The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-04-15
A MoNsrRous CRIME.
A Michigan Man Assassinates Merchant,
Then Goes Home, Murders His Wife and
Three Children and Suicides.

q MONS TROOS CRIME.
A Michigan Man Assassinates Merchant,
Then Goes Home, Murders His Wife and
Three Children and Suicides.
PENTwATER, Mich, April lis. B.
Minshall, an attorney of this town,
made a successful attempt Thursday
night to assassinate William B. Sands,
president of the Sands & Maxwell
Lumber Co. After leaving Sands for
dead, Minshall left for his home and
shot his wife and three children dead
and then committed suicide by shoot
ing himself in the head.
Minshall came from Chicago three
years ago and was in the employ OF
Sands & Maxwell until year ago,
when he began the practice Of law and
also began writing insurance.
He had big line of insurance on
Sands e. MaXwell's property, which
the firm cancelled few days ago.
This and other financial troubles is
supposed to have made Minshall in
sane.
When Sands met Minshall the latter
had Winchester rifle and demanded
that Sands accompany him. Sands at
trmpted to disarm him when Minshall
fired, the bullet striking Sands in the
upper part of his right arm, and shat
tering it badly. Sands then ran toward
his home, but was unable to get the
door open. Minshall, who had fol-
lowed his victim, fired four more shots,
three of which took effect. By this
time Sands had unlocked the door and
as he entered he fell insensible and
Minshall fled to his home.
The noise caused by Sands fall
aroused his family and help was sum
moned A general alarm was raised
by the use of the towns fire whistle
A cartridge was found near where the
shooting occurred and it was identified
by S. w. Fincher, druggist, yester-
day morning as belonging to Win
rowed from him Thursday for the pur-
pose of shooting crows. This turned
suspicion towards Minshall as the at
tempted assassin of Sands, and the
crowd which had gathered went to his
house. AS no response could be OBJ
tanned to repeated lSnock;ngs on the
door it was forced open.
In the main room were found the
bodies of Mrs. Minshall, Ruby, 10
| year-old daughter and a prominent
musician, and that of Minshall him
self. The murderer had evidently shot
his wife first and Ruby, who had been
awakened by the report, had come
down stairs to investigate. The revol-
yer which her father had turned on
her after she had entered the room
had been held so close to her body that
her night dress had caught fire. Her
life blood quenched the flames, how
ever when she fell to the floor. Min
shall then went up stairs to the room
of the boys, aged 4 and 2 years, and
shot them. Returning to the floor be-
low he had placed the revolver to his
own head and fred the fifth fatal shot.
Minshall had always been considered
an inoffensive man. He was 45 year:
old. Sands is Pentwater's leading
citizen and is very wealthy. He il
village president and member of thu
G. A. r. He is 65 years old. From
the effects of having his arm ampu
tated death resulted last night.
One of the letters which Minshal
left was written to friend in Chicago
asking him to care for his family il
case they should survive him. II
the letter he complained bitterly o
the company's treatment of him il
business matters. He wrote that h
would demand satisfaction from Sand
and, if he did not receive it, that h
would take him along with him to mi!
with the elements. From this letter /
would appear that the murder of hi
family was an afterthought on tn
part of Minshall.