 years old,
escaping to tell the tale of the horrible
butchery. The little girl crawled un-
der the bed and she was forgotten by ths
murderers.
All for Revenge.
Mr.. Brumfield for the past few weeks
had lost quantity of grain by theft,
and about two weeks ago he discovered
a man with bag of wheat going from
his barn. He fired ut the fellow and
filed him with shot. The thief proved
to be an Italian laborer and he made
his way back to camp. The Italians
swore vengeance.
Friday evening mob of about forty
drunken Italians came upon the house
armed with ugly looking knives, and
after breaking down doors they entered
and attacked Mr.. Brumfield and his son,
aged twenty. The men fought desper-
ately, but they were soon overcome and
killed, each having received about twen-
ty mortal gashes.
The fiends next followed Mrs. Brum-
field and her three little girls and dis
patched them in less time than in which
it can be told. The man wounded by
Mr.. Brumfeld led the gang.
After ransacling the house for valua-
bles the murders left.
The funerals of the six victims took
place Sunday.
A posse of men under the sheriff is
securing the country for the murderers,
but it is supposed they escaped the coun-
try and have gone to Cincinnati.
Little Lilies Story.
Lille Blumfeld, the only survivor,
tells the story of the crime in the follow
ing language:
"Papa, mamma and us children were
out in front of the house talking, when
three or four Italians came up from the
railroad camp and asked mamma to sell
them some milk Mamma got up from
her chair and went into the house to get
the milk. | went with her, as [ am
afraid of Italians. Mamma was ahead
of me, and just as she went out the
kitchen door (the milk was kept outside
the house on high shelf, man hit her
on the head. | screamed and started to
go back, when | saw three or four of
the men hitting at papa and brother.
Both of them fell down, and
then the men started after my three
sisters, who were screaming all the
time. got so scared that |
hid under the bed. After they had killed
all of them the men came into the house
and looked through the drawers of the
bureau and took papa's money he kept
there. They were there an awful long
time but they finally went away. After
they had gone long time peered out
from under the bed and could not see
any one. | then went out into the yard
and l saw my poor papa and brother and
sister on the ground, / cried long
time, after which | went up to Mr.. Spur
locks house and told them what had
happened and they came down to our
house and put them all on the bed. They
made me go to sleep and that is all |
know about it
When asked if she could identify any
Of the men she said she did not know, as
it was about dark when they came to the
house.
EIGHT OF THE MURDERERS KILLED.