The Cruel Murder of Mina Miller — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Cruel Murder of Mina Miller
John Stuart Mill · en
The Scene at his Parting from his Wife and Children--Angry
Throngs in Hoboken--Giving Away the Murdered Woman’s Watch--The
Testimony.
Over in New York Martin Kenkowsky was closely watched. He was so
agitated when he was led back to his cell on Thursday night, that
Policeman Finerty was detailed to watch him, as it was feared he might
attempt to kill himself. The policeman says that the prisoner was
restless until after sunrise. At first he paced the cell like a caged
animal, stopping now and then and pressing his face against the gate,
his bloodshot eyes glaring through the trellis work. This continued
several hours. Then, for the first time, he gave way to his feelings.
He threw himself upon the floor and moaned piteously. Then he sprang
up again, leaped to the gate, and tried to shake it. After that he
again paced the cell, wringing his hands wildly and calling out German
words which the policeman could not understand. Toward morning he
became more quiet, but even when lying down he tossed about and did not
sleep. Finerty says that Kenkowsky is one of the most powerful men he
has seen; that when he tried to shake the cell gate he could see the
muscles moving beneath his sleeves.
The news that the Guttenberg murderer had been captured spread rapidly
in the neighborhood, and by eight o’clock in the morning some 400
persons were in Thirty-seventh street, pressing toward the police
station and standing on either side of the station nearly all the way
to Ninth and Tenth avenues. A little after 8 o’clock a woman with a
young boy at her side and a little girl in her arms was seen trying to
make her way through the crowd. Whenever it was so dense as to impede
her progress she spoke a few words, and those in the immediate vicinity
fell back and allowed her to pass. The boy was crying bitterly, but
the woman’s features were firmly set, and the little girl, who seemed
to be about 6 years old, was quiet. When the woman had made her way to
the station door she hesitated a moment. Then she entered, dragging the
boy, who seemed unwilling to follow, after her. She was the prisoner’s
wife. People now began to climb upon some empty trunks near by, and
even women with babies in their arms were seen on the wagons. Up to
this point the crowd had been quiet. But when the coach in which
Kenkowsky was to be conveyed to the Jefferson Market Police Court
appeared, some one shouted, “Kill him!” and an angry howl went up from
the dense throng.
“Lynch him! Hang him to a lamp post!” was shouted by others. No
attempt, however, was made to carry out these threats.
Meanwhile Chief of Police Donovan of Hoboken and Detective Stanton had
arrived, and the prisoner had been led from his cell. When he saw his
wife and children he burst into tears. His wife also wept and called
out:
“Why did you not take my advice? Why did you not stay away from her?”
“I swear to God I am innocent,” he called out. “Let me kiss you,
Katrina; let me kiss you and my children!”