Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-04
BOTH MURDERED.
The Remainso An Aged Couple
Of Buffalo, N. Y,
Found Buried Under Woodshed--
Skulls of Both Crushed in.
Police Investigating and Several Par
ties Under Suspicion.

| Buffalo, n. ". Dec. 3.-The bodies G.
Franz Frehr and his wife, and aged
| couple. who disappeared from thei,
home at $50 jefferson street. Nov. 20
were found, early Thursday, buried be.
meath q woodshed in the back yard OF
their house. They had been murdered
The skulls of both had been crushed
Although the bodies We're badly decom-
posed the wounds were so plain that
Medical Examiner Danser did not hest
tate to say that the murder had been
done with hammer. A hammer, such
as would have inflicted the blows, was
found i'll the shed. Several hairs were
found clinging to the head of it.
A search for Charles Bonier, who re-
sided in the house on the day of the
disappearance. had been begun hours
before the finding of the bodies. but the
hunt was renewed by the entire staff
Of headquarters detectives as soon as
word came that the bodies of the old
couple had been found.
On Tuesday, Bonier appeared at po-
| lice court in response to a summons in
I" John Doe preceding regarding the
disappearance Of the Frehrs. The case
was adjourned and Bonier was ordered
| to appear in court, Wednesday, but he
Cid not come. 1t was then that the sus-
riciOn of foul play grew stronger With
the police, who had believed up to that
time that the old couple had been taken
away by relatives who hoped to inherit
| their money.
Descriptions of Bonier were sent
broadcast and at s o'clock. Thursday
morning, SuDt. Bull received a tele-
Eonier is G5 years old.
Boniers housekeeper, Louise Lind
holm, is also locked up at an East side
police station. The police found in her
bosom gold pieces to the value of so.
| The Frehrs We're supposed to have a
great deal of gold in the house. The
woman says the money was given 10
her by Bonier.
| Kate Kahn, q relative of the Lind
hold woman. was also taken to the po-
| lice station. Capt. Regain said that he
found at her house a trunk and some
stuff which had belonged to the Frehrs.
| George Mchr, Il carpenter, and q man
named Kuhn. who visited Bonier sew
eral times, We're later brought to the
station house.
| Frehr was a cabinet maker, but he
had not worked at his trade for a long
time and was an invalid The Frehrs
owned q house and lot on Cherry street
and had money in the bank. 1t was
well known in the neighborhood that
they kept large sums of money in their
home on jefferson street.
net 1,-hi to N,-Irt cl. ,,,l y
came to buy their home He is said 70
have offered $1,000 which the Frehrs re-
fused. On Friday Nov. 90. the sS'ange"
moved into the Frehr house and on thai
day the old couple disappeared from the
sight and knowledge of their friends.
Frehr mad been seen the day before, but
| no one in the vicinity Of the house saw
the couple, Friday. On the day before
l1hanksg giving a relative called at the
house with D basket of food. A stranger
met her at the door and informed her
chat the rrehrs had moved away.
The police were notified. Capt Regain
Instituted John Doe proceedings to com
pei those who might know of the Frehrs
to come to court and testify. The first
session of the hearing was held Oh Tues
Eonc-, the old man who was said to
hare bought the house from the Frehrs.
| Honier appeared in court but the case
was adjourned. Wednesday he did rot
appear. The police then began to look
for him. The suspicion of foul play grew
into a conviction that murder had been
done, Inquiries among Frehr's neighpors
brought out the fact that an old shed in
the back yard of the Frehr home had been
torn down recently and another one built
nearer the house The work was done
by Mohr and Boner in a pouring rain
storm.
Early Thursday, Capt. Regain directed
patrolmen to take the wood out of the
shed When that was done they found
marks on the ground indicating that it
had recently been turned They began
TO dig with a pick and shovel and had
not gone more than foot below the sur
face when they came upon the body of
Frchr. 1t lay face down with the skull
beaten in. The body of Mrs. Irrenr was
found foot deeper in the ground direct
~ beneath that of her husband.
Ronier is known to have lived in Buffa-
10 for nearly year. Before coming here
he lived in Gardenville, a village near
this city.
Y Louise I,indholm was put through
rigid cross-examina ton by Capt Regain
and Chief of Detectives Taylor, early
Thursday. She said Bonier told her the
old couple had sold the house to him and
that they had gone to a house of refuge
to spend the balance of their lives.
Her answers to questions regarding the
large amount of gold found upon her
We're unsatisfactory. She said Bonier
gave it 10 her, but when asked why such
large amount had been given she could
not give reason that satisfied the po-
lice.
Mohr said he had been well paid for
tearing down and rebuilding the wood
shed. He had not noticed that the earth
under the new building had been freshly
turned.
No further information could be secured
from Mohr or the other man. They will
be held as witnesses for the present.
capt. Regain said later that they had