The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-14
HOMICIDES NEAR ALTON, I'LL.
A Man and HIS Two children Killed
The Mans Wife Badly WOunded-As-
aauIt on Ono of the Alleged Murderers.


The Mans Wife Badly WOunded-AG-
sault on One of the Alleged Murdsrers.
ST. LOUIS Dec. l2.-Information was received
in Alton last night of horrid murder commit
ted on Monday, ten miles north OF tnat place,
on the Chicago Railroad, by which one man
and two of his children lost tleir lives. The
family lived at Rinder's Switch, and on Monday
two men with blackened faces, or negroes, en-
tered the cabin and demanded money OF the
man. The latter endeavored to escape, when
they shot him. Then they cut him dreadfully
with an axe, and robbed the cabin OF $lO0. The
vie started for the neighbors to make an
alarm, but the fiends assaulted her, and two OF
the children, trying to save their mother, were
also struck with the axe. Subsequently the
children died, though the wife Is still alive.
Au inquest was held on the bodies, aud YER
dict rendered according to the above facts. The
name of the family was Pepys. Tne murdered
man had just returned from st. Louis, where he
had sold a load of produce, aud 1t is supposed
the murderers knew of the money being in his
possession.
Efforts to discover the murderers of Pepys and
his children have led to further particulars and
to the arrest OF two suspected parties IN this
city. Constable Byrnes, of Madison county, in
forms us that one OF the parties suspected was
apprehended this morning and lodged at Third
Station House, He Is a mulatto, named Joseph
Marshall. His right eye is compile ely bin led,
or punched out. His companion in murder is
described as tall, muscular mulatto he has
not been found yet, aud probably did not come
to this city. The two negroes were seen around
the tarn er's premises on Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday. They visited the house on Saturday
evening, and requested the privilege Of remain
inc all nlght but the farmer had not accommo.
datons for hem, and after giving them material
TO start fire, they left for the purpose of camp.
ing out. On Sunday evening they returned and
perpetrated the murder.
Mr.. Pepys had been sick for twelve days with
an attack of dysentery, and was iu the act OF
repairing to the clubhouse, when the attack was
made upon him by one of the negroes, who,
with an axe, after telling Pepys to the ground,
mashed in his skull. Tue assassin then entered
the house leaving his victim, as he supposed,
dead. The wounded man, however, summoned
enough vitality to crawl INTO the house, and died
in few minutes upon the floor.
The wife and two children were soon stricken
down by the accomplce within doors, and then
the murderers, after securing the small amount
OF plumber which the farmers poverty afforded
them, fed from the locality.
Pepys was extremely poor, but bore the repu-
tation of an honest, hard-working man, and his
horrible death has awakened great excitement
in the neig hborhOOd.
The negro Marshall was delivered over to
constable Byrnes by the Sergeant at the Third
Station House this morning, and, after being
bandcuffed, was taken to the scene of the
murder, in Madison county, where his examina-
tion viii be held.