The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-18
TRIED TO KILL HIS FAMILY.
Bernard c. Henrfchs Creates wild
Excitement tn Lafayette.


Excttemens Ia Lafayette.
Bernard c. Henrichs, German, 58 years
old. of No. 3 Ash street. Lafayette, a
commission merchant, doing business in
Washington Market, New York, tried to
kill his whole family, Saturday night,
with 3S-calibre five-chambered revolver,
which he had bought for the purpose.
The weapon became useless after the first
shot had been fired from it, and so he
was prevented from accomplishing his
purpose Henrichs, when not drinking, is
steady business man, and has been very
successful of late; but when he gets one
of his drunken fits he is feared by all,
and people. who know him give him a
wide berth when he is in that condl-
ton.
1t was while on one of these sprees,
Saturday night, that he tried to kill his
family, which consists of his wife, his
daughter, Mary, and his two sons, Henry
and Bernard. Henricks was very drunk
when he reached his home about ten
o'clock and in quarrelsome mood. HIS
wife tried to pacify him and put him to
bed, but he would not go and sat around
the parlor grumbling and swearing. Sud-
denly he sprang TO his Ieet With a
string of oaths and pointing the pistol
at his wife, who had been watchingfhim,
"I'll kill you all; this is your last night
on earth"
Mrs. Henrichs stood trembling, expect
denly recovering herself she jumped
through the side window, which had been
left open on account of the warm day.
AT the same moment the daughter Mary,
who had heard her fathers threats from
the other room, ran screaming out into
the street. But both of Henrichs sons,
Henry, aged 20, and Bernard, aged lS,
had arrived home in the meantime and
seeing their father fiourishing a revolver
around his head, rushed at him with the
purpose of disarming him. Henrichs IS
a powerful man and threw his sons aside
without difficulty.
The young men, now thoroughly scared,
turned and ran from the room, but Hen
richs fired a shot after them which went
wide.
After he had chased everyone from the
house Henrichs carefully locked every
door, but forgot the open window: BY
this time large crowd had collected
around the house, attracted by the shouts
and by the screams of both the wife of
the drunken man and of his daughter.
Some one had gone around the corner to
Johnston avenue and brought Patrolman
Gallagher to the scene. Mrs Henrichs
quickly told Gallagher about her hus-
bands drunken fit and warned him to
be careful, for he would surely kill anyone
that interfered with him. Gallagher tried
the doors but found them all locked, but
suddenly discovering the open window
jumped in. Here he met Henrichs, who
had been watching him.
You are my prisoner, cried the
policeman.
Your prisoner" yelled the maddened
man, .Ill kill you too," at the same time
raising his pistol and pulling the trigger.
The pistol only snapped. Gallagher grab
bed Henrichs' right arm and drew his
club, with whichS he tried to hit him on
the head, but Henrichs carefully guarded
himself with his left arm. He freed his
right arm from Gallagher's grasp and
again pulled the trigger with the pistol
close- to the policeman's breast Again
the pistol failed to go off, which no doubt
saved the policemans life.
1t was then that Gallagher realized he
must MAIN his man, and pulling his re-
volver from his pocket he fired twice,
shooting Henrichs in both arms. The
pistol then fell from his fingers. But
quickly he picked it up again and still
having it in his mind not TO kill Henrichs
he pulled the trigger again, shoting Hen
richs in the left hand. The craged man
fell to the floor swearing and kicking with
all his might until he was forced to sur
render by Gallagher and Henry Henrichs,
who had been called in by the patrolman.
He was taken to the CommunipaW ave-
nue. station where he was charged with
intent to kill his wife and son. Later
he was removed to the City Hospital.
His wounds are slight. This is not the
first time that Henrichs has tried to kill
for about year ago while in a drunken
condition he fired at his son with shot
gun.