, 1877-08-05
BRUTAL BUTCHERY.
Horrible Murder Of a Family Of Five
Persons in CLARK Coun:y, Mo.
al Of Them Beaten to Death with an AZ
While Asleep.
a Brother-m-Law Hald by the VigiEanta
:; as:the Principal Murderer.
Robbery Of a Stage and Murder Of 1ts
Driver in Texas.

/ A HORRIBLE DEED.
| Special C::s21:ca sc The Tri3nne.
KEoKuK, Ia, Aug "A Gate City reporter
! just from the scene, brings further particular:
Of the shocking murder Of Lewis Spencer AMI
his four children, near Luray, in Clark Count;
Mo-. night before last. From the condition oI
the wounds when the physicians were called in
| It is Thought the massacre was committed ius
before daylight The murdercrs procured the
AZ from the wood pile, and evidently went Grs
to the Stable and climbed up ladder on The
outside to the loft where Mr.. Spencer and his sou
Willis, aged 10, were sleeping, and commented
! tue bloody work upon them, dealing Leavy
blows upon the heads OF each. Mr.. Spencer
had In his possession at the time about 81, 200,
which the assassins secured. They then pro-
ceeoed to the house, crept in the kitchen window,
and forced open adoor into bedroom on rbe first
floor in which were sleeping the daughter Jane,
aged IS, and the son Charlie, aged Z. Jane
seems to have been struck while asleep, but the
boy vas partially awakened, and struggled
across the body Of bis sister, anil was found in
that position. The other daughter. Alice, aged
20, was sleeping upstairs alone, aud did not ap-
pear to have moved after the fatal blow was
struck.
The murder was first discovered By brother
tn-iaw OF Mr. Spencer named Willis james, who
went there to work. He gave the alarm, and
the nelghbors soon congregated at the scene
The father aud both sons were still breathing
when found, but were in m unconscious con-
dition- The father and one son lived about two
hours, and the other son little longer. All fiye
Of the victims were killed With an gx, receiving
from one to three blows each On the head,
fracturins their skulls and mangllug their faces
frightfully. The az Was found under the back
part of7the house, beneath the window through
which the murGerers had entered. It was
a very heavy one, and WAS besmeared with
blood.
Nothing in the house was disturbed or caTried
away except . tcr-buckct, which 1t is sup
posed they used in washing the blood from
their hands and clothes. The trarks leading
away from the window inli:ate that there we're
two persons engaged in the slaughter
Mr.. spencer's father, who Is 50 years Of age,
and lives in the nclghhorhood, on learning the
fate OF his sons family, stricken with grief,
and will probably not recover from the shock
The news of the massacre spread rapidly, and
soon hundreds Of people were gathered at the
scene. Vigilance Committees we're formed, and
the day was spent in securing the country In
every ulIectlOn. DtluFE Ql1uL over l,u0u men
on :, horseback were engaged in tho
search, but no traces of the muir
dcrers could be discovered. During sthc
niyht vigilants were stationed on all the roads.
1o,n+;ua f,oconar,. ;,cnaa+ IN +ba h,l;a,
leAu. oo,oAe, ~, tu4.es y" Nv oe-'e7
was con'neneeo- Inc pr1nc1pal Witness WAS
Willis james, the protner-4n-laH. During tho
inquest a few drops Of blood we're discovered On
his c,otbps NJ was onoe,1onoa ah,ut ,h;s h,t
o,conntc,1 for II hv s,vi,o, ha had t,a n,sc,,oe1
= INV or two nrrvions The conr]nsion had
,,rso5r haan ,a,ch.d tho+ rho dcr, v,a con-
1nitteii hv some one familiar with the premises.
and knowinr that Mr.. snenccr hu,i 1arre
amount OF money with hin. The presence Of
this vlood and other circumstances led
to the suspicion that James Is the guilty party.
AF1ast account the vigilants had taken charge
OF him mud another man named Brady, and
gone of into the woods with them. There Is
no positive evidence against them. but il the
guilt can be fixed on them. there is no doubt
that thcy will swing, as the popuIace are in
frenzy over the dastardiy outrage
The funeral Of the victims took place to-day,
and was attended bJ about LOO people. This
bodies were all buried in one crave.