The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-02
SLAIN, THEN BURNED
MICHAEL SCHRENK AND HIS
CLERK MURDERED AT WHIs-
KEY HILL.
ROBBERY MOTIVE FOR DEED.
THEIR HALF BURNED BODIES
FOUND IN RUINS OF STORE.

mains All That Was Left to Tell
the TnIe-Schrenk Was mt His
Money Drawer when the Robbers
Entered and Fired on Hfm-Car-
ter Ran to Rear Room for His
winchester and Fired One Shot
Before He Fell MortaIIy wounded.
The NIurderers Only Took Money
and Probably Secured Several
Hundred Dollars.
Murder. robbery and arson, in which
Michael Schrenk, a well-known Ger
man, &C years of age, and Jake Car
ter, aged Il years, We're the victims,
was the horrible work of unknown per-
sons in the Black Ankle section of the
Ogeechee district, about sixteen miles
from Savannah, Friday night. The Of
ficers have little or no clue to the per-
petrators of the crime. and it is
improbable that they viii ever be
brought to justice.
Schrenk was proprietor of a store on
what is known as Whiskey Hill,
short distance from Buffers bridge, and
Carter was employed as clerk and cook.
He was bright young man and has
a number of relatives in the Black An
kle section. Both men We're shot down,
but not before the young clerk had Sc
cured a Winchester rifle and fired one
shot at the robbers. 1t is not believed
that his aim was true, but that he died
game was clearly shown from the sur
roundings.
The double murder occurred at 0
o'clock, when Mr. Schrenk was prepar-
ing to close his store for the night.
lie was at the cash drawer, taking out
the money for the purpose of putting it
in an iron safe that was kept in
room in the rear, used for sleeping pur-
poses.
The old man was in the act of TAX
ing the money from the drawer, when
the robbers entered and shot him down.
He fell backwards behind the counter
and his body blocked the passage to
the money drawer. Carter ran to the
rear room, where loaded rifle was al
ways kept, and was followed by at
least one of the robbers.
Robbery After Murder.
The young man secured the gun and
fired one shot before he was shot down
by the robber. The rifle fell from Car
ter's grasp and was left untouched by
his murderer. After both Schrenk and
his clerk had either been killed or NOR
tally wounded, the work of robbing
the cash drawer and iron safe was be-
gun 1t was necessary for the muir
derers to stand over the body of the
aged storekeeper in going through the
cash drawer, which was relieved of it's
contents. The iron safe was within
three feet of the remains of Carter, and
this was carefully inspected by the
murderers. Papers were examined.
and it is probable that a large sum of
money was secured. While it is not
positively known it is probable that
several hundred dollars were secured.
Pieces of jewelry belonging to Mrs.
Schrenk were left in the safe, gold
watch carried by her husband on his
person was untouched and articles of
value that could be identified were left
undisturbed. After all of the money in
the place had been taken the men set
fire to the store where a tank of oil
was kept. In a very short while the
store and bedroom and carriage and
wagon shed, which were adjoining,
were enveloped in flames.
The barn and harness house a few
yards away, also caught fire, and the
entire place was soon reduced to ashes.
The murderers considered it the wisest
plan to burn their tracks and a stock
of goods valued at $1,000 was reduced
to ashes. The bodies of both men
were cremated and when the flames
had consumed all of the fuel within
range, there was but little left of
either. The skulls of the men were
cracked and shattered. and all of the
smaller bones We're reduced to dust.
Almost Beyond Recognition.
From a careful examination of the
smoking ruins these unmistakabIe
facts were obtained. The body of
Schrenk, identified by the size of the
trunk the remnants of the watch he
carried, and his bunch of keys, was
found at a spot where the cash drawer
had been. 1t was his nightly custom
to move the money from this drawer
to the iron safe, making it certain
that he was engaged in this work when
surprised by the robbers.
Carriers body was found in the room
used for sleeping purposes, and by it's
side was the rifle kept in the bedroom.
A Morning News representative and
Chief Deputy Sweeney took the burned
weapon to pieces and secured an ex-
2 ploded cartridge. That it had been
fired was shown by the cap which had
felt the force of the hammer. The
plunger of the rifle left its mark in
the cartridge, showing that the fire had
not caused the explosion, but that the
gun had been used by the clerk in
defending himself. These were the
only facts obtainable, and furnished
absolutely no clue as to who commit
ted the fearful crime
Heard the Shooting.
family named Williams lives with
in two hundred yards of where
Schrenk's store was located, but like
the other male members Of the Black
Ankle district williams was on the
Ogeechee fishing when the crime was
committed. At O'Clock his wife
heard some five or six shots fired but