Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-09-06
CAPTAIN uNeER's STORY:


was a murderer. l had killed my
best friend. pressed my hands over
my eyes and tried to shut out from
them the horrible truth. Ugh! There
was blood on my hands This then
was the end, the end OF Capt. Ed
ward Unger. No It was not the end.
Never" cried In my agony,
shall 1t be said that the honorable
career Of Capt. Edward Unger, the
medal of honor man Of Wilson's
Zouaves, who won his spurs on a
dozen bloody battle grounds under
the old flag has ended like that"
Ny honorable career. Long since
the war had bartered IL for the life
of the low dives along the Bowery,
for the association of thieves. for
quandam alliance with the police
who learned that when information
was needed Of a certain crook or
certain crime, Capt. Edward Unger
was the man to seek. And for this
reason they did not inquire too close
ly into my own dark actions.
The man killed was August
Bodies, whom had known intimately
for three months. In October, 1886,
was running a little saloon on Ed
ridge street The business was not
good. advertised for a partner with
some money to go into some other
business. Bodies answered 1t. He
was a fine looking fellow. a German.
who had been in this country several
years and had made money in the
butcher business in Chicago. liked
him from the first glance. He seemed
to reciprocate the feeling. He was at
that time in the sausage business, and
offered to put up the money If would
60 into scheme to make sausages OF
horse meat with him. agreed, and
he came to my house to live. I was
then living In two rooms on the fifth
floor front of 20 Eldridge street with
my son Edward, q lad of seventeen.
Bodies and l got along very well
together, but we did not do much in
the sausage line. and I was trying to
sell my saloon. He had money in the
bank, and paid half the household ex-
penses. Things ran along smoothly
with us until the night of Jan. 20,
1887. Bodies had been drinking a lit
tie that day. So had l, but neither
of us was under the influence Of
liquor. AS we finished supper my SON.
Edward, went out and left us alone.
sat at the table reading. Bodies
lay down on the sofa. and slept.
1t was a bitter cold night, and the
fire got low. Bodies woke up shaking
and growing about the cold. ! jumped
up quickly and began fixing the fire.
The stove was near the head of the
sofa. had to bend on my knees to
stir up the Goals with a poker. Bodies
said that he had bad dream. He
seemed to be angry. l spoke to him
quietly, but he replied with an oath,
rebuked him and kept poking at the
fire.
He leaned toward me 30 that his
face was close to mine and Kissed an
insult In my ear. | pushed his head
away and he sunk back on the sofa
thought that would be the end OF 1t
but he jumped up suddenly and
caught hold of the poker. He was
stronger than I, and took it from me
He struck at me with it, and at the
same time grabbed carving knife
that had cut the food for both Of US
| saw that be was not himself by the
look on his face. When he came to
ward me I retreated to the rear room
Unfortunately there was a -hammel
on q chair. Mechanically picked 4
up. told Bodies he was making I
fool of himself, and had better g
back to the sofa. He thrust at m,
with the knife, and / hit him in thu
head with the hammer.
Suddenly became possessed Of
desire to kill. l could think OF moth
ing else. When | got near enough
to him again struck him with all m,
strength on the head. The hamme
head sank out Of sight IN his skull
The blood and brain that few onl
added to my frenzy. struck hir
again after he lay dead on the sofs
II must have been fully half hou
before | realized that he was dead an
had killed him. Then came the tot
ture of horror. The horror passed b.
fore the instinct Of self preservation
My first Impulse was to fly. put o
my overcoat to run away. Then
! heard a voice which said, You're
fool. Get rid Of the body, say Bohle
has gone to Germany. The law wi
never know" | heard this voice q
often that decided to follow its coul
| ell.
It was getting late. My son wa
likely to come in at any moment
lifted up the body. put T. IN the be-
room. and covered 1t with the cot tn;
Bodies had slept on. Then I set [
work to destroy all evidences OF II
murder. I had hardly got throue
wiping up the blood when the be
came in. | told him Bodies had gor
to Chicago and would not come bac
How was to get rid OF the bod,
I thought OF burning II up. selling
10 medical students. throwing Il owe
board. Then his upon what thougl