The San Francisco call., 1895-11-14
William Kuentz Ends His Life
After Numbering a Mother
and Her Child.
LAREDOS TRIPLE TRAGEDY.
Mrs. Caroline Mem and Her Infant
Daughter Brutally Put to
Death.

LAREDO, TEX, Nov. ia diabolical
murder of a mother and child, for the pur-
pose of robbery it is supposed, was re-
vealed to-day, followed by the self-destruc-
tien of the fiend when he realized that his
crime had been discovered and that lynch
ing awaited him. 1t is believed the mur-
dered woman was Mrs. Caroline Menn of
Dallas, Tex. Her child was girl OF about
10 years. The murderer is supposed to be
William Kuentz of Kansas City.
A tall, fine-looking man, accompanied
by woman and pretty girl, registered at
the Hotel Hamilton as G. Schuler and
family Monday evening. At O'Clock
yesterday afternoon Schuler who was
realty kuentz, hired buggy and took the
woman and girl to the depot, despite the
lnclement weather. At o'clock he re-
turned the vehicle and ate supper at the
hotel without exciting any suspicion, re-
tiri1g afterward.
During the night a shepherd discov-
cred two bodies lying in the brush in Cha
con bottom, just beyond a small reservoir,
two and half miles from Central City,
He noticed trails where the bodies had
been dragged through the thorns by the
murderer, and the prints of the buggy
wheels were seen on the ground. Without
touching the bodies he came to the city
and notified the Recorder. Officers pro-
ceeced at 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 Kuentz.
The news of the murders was known all
nXvnr hnc ri, ~, i kl-.
sequel came at 6 o'clock. The proprietor
Of the hotel knocked at Kuentz's room
and asked him where his family was.
Kuentz replied that he had taken them
last evening to Aztec, where they had
taken the limited train for Mexico.
II think you're Mistaken said the pro-
prietor; ''your family is not in Mexico"
Kuentz shut the door and, drawing a re-
volver, shot himself through the heart. On
his person was found cigar-case contain
ing over $500 in bank bills. On the cigar
case was stamped ''Sam Kuentz." 1t is
believed his brother lives in Fort Worth,
and he was at once notified of the tragedy.
Kuentz spent most of his time while
here in saloons, and no doubt meditated
the deed. In the murdered Woman's
trunk was found marriage license bear
ing the names of Catherine Menn and
Theodore Mem. A letter was found in the
woman's effects, dated October 4, from G.
B. Brown, Fort Worth (Tex.) merchant,
addressed to Mrs. Caroline Menn, Dallas,
Tex, the merchant requesting her to send
a check for $25. From this it is inferred
the woman had bank account She
stated that Mr.. Christen, her son, kept
hntpl or Fort Worth nd 70, H..
Kuentz stopped at this hotel, found out
the woman had money, and enticed her
here to murder her and get her money. A
telegram was received here to-day from
Fort Worth stating that Mrs. Menns son
had left that city to come here.
The wounds on the child's body and the
position in which it was found indicated
that she had 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 bv
glancing blow of club. There was an
other wound on the top of her head, but
death had come from knife wound in
the neck, severing the jugular vein and
carotid artery. The body was found on its
back, the little arms raised as though to
ward off the murderous blows
Mrs. Menn, who was rather stout and
about forty years old. was shot in the
breast and probably struck crushing
blow on the head, breaking the skull. The
fiend, in Jack-the-Ripper style, then used
his knife, stabbing his victim repeatedly.
The bodies OF the suicide and his vic
tins were taken to Fowzer's morgue,
which was surrounded by large crowd of
enraged citizens, who would have made
lynching party if the murderer had not
cheated them.
An insurance policy for 5000 in his own
favor, deed of trust. executed by Gather
inc Menn on property in East st. Louis,
photograph of Kuentz and pictures of
handsome young woman and child of 6
were found in Kuentz's trunk, besides the
letters addressed to William Kuentz, Kan
sas City. Kuentz was employed at Helm S
Brewery of this city as chief engineer last
February. He was a tall, fine looking man,
dark eyed and had dark hair. He was
smooth faced. He had wife and little
girl that answer the description of
the woman and girl murdered in Laredo.
He was about So years of age and we'll
liked.