Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-28

The Murder of an Aged Wealthy German of
CHICAGO.

The Murder of an Aged Wealthy German of
Chicago.
An atrocious murder, resembling in many re-
spects the slaughter, four years ago, of Amos J.
Smell, the millionaire, was committed Wednes-
day night at Melrose, a station on the Chicago
and Northwestern road. twelve miles from Chi
cago. The victim was Ernest Kunneth, an aged
German capitalist, who lived by himself, had
no enemies and bore an excellent reputation as
good citizen and warm heart ted. genial man.
Kunneth always kept considerable money in
the house, but none of it was touched The
murderers-for there were two of them-did
not commit the crime for robbery, but to gain
possession Of some documents which the old
man had in his possession. A box containing
these papers was the only thing carried away.
At 10 O'Clock yesterday morning Dietrich
Woehler, who was a tenant of kunneth's, ac-
companied by Mrs. Woehler, called at the
house to pay his rent. Close beside the table,
sitting in his chair. was kunneth. His head
and face we're covered with blood and the room
was literally covered with the dark. red stains.
A swift, powerful blow had cleft the old mans
skull clean to the eyebrows. He never thought
or moved after the instrument of death came
down.
In the kitchen was found the weapon which
had gone crashing through the old man.
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 three glasses.
Two chairs were facing that in which the blood
stained corpse was found showing that the
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. Marks
of fingers were upon door jams and window
stills. Bureau drawers had been pulled open
their contents overturned as if the murderers
had made a hasty search for something. and had
been long in finding it. Upon almost every
| thing they touched they left the stain of their
victims blood. Money they had found, for it
lay in open sight when Woehler entered the
house, but 1t was not touched.
The only thing musings was a tin box, in
which kunneth kept his papers, and which was
always beneath 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, going
in opposite directions. They could be traced
only short distance from the front gate.
There Is at present no clue to the murderers.
Mrs. George Johns, neighbor of kunneth's
saw him Wednesday 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, aud they
became very friendly. They were seen by Mrs.
Johns to enter the old man's house, and that is
the last time he seen alive
The stranger was shabbily dressed wore a
gray overcoat, old shoes and cap with small
visor. He was about sixty years of age and
had gray moustache and chin whiskers He
is supposed to be one of the murderers. OF the
contents OF the tin box nothing exact is known
save that it contained all the deeds to the old
mans property. his notes and mortgages.