The sun., 1904-08-29
CRAZED MAN ATTACKS FAMILY
SHOOTS AT WIFE AND CHILDREN
or MS OLD-TINE FRIEND.
Wounds Fifteen.Year.Old Girl, but Other
Bullets Go Wide. Except Two With
Which He Ended His Own Life-Mad.
Gcncd by RepulsIOn Over His Ways.


Gcncd by RepulsIon Over His Ways.
4 morose and cross-grained old German
brooding over the repulsion his blunt ways
and coarse workman's clothes inspired in
the growing children Of his old time friend
the children whom he had watched grow
from babyhood and who had been the
chief interest of his lonely bachelors life,
went murderousy mad yesterday MORN
ing in the familys spick-and-span little
cottage in Elmhurst, l.. L.. and tried to
kill everyone in sight.
One of the bullets, aimed at the mother.
lodged in the neck Of her eldest child, a
girl of fifteen. and his bad shooting was
all that saved her second daughter. A
better aim directed the last two bullets
in the old mans gun. which he turned on
himself. One pierced his heart and the
other his right temple. He died instantly.
Herman Schmidt was petty officer in
the company in which Edward Homberg
served his prescribed term Of military
duty in the German Army, and when the
younger man married and left Dusseldorf
for America Schmidt followed and was
made welcome as a boarder in the Homberg
household. That was nearly fifteen years
ago.
Schmidt was then in middle age. and
found employment as a metal polisher,
coarse work which hardened and black
ened his big hands and filled his pores
with an oily CRIME that even his Sunday
washings did not altogether remove The
younge. man learned the trade of electro
plating. He was intelligent and Industrious
and his prosperity increases with the years.
Soon after Schmidt came to live in the
household a little girl was born, She was
IL 1, -. II
called Bertha after her, blue eyed mother;
Schmidt loved her as his own blood and
when the little thing could speak she called
him Uncle Herman. Then a little boy
came and he. too. became a pet Of Schmidt.
AS the children grew older Uncle" Her
man was their constant companion. The
youngsterswere too small o notice his coarse
work stained hands or his shabby clothes.
Another little girl Ida, came into the HON.
berg family nine years ago and when she
got big enough she, too. was carried on the
Sunday excursions in Uncle Hermans
arms.
But as the Hombergs' prosperity. in
creased they moved from time to time
Each new house was in better neig hbor-
hood. The children wore better clothes
and imbibed new ideas from their play
mates BY their new standards of com.
parison Uncle" Hernans ways. seemed
queer, and they found shame in his COM
pany. Schmidt noticed the growing cool
and moody. The children came to dislike
him and three years ago he found a new
home.
About that time Edward Homberg put
his savings into a little cottage on Cook
avenue in Elmhurst, and Schmidt got
a Job in Tiffany Il Co.'S shop in Corona.
close by. Last year he came Lack TO live
with his old friends. He had become
melancholy. ,srouchy old man man a. and often
treated his mutt erings as harmless talk
Yesterday, after late breakfast, Mr..
Homberg took his young son for walk,
! leaving fifteen-year-old Bertha and nine
year-oId Ida at home with their mother.
Bertha and her sister were washing the
breakfast things, and AIRS. HomberE was
busy in the living room.
Schmidt who had been more than usually
gloomy all morning, suddenly appeared at
He told the girls he was going to kill them.
They ran screaming TO their mother with
Schmidt close behind. Mrs. Homberg met
them in the hall. Ida took refuge behind
, her mothers skirts and Bertha ran for the
stairs.
Then Schmidt fired at Mrs. Homberg. The
bullet grazed her temple, clipping off n
wisp of hair, and struck Bertha in the neck
as she mounted the first step The screams
of the children and their mother had reused
Bruno Naumann. who rents the top floor
OF the Homberg cottage, and he dashed
down stairs with his grown son, Paul.
They reached the first landing as Schmidt
fred his first shot. He saw them coming
and turned his revolver from Mrs. Homberg
to the two men, firing twice up the stairs
well at them. Both bullets went wild.
Naumann and his son did not stop at
the shots and the old man ran back into
the kitchen. He slammed the door and two
more shots rang out When the Naumanns
got to him ho was dead on the floor
Bertha Homberg was doing nicely last
night. The bullet that struck her lodged
in the muscles OF her neck and the doctors
expect to remove it to-day
Homberg says he will give Schmidts .
body burial for old times sake.