Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-15
A MICHIGAN TRAGEDY
MILLIONAIRE LUMBERMAN ANC
A FAMILY KILLED.
Bloody Deed by s. Il. MirCheli at Pent'
watcr-Assassin Alleges Oppression
by the Millionaire, and Fear that Ills
Family Would Live in Poverty.



The most appalling sextuplc crime III
the history of Western Michigan occurred
ut Pcnt water Thursday night. As Il re-
suit William Il. q. Sands lies dead. with
his right arm missing, and y. Is. Minchel
his wife and three children are dead al
their home.
The whole is the work Of Mincheil. whc
made an attempt to assaasinatc Sands ana
then returned home and Shot every MEM
Der OF his family dead. After completing
his bloody work he turned the weapon up
on himself and sent IL bullet into his
brain.
Mr.. Sands. who had been NJ work III the
| Office of the Sands K Maxwell Lumber
Company. started for home at o:oo. W hen
within few rods Of his house man be-
| gan firing at him with rifle. Sands
| started for the nearest housc. The assas-
| sin followed and fired rs he ran. Mr..
| Sands ran into the yard. AMI was chased
| around the buiting until i've shots III all
| had been sent after him Then the
saiiant disappeared in the darkness. Sands
WAS found moment later. Three out OF
| the five shots bad penetrated his right
arm and the fourth had inflicted II flesh
| wound in his leg The arm WAS 81 badly
| shattered amputntion was decided upon,
| though the phys,.nn informed the family
that the operation would probably prove
fatal. Sands wa, l:5 years old aud his re-
coyrry was unlocked for He died Friday
| evening.
Not until morning WAS the identity of
the assassin known. :. II. Minchell. IN
insurance agent and attorney. who made
| Il speciality of collecting bad debts, had
had some words with Sands over Il blisi-
ness transaction. AMI suspicious were en-
tertaincd that he might be the man. OH
| ce;s called at his home To make an inves-
| tigation but were unable To gain admis-
sion. They concluded the family was
away from l., me. and did not try To force
an entrance then. With the circumstan-
eos pointing more toward the theory that
Ninchcll was the assassin. ii WAS decided
To place him under arrest. Then. rs be-
fore. no one answered the rappings. ana
the front door was broken down. The
sight that presented itself almost froze the
intru,lcrs' blood Mrs. Minchcll and her
husband and daughter Ruby. were found
dead in the sitting room. The two little
boy babies lay dead in their bed, all pierre
ell with bullets.
Minchcll three years ago lived in Chi
cago His family were we'll known and
popular. His daughter. Ruby. had Il
class in music. and was considered COM
petent instructor Nnchcll was Il lay
reader of the Episcopal Church. He was
devout man. but of qunrrel>omc DISPOSE
ton and several times had trouble with
neighbors and business clients. Some
time ago in an alteration with the post
| 4, 4 I.,. tnrnntnnai hn z
officials life.
Temporary insanity WAS ut first sus-
pected. but il now appears the crime WAS
premettatcd and deliberate. From Il let
ter written 10y Minchell it is proved that
MinchclI contemplated the tragedy two
months ago. Fear of want and poverty
for his family is the excuse offered.
In the letter he told Il Chicago friend
should his family survive him he hoped
the friend would look after them, showing
that nj the time IF writing he was yet IN
decided as TO whether or not he should
murder the family.
Minchcll left another long letter, the
gist of which WAS that Sands had prom
iscd him eli Of the conIpany'S business and
now demanded ouc-third of the commits
sion. Minchcll was badly involved and
extreme love for his family prompted him
t. Kill them rather than see them suffer.
MIR. Sands VAS -, yeats Of age 1t was
expected he would have been chosen i
delegate To the Republican national con
yention had he lived.
In a letter addressed to A. Williams
|, Rookcry building Chicago. Mincheil sal,
he had allowed himself 10 be- clbowcd on
Of the swim and had become Il dctrimen
to his friends and was incapable of help
| Ing his family He referred in detail I,
the good qualities OF members of his fam
lily and declares that their home relation.
!. were most happy. although he was III,
victim Of Overmastering business trou
bles and anxieties. He felt. he said. tina
: the resolution which led paupcr fathers
To kill their pauper children was Spartan
like and that no one not So situated coul,
realize the situation.
Samuel T. MinchcIl came To Chicag
about ten years ago. He had prcviousl.
been justice of the peace i'll Colorado
He had little success as IL lawyer beyon,
becoming the salaried attorney Of tn
Woman's Protective Association. He oc
d cupied an office with Attorney &. &. Bow
- erSock for two or three years and was
| pdrlEeT ol tDdHi. <ttiolutN lhoDtIt .
lies for about six months in 1891. III
aid Mr.. Hes disagreed about money mat
tiers, and he had desk for Il while wit
Case * Hogan. He left for Michigan i
5, 1892 and was not known Ia have returnc
It to Chicago since then.
ID Minchell owned II home mt Argyle Parl
10 He rented one floor To another family. Til
= two families quarreled and Minchell eyic
ed his tenants. The whole neghborhOo
became involved in the squabble, an
Minchell was repeatedly arrested on n
sault and battery warrants.
8 Every case against him was dismisse
" by the Justice Of the peace mt Argyle, bit
~ MinchclIs enemies persisted i'll prosccu
~ ing him until he filed an injunction hi
Or to stop them. Judge Tulcy granted
temporary Injunction and the matter W;
I'd adjusted.
OF Tim Sheehan, discharged from the Sc
ne vice of the Cincinnati Southern Railwa
IN because of color blindness, killed himse
| a.. \