The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-02-17
HORRIBLE CRIME.


! = bobhunheh H0u hiiis ISIS M"th"f
sister Asd nreiheT. fiees 10 resas
and Thence 90 Mississippi, wbeFs
lac ~ Captured,
Yesterday evening tho reporter met
Mr.. John \. Intel OF H. Paul, Min
nesola, aud deputy sheriff Of Anoka
county, who arrived In this city Friday
night looking for u fugitive rom JUS
Iiee, named Henry Summers, whom
ho expected 10 hnd In this place, but
yesterday he received gdyIceu from
Canton, Minslaslppi, stating that SUM
mcla had been captured In that place
The reporter Intercepted Mr. Llntel
concerning tho matter, aud learned
from him the following story, which IL
almost too horrible for belief
There lived some avo miles from ~.
Paul the Summers family, consisting
Of j ohm Il. Summers, his aged mother
two younger brothers aud u sister,
Their father years ago was u lumber
merchant, aud had 10y hayd lloks
amassed quite n fortune, which
At his death he left to the sole
control OF hs wife, all tho
children ut that time being mlnors,
while John, hla eldest son, was u Wild,
Maynard, no.account youth, who
seemed 10th to settle himself down 10
any of the steady pursuits Of life. Az
ter the death of his father, John, ~
the oldest son, took charge Of tho NJ
fairs of the place, acting In the capa'
citp of an ageut for his mother. II waa
not long, however, before he had
gained fondness for city life, and he
would sometimes spend weeks In 81,
Paul, associatlng with fast women
and unprinolpled men.
Though he was time and again re-
preached by hls friends for his negli.
gence of his mother, yet he needed
them not, but kept OH his Wild
course OF deDauchery until he had
spent 80 much Of hls mothers money
that she had to have recourse to law
to restrain him. After this he never
spoke good word Of his mother, but
treated her and his brothers and sister
with the utmost contempt, riiiculing
what he termed their old fogy ways
One morning In last September, the
ueighborhood in which the family
lived, was thrown into the widest
state OF excitement 10y the body of his
mother, sister and two brothers
being found lying dead In their beds,
with their heads split open. From the
position Of the body OF his mother, and
scratches on her person, II was evident
that she had fought desperately for her
life. The sister and two brothers had
been struck dead in their sleep John
Summers, who slept up stairs alon e,
stated that he mad heard noise down
stairs, and, taking his pistol, had gone
down TO see what the matter was. On
reaching the rooms, two would be
robbers rushed out. when he fired sew
eral shots at them without any effect.
His story was generally credited, for
few dreamed him guilty Of such n
heinous crime. Yet few had
their suspicious about the matter, and
began to ask impertinent questions.
A hatchet was found under the house
all covered over with blood. which
John attempted to explain away, by
saying that he had the day before
killed sheep. A splotch of blood was
found on hls shirt front, which he ex'
planned by stating that his youngest
brother, Francis, had cut his finger,
and in tying 1t up for him, he had thus
gotten IL. In his excitement, he caught
himself, for no cut WAS TO be seen en-
his brothers finger. Very foolishly,
the people proposed to delay his arrest
until something more definite could DO
found out. The next morning, John
Summers was gone, leaving behind the
estate and bank account for which he
had killed his own mother, sister and
brothers. He had committed in the
most horrible manner the most helms
ious crime known in the criminal cal
eudar, that he might enjoy the prop.
erty and pursue his life of debauchery
and shame He came to Dallas, and
"a the officer has since learned worked
| In a brick yard.
There is no doubt in the mind OF Mr..
| Lintel, but what he will hang. He
left last night for home on the north
bound traiD.
The Negro Quesiion 10 be Introduced
| in the senate.
Chicago Times: a scheme for the
| Afrieanization OF the army was report
ell In the senate yesterday. IL pro
poses to repeal the law combining me-
groes to certain regiments, and allow
their enlistment In all organizations
unfortunately. This arrangement
would probably suit General sherman,
whose prejndices in favor OF "pru'
dence in the army, especially on the
Rin Grande, il understood to he very
strong: but the recruiting officers who