St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-28
KILLED FOR PAPERS.
Atroeious Murder Of an Old
German in a Chicago
Suburb.
His Head Was Split Open
by a Heavy Corn
Knife.
Robbery Not the Object, as
No Money Was
Taken.
A Box Of Mysterious Papers
Taken by the AS
SaSSinS.

CHICAGO, Oct. 2.-An atrOc lOuS muir
der resembling in many respects the
slaughter four years ago of Amos J.
Smell, the millionaire, was committed
last night at MelrOse, station on the
chicago q Northwestern road, twelve
miles from this city. The victim was
Ernest kunneth, an aged capitalist who
lived by himself and bore an excellent
reputation as citizen and warm
hearted gentleman. Kunneth always
had considerable money in the house,
but none OF it was touched. The crime
was committed to gain possession of
some documents which the old man had
III bis possession. A box containing
papers was the only thing carried
away.
At 10 o'clock this morning DIETRICH
WOoler. who was tenant of Kunneth.
called at the house to pay his respects,
and knocked repeatedly at the doorbut
received no response. He then tried it,
and, finding it unlocked, walked into
the little parlOr behind which is dining
room. WoOler forced the dining room
doors open.
The Room Was Dark
and he let the curtains up, flooding 1T
with light. Close beside the table,
sitting in his chair, was Kunneth. His
head and face were covered with coagu-
lated blood, and the room was
literally covered with the dark red
stains. 1t was on the table and smeared
upon the chairs; it had been
spattered upon the walls. Wooler took
one look at the old man, and that look
satisfied him'that Kunneth was past ali
human aid. The old mans skull was
crushed. He never thought or moved
after the instrument of death came
down.
The alarm was quickly given. and a
search OF the premises made. In the
Kitchen was found the weapon which
had gone crashing through the old mans
brain. 1t was huge corn knife, with
blade fourteen inches long, broad and
heavy. SO fearful had been the blow
that the heavy steel was shivered and
cracked half across. Upon the table
stood bottle of gin and glasses. The
chairs were facing that in which the
BlOod-Stained Corpse
was found, showing that two men must
have been with Kunneth when the deed
was done. Two half-smoked pipes were
lying near the bottle of gin. Around
the house were marks Of CORY hands
and feet wet with blood. Bureau draw
ers had been pulled open and their con-
tents overturned, as if the murderers
had made hasty search for something.
Upon almost everything they touched
they left the stains OF their victims
blood.
Money they had found, for it lay in
open sight when Wooler entered the
house, but it was not touched. The
7 only thing missing was the tin box
i'll which Kunneth kept his pa
pers. and which was always be-
meath his bed. After securing this
the assassins left at once. The bloody
tracks of their feet were plainly~to be
discerned upon the front steps of the
house. along the garden walk to the
gate, and here they separated to 90 in
opposite directions. They could be
traced only short distance from the
. front gate.
Faint Clue.
There is at present one clue to the
murderers. Mrs. George Johns, a
neighbor of Kunneth's, saw him last
night in company with a German who
had been hanging around the village all
day. He claimed to be from the same
town in Germany as Kunneth. They
were seen by Mrs. Johns to enter the
time he was seen alive. The stranger
was shabbily dressed. wore gray over
coat and cap with small viZier. He
was about sixty years old. He is sup
posed to be one of the murdererS. Who
the other was there Is no idea.
What the box contained is not known,
except that it contained the deeds of all
the old mans property. The old gentle
man had some papers which involved
the title to all estate in Wurtemburg.
Germany, and these, too, could not be
found. He had sworn not to give up
these papers while he lived. He had
kept his word, and it is thought died in
an attempt to retain them.
When Nature
Needs assistance it may be best to rem
der it promptly, but one should remem-
Der to use even the most perfect rene
dies only when needed. The best and
most simple and gentle remedy is the
Syrup of Figs, manufactured by the
California Fig Syrup Co.