Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-01-27


dressed and almost frantic, had
walked in from the farm about
two miles distant. Between shrieks
and cries she told the residents who
were astir that her fathers family had
been butchered by the hired man. Citi-
zens who hurried TO the homestead
found an awful spectacle of wholesale
butchery, the father lying in his bed,
the mother in the kitchen. where she
had been preparing breakfast. the three
girs, aged respectively l3, IL and Q. and
one year old boy lying stiff and
stark where they had fallen from
wounds inflicted by a double barreled
shotgun in the hands Of Bonn burger.
The latter, who was nephew of Dan
Kreider. had been employed on the
farm as a general utility man for about
nine months The murdered children
were Bernice, aged l3. Merly, aged ii,
Mary, aged and David, aged :; four
other children, the eldest being Annie,
aged -, were spared by the murderer.
On the day prior to the tragedy Bonn
burger had a dispute with his uncle
over trifiing matter, during which
the two men nearly came To blows.
Mrs. Kreider, however, interfered, and
it was supposed that the trouble had
been amicably adjusted. Just about
DAYLIGHT on the following day. how
ever. Homburger went into the room
where his uncle was sleeping and fairly
perforated him with bullets from n
winchester rifle. lie then went down
10 the kitchen and shot Mrs. kreider,
upon ggttlESSp yossss fITnStirucAeRfn IN
the stairs, He drove her back TO his
own room and locked her in, and then
went into the children's room and be-
gan killing them. Bernice jumped out
of window, but the fiend went
after her, brought her back
and shot her through the
head. BY piteous appeals and
supplicatioDs Annie induced the
butcher to spare her life and also to
spare her three remaining little broth
ers. At the muzzlc of his gun he COM
PEELED her 10 prepare his breakfast
with the corpse Of her mother lying at
her feet. lie leisurely ate the meal,
then criminally assaulted her. tied her
hand and foot, locked her in the barn.
saddled her favorite pony and rode
away 10 the northward. With the aid
of one of her brothers the girl sue
ceeded in freeing herself and made her
way TO town, leaving the little ones
alone with the dead
As soon as the alarm had been given
score Of citizens started in pursuit.
Sheriff Mctune and IA posse followed in
the same direction half an hour later.
The murderer was making for the
Turtle mountains AT the same time "a
mass meeting OF citizens in the market
place offered reward of $500 for the
capture of the murderer. Bomburger,
however, managed to make his
way TO Deioraine, Manitoba, sixty
miles from Canada, where he
was captured late on Saturday
night lie was taken in charge by
Sheriff McCune just in time to avoid
his being lynched by party OF deter
mined men who had come from Cando
for that purpose. On trip of $50
miles homeward necktie party was
barely escaped on three separate occa-
sions, and when Cando was reached
deputies were stationed along the walk
from the depot TO the Jail. An inn
mense crowd had gathered and am
ored for the mrrderers blood. but
through the efforts of the sheriff and
the police he was safely landed in Jail.
IL was found necessary, however, to
order out company of National
guards. who did duty around the Jail
through the day. Late at night the
murderer was moved TO Grand Forks,
where he made full confession. He
said he was 22 years of age, and had
run away from his home in Pennsyl-
yania at II years of age because his
father abused him and his mother
treated him cruelty. According
70 his ST Nry he went west, travelled
finally wound up In this city, learned
where the Kreiders were located and
went to work for them a year ago. lie
soon took fancy to Annie, the oldest
girl, and made several improper pro-
posals to her, but was always baffied in
his purpose. The last attempt was
made on the night of July @. The girl
resisted and cried and threatened to
tell her father. Bomburger then de
termined to kill the whole fam
lily. Early the next morn
ing he arose, loaded his
gun, crept stealthily into the family
sleeping room and shot Kreider dead.
Then he went down stairs and shot the
wife. ioing back up stairs he found
that the children had been awakened
by the discharge of the firearms He
first shot Merly, aged IL, then Mary. |
aged o. then David, aged 2. Bernice In ,
the meantime jumped through the
window. After chasing her and bring
ing her back he put bullet through /
her brain, and then finding that Mary .
was not quite dead he cut her throat
from car TO ear with n butcher 4
knife. lie then went to tell how he
ordered Annie up to her room. outraged
her. tied her hands behind her back aud
her anlsles together, and secured all the
money there was about the house.
about $50. and started for Manitoba. |
The murderer was tried at the next
term OF court. promptly convicted .
and sentenced to hang. The remains
of the victims were taken to pennsyl- /
vania for ipterment, and the
surviving children were also re-
turned 10 tho care of relatives In lie.
baron county. since his incorporation
Bo,nbu-gcr has 1T times maintained an
air Of bravado. and other times has en-