The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-11-16


Laredo, Tex, Nov. IA diabolical
murder OF mother and child. IL is be-
lievcd for the purpose OF robbery. was
revealed Wednesday, followed by the
self-destruction of the fiend. when no
realized that his crimes had been dis
covered and lynching awaited him In all
probability. Ii Is believed the muir
dered woman was Mrs. Caroline Mem.
Of Dallas. Tex. Her child was a girl Of
about ten years. The murderer is sup
posed TO be William or Sam Kuntz. OF
Kansas City. Kuntz stated while here
that he had been a master mechanic for
railroad. and letters were found in
his trunk addressed 10 William Kuntz.
1877 Grand avenue. Kansas City.
Last Monday evening tall, fine look
ing man. accompanied by woman and
pretty girl, registered at the Hotel
Hamilton as c. Schiller and family. At
three o'clock Tuesday afternoon
Schiller. who was really Kuntz. hired
buggy and took the woman and girl
to the depot. despite the Indictment
weather. AT five o'clock he returned
the vehicle and ate supper at the hotel
without exciting any suspicion. retiring
afterwards.
During the night shepherd discov-
cred two bodies lying in the brush in
Chacon bottom, just beyond a small
reservoir, 2h miles from Central City.
lie noticed trails where the bodies had
been dragged through the thorns by
the murderer and the prints Of the bug
gy wheels were noticed ON the ground.
Without touching the bodies he came to
the city and notified the recorder. Of
ficers proceeded ut once TO the scene of
the crime and removed the bodies TO
the city. They were identified as those
of the woman and child who had gone
riding with Kuntz.
The news OF the murders was known
all over the city early Wednesday morn
ing and the sequel came at G o'clock.
The proprietor OF the hotel knocked at
Kuntz's room and asked him where his
family was. kuntz replied that he had
taken them TO Aztec. where they had
taken the limited train for Mexico.
II think you are mistaken, "said the
proprietor, your family is not in Mex
leo"
Kuntz shut the door and drawing n
revolver shot himself through the heart.
On his person was found n cigar case
containing over 81 600 in bank bills. On
the cigar case was stamped Sam Kuntz.
IL is believed his brother lives in Fort
Worth, and he was at once notified OF
the tragedy.
The wounds on the child's body and
the position in which IL was found i'm
Dictated that she died lingering death.
She was cut slightly on the left knee as
though she had fallen on a sharp stone.
and the left side of her head was cut as
though by a CHANGING blow of a club.
There was another wound on the top
or her head, but death had come from
knife wound in the neck, seyering
the jugular vein and carotid artery.
The body was found on its back, the
little arms raised as though TO ward off
the murderous blow.
Mrs. Mem. who was rather stout md
about 40 years old. was shot in the
breast and probably struck a crushing
blow on the head. breaking the skull.
The fiend. i'm Jack the Ripper style,
then used his knife, stnbbing his VIC
tim once on the front side of the shout
der, the blow ranging downward, once
ia the center OF the left breast, twice in
the stomach, once in the abdomen and
once in the right side, between the
sixth and seventh ribs. The blood
stained murderer then probably killed
the child with his dripping knife to
make sure there would be no living
witness of his deed.
Kuntz spent most OF his time while
here I'm saloons, and no doubt meditated
the deed. In the murdered woman's
trunk was found n marriage license
bearing the names of Catherine Mem
and Theodore Mem. Kuntz was once
chief engineer of Helms brewery, Kan
sas City.
A dispatch from Fort Worth says that
NJ. A. IIcrold, a resident OF that city, is
a son of the murdered woman. Herold,
upon being notified of the tragedy, told
story which discloses romance. He
says he is the illegitimate son of n Ger
man noble. lie took his fathers name,
His mother came TO this country. He,
when a man. followed in search OF her,
They met in ST. Louis, she recognizing
him by n mark on his ear. She in her
later life was not more chaste than in
her earlier days, and he says the anme
of the suicide Is William Kuntz. who
was her lover here. When she left, she
went 60 Dallas. thence to Houston. and
she took with her $4,000. Kuntz. fired
by jealousy. followed her. Schildcr
was one of Kuntz's assumed names
The child was the daughter OF Mrs
Mems step-daughtcr. The woman,
though so. looked barely 80, and though
stout. still showed remains of great bru-
nette beauty.