Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-07-12
MURDERED BY GAS
Chicago Contractor SufOcates
Wife and Family.
STRUGGLE WITH CHILDREN.
Apparently Under Influence OF an
Insane Impulse Frederick He'll
mann Planned the Extinction
of Himself and His Family.

. A despatch from Chicago, ILL.,, says; Fred
erick Hellmann. a weli-to do mason con-
tractor. muir lerel his wife AID four chlldr'n
and then killed him ell. 1t was at first sup
posed that Helmaun an his vile and cnil-
dren met dea b by accident, but 1t developed
at the coroners inquest that the wholesale
murder was calmly planned, and that the
man intended to kill himsej, and end the ex'
istence OF the meml ers OF his family.
The tragedy took place in little brick
cottage at the corner Of Cornella aud Wood
stresls. The motive for the c:ime may never
be known, but 4. is supposed the act was that
OF q mad man, as Hellmann, ten years ago,
had sups.roke, from which he never re-
covered completely. Suspicion was hrs'
aroused by tho fact that the hou.e in which
the Hemanns lived was tightly closed long
after the usual hour for the family to be astlr.
The mother and married sister OF Hellmann,
who lives next door, attempted to break into
the house, Lut we unable to do so.
The finally managed to force an entrance
throu Eh a window that had been left untas-
tened, aud make their way to one oil the bed
rooms where the dea bodies OF the fam
iy were found. The house was 30 full Ok gas
that the two women were nearly overcome,
and 1t was ouly after 1t hal bee opened up
that il was found possible to turn of the gas,
which was streaming from an open jet.
The relatives and all the negi b)rs ut once
concluded that the deaths had been the re-
suit OF an accident, and tie police, when
they came adhe cd to the same opinion.
The open gas jet was just above the bel IN
which the mother and one of children lay,
aud 1t was suppose that one OF them had,
during the night, accidentally hit the stop
cock and knocked 1t open.
At the inquest, however, an entirely dii1er-
ent complexion was given the affair by
Char es. a brother OF Hellmann, who pro-
duced letter, written by the murderer and
suicide late on the PREVIOUS evening, IN
which he clearly stated his purpose OF killing
limself althou,h he gave no intimation OF
the TACT that he was mediIatng the d ms oil
the members OF his family. He spoke oil the
/ window through which the women had
crawled as the only way in which his brother
could gain admission to the house, and sal !
that he had left it open for that purpose.
The bro her had not received the letter untll
afternoon, and came directly to the inquest.
Other circumstances also went to show the
deliLera Q intentions of the man. The gas
pipes were only placed in the house two
weeks ago. 1t is now the belief that they
we put there for the purpose OF carrying
cut the deed SO successfully accomplished.
The position Of the bodies at the time they
were found indicated that the two boys and
older girl fought desperately to leave the
room after the father had turned on the gas
The mother and baby wee lying on the In
side of the bed as II in peaceful slumber, but
the two boys and the older girl were In differ
ent attitudes and the expressions OF theil
faces were those oI persons who had strug
gled hard. The fathers hand was firmly
placed across the mouth OF the older boy, and
there is an abrasion OF the throat ofthe othsl
lad. as though he h I'd been stranged.