The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-07-15
SIX LAID IN ONE GRAVE.
Funeral of the Murdered Members of the
Kreider Family Attended by a
Vast Gathering.

LANCASTER, July l2.-Never in all the
recorded that such multitude gathered
at funeral as was present this morning |
at Risser's Mennonite Meeting House,
three miles from Elzabethtown, when |
six bodies were laid to rest in a single |
grave, all being the victims of murder
Gus hand. The bodies were those of |
Daniel S. Kreider and wife and their |
four children, who were slaughtered |
early last Friday morning at their home,
near Cando, North Dakota, by Albert |
Bomb berger, % years of age, the family's
hired man.
AN IMMENSE CROWD AT THE FUNERAL. |
At daylight today crowds began gather
ing at the meeting house, and by the |
time the services began, at o'clock, it
was estimated that nearly 5000 teams |
were secured along the roads for mile
in either direction from the meeting
house and in all the fields about, and
nearly if not quite, 10 900 people thronged
the church, churchyard and fields about
them.
At an early hour people were admitted
to view the bodies, arranged in room in
the basement of the meeting house, just
as they were placed the evening previous
Every cCffin had an inside glass cover
over the upper pare OF the body 1T en-
closed, but by reason Of the decomposed
condition of the remains only one body
was exposed to view without the glass,
and that was the body of one of the
children.
The main room of the building, where
the funeral services were held, contained
over thousand people, literally packing
it, by the time the services began. Long
before this time the Riser family and
the orphaned children of Mr. and Mrs.
Kreider came to the meeting house and
occupied seats directly in front of the
pulpit.
Annie Is an unusually pretty girl, with
black hair and eyes and rosy complexion
in spite of her terrible meCtal suffering.
She and the other children, sturdy little
ores, were dressed in black, and they
were the centre of observation of the
people who crowded in aud out of the
building before the preaching began.
Their kIndhearted old grandfather and
other relatives attended the forlorn
little group and did their best to comfort
them.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE AWFUL TRAGEDY.
Mr.. and Mrs Kreider went west 10
years ago from Lancaster county, and
Bomberger ran away from his home in
Campbellstowu, Lebanon county. over
six years ago. After wild life in the
West and Southwest, where he was
both farm and cowboy he went to live
with the Kreiders. This was ten
months ago. The night before the
tragedy he played croquet with several
of his victims.
None of the Eastern papers have yet
| published a full account of the awful
tragedy aud the following details given
to Ledger representative by the eldest
surviving child of Mr.; Kreider, Annie,
a girl of 10 years, shows what horriable
crime Bonn berger committed. motive
for the deed may be found IN the fact
that Aune's father and mother as well
as herself were opposed 10 his attentions
to the girl.
Shortly after Mrs. kreider arose on
Friday morning her husband being still
abed aud while she was in the kitchen
pairing potatoes, she was suddenly startled
by the crack of gun in her led room Oh
the first floor. Running to the door to
learn the cause she was met by Albert
Bomberger, who held gun. With il
he had shot and killed Mr.. kreider as
he lay asleep. Bomberger powerful
young man caught hold of the woman
and dragged her into the kitchen, she
pleading piteously all the time for her
life. Then he shot her to death, the
body dropping TO the kitchen floor.
The noise Of the firing, the weapon usec
being breech loading shot gun
which Bonn berger reloaded as fast as he
fired, aroused the children, who were
sleeping upstairs and all but the young
est boy came down to learn what hac
happened. Before them appeared the
wretch who had slaughtered their parents
and with brutal blows and vile oaths he
drove them back upstairs whittier HI
followed. There the slaughter wa
renewed, Murbey r., aged II year
Mary r., aged 8 years, ard David H.,
aged 4 years, being butchered. lie
shot them all, but the two youngest not
being killed outright he finished hi
work with a knife.
Burnice r., Is years old, hid hersel
under the bed while these scenes wer
being enacted, and as soon as Bomberge
left the room the child leaped from til
second story window, and fastened to
field where a pony was kept. Many
time had the child ridden the anima
: without saddle or bride, but in an evj
moment she stopped long enough to pro
cure bride, intending to ride Oft to
assistance, and before she could noun
j., the murderer had overtaken and mad
her prisoner. where is father aske
the terrified child. Hes gone to
better land" was the reply. When til
little girl said she wanted to see him tn
william even took her to where her parer
: Law welteriug in his blood, and, atte
gazing upon him in horror, SIC neg
asked for her mother. you shall sc
!, her, roo," replied the miscreant to he
- there she lies like dead cal" an
- after showing the bleeding corpse OF he
mother the murderer cody turaed h
- gun npon the little one and shot hi
down. AS she did not instantly expll
- he despatched her by cutting her throi
NJ from ear to ear.
"a Three more children yet remained
r. Annie, 10 years of age; Aaron, aged
10 years, and baby Henry,>2 years of az
,e These were spared; Aupie because of