The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-29
SIX LIVES FOR REVENGE.
MinshaII Shot Sands and Killed All
His Own Family.
TRAGEDY AT PENTWATER, MICH

ALawyer Shoots the President Of the VIII
lage, Goes Home, Kills His Wife, Three
Children, and Hlmself---Death OF the
Village Observation-Disclosures Insane
From Business Reverses.
PENTwATER, Mich, April lis. B. Min.
shall, an attorney and an insurance agent OF
this town, succeeded in an attempt to assas-
sinate William B. o. Sands. President of the
Sands & Maxwell Lumber Company, Village
President and the leading man Of the place.
Sands died at his home this evening. After
leaving Sands for dead, Minshall went to his
home and shot his wife and three children
dead, and then committed suicide by shoot
Ing himself through the head.
Minshall came from Chicago three years
ago and was In the employ Of Sands & Max
we'll until year ago, when he began the
practice Of law and also began writing insur-
ance. He had big line Of insurance on
Sands & Ma1well's property, which the lrp
cancelled few days ago. This and other
financial troubles Is supposed to have made
Minshall insane He left letters which showed
Mr.. Sands had been working In the office
OF the company and started home about $50
o'clock. When within few rods OF home
Sands met Mtnshall The latter had a rifle
and demanded that Sands accompany him.
Sands attempted to disarm him and Minis
hall fired, the bullet striking Sands
in the upper part Of his right arm
and shatterlng 1t badly. Sands then
ran toward his home, but was unable to get
holt rhoh Nod fall rn1
his victim, fired four more shots, three OF
which took effect. BY this time Sands had
managed to unlock the door. and, as he en-
tered, he fell insensible, and Minshall fed to
his home.
The noise caused by Sands's fall aroused
his family, and help was summoned. A gen.
eral alarm was raised by the use OF the
towns fire whistle. cartridge was found
near where the shooting occurred, and 1t was
identified by 8. W. Fincher, a druggist, as
belonging to rifle which Minshall had bor-
rowed from him yesterday to shoot crows.
Thisturned suspicion toward Minshall as the
attempted assassin Of Sands, and the Dig
crowd which had gathered went to his house.
The house was found lighted, but as no re-
sponse could be obtained to the repeated
knocklngs on the door it was forced open.
Mrs. Minshall's body was fouhd lying against
the door in the main room. Her throat had
been cut. The body OF Ruby, asixteen-.year-
old daughter, and a promising musician,
was found In q corner OF the same room.
She had been shot through the head. Mr.
AIinshall's body was found near his Wlles s..
In bedroom were found the bodies OF
Georgia. aged four, and a two-year-old baby
boy One shot from the rifle had ended both
OF their lives.
Minshall was forty-fve years old. Sands
was sixty-flve years old. He was very weak
from loss OF blood and the effects OF having
his arm amputated, and shock caused his
death.
One of the letters which Mlnshall left was
written to friend in Chicago, asking him
to care for his family in case they should
survive him. In the letter he complained
bitterly of the company's treatment OF him
In business matters. He wrote that he would
demand satisfaction from Sands, and II ne
did not receive 1t he would take him along
with him "to mix with the elements"