The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-07-06
MURDERED HIS FAMILY.
Father, Mother and -Four Children
Found Dead in Their Home.
EVIDENTLY A MADMANs WORK.
The Murderer and Suicide Was a Prosper
Qua Contractor, and No Possible Motive
r. Known for the Crime-The whoIe
Family -Asphyxiated.

r. Known for the Crime-The whoIe
Family As~phyxiated.
CHICAGO, July g frederick Holman,
a well Co do mason contractor, murdered
his wife and four children Thursday night
and then killed himself. IL was at 6rst
supposed that the deaths were accidental.
bat it developed az the ~coroner's inquest
that the whole murder was calmly
planned. and that the man intended TO
kin himself and end the existence of the
members Of his family. The dead ma
and his victims are: Frederick HellnoE,
aged 81 Mrs. Ida Holman, aged 30
Fred Hellman, IT., aged II Ida Hellmad,
aged 10; william b. Hellman, aged = and
HedwiQ Holman, p 3-year-old daughter
The tragedy toek place in a little brick
cottage at the corner Of CorDelia and
Wood streets. The motive Of the crime
may never be known, but it is supposed
the act was that Of q mailman, as He'll
man ten years g had a sunstroke, from
which he never recovered completely Sus-
picion was first aroused yesterday morn
ing by the fact that the house in which
the Hellmans lived was tightly closed long
after the usual hour for the family 60 be
astir. The mother and married sister OF
AANhAiAhtfhtf VIM AANgNA NaNhW hbRAH ohNNhfAaH'NNt
10 break into the house, but were unable
TO do so. They finally managed TO force
an entrance through o window that had
been left unfastened, and made their way
20 one Of the bedrooms, where the dead
bodies of all the family were found.
The house was so full Of gas that the two
women we're nearly overcome, and it was
only after It had been opened up that 10
was found possible to turn of the gas
which was streaming from ar open jet.
The relatives and all the neiQhboFs at
once concluded that the deaths had been
the result of an accident, and the police,
when they came, adhered TO the same
opinion. The open gas JET was just over
the bed in which the mother and one Of
the children lay, and it was supposed that
one Of them had, during the night, acct
IDENTIFY hit the stop cock and knocked it
open.
At the inquest, however, on entirely diff
fsrent complexion vas given TO the affair
by Charles, q brother Of Hellman, who
produced a letter written by the murderer
and suicide late on the previous evening.
in which he clearly stated his purpose Of
killing himself, although he gave 20 inti-
nation of the fact that he was meditating
the deaths Of his family.
lie spoke OF tD6 WludOW through WDlCb
the women bad craWled as the only way
in which his brother could gain admission
to the house, and said that he had left ii
open for that purpose. The brother had
= not received the letter until after noon,
and came directly to the inquest.
Other circumstances went TO show the
deliberate intentions Of the mon. The gas
pipes we're only placed in the house two
D weeks ago. 1t Is now the belief that they
@ we're put there for the purpose of carrying
out the deed SO successfully accomplished
The position of the bodies at the time
G they were found indicated that the two
L boys and older girl fought desperately tC
leave tho room after the father had turned
on the gas. The mother and baby were
3 lying on the inside Of the bed, as if il
peaceful slumber, but the ~ boys aut
S oldest girl were in different attitudes, ant
the expressions of their faces were thos,
q of persons who had struggled hard. Thu
father's band was firmly placed across thI
4 mouth Of the older boy, and there is at
abrasion of the thrOat of the other lad, u
though he bad been strHngled.
II Charles Holman said that he could se
IF no reason for his brothers action save in
sanity. He wos devoted to his family
% and his business was in a nourishinR con
dition, he not owing a dollar.