The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-07
TWO ATROCI0US MURDERS.
F4THER KILLED by son AND D1UGH-
TER KILLED RI FATHER.
Col. Harvey Whittaker's Treatment of his
Famiiy-shockinEiy Heating an Adult Son
and Fatally shot by him n our Afterward

Frod NE Cincinnati Enquirer
MONTEREY Ohio, May AFTER lingering
in agony for two days Harvey Whitaker. who
was shot on Thursday last by his son Jonathan.
hreathed his last ut o'clock last evening. The
details VI the parricide and HE causes that rd
NJ to it reveal a sad story " domestic unhappi-
ness in II family looked upon until now rs one OF
the most respectable in the county.
Col. Juhn II Whitaker. or ~ he was moro
fannarly known here Harvey Whitaker. wa.
4 careful. industrious. and prosperous farmer.
lie owned about l2j acres Of good land. with u
good house and barn. aud had u lBrge family of
sons and daughters. of whom the parricide
Jonathan, was the third eldest. Unhappiy
Harvey Whitaker. though esteemed by his
neighbors. was not respected at home. lie had
been stern parent. harsh in his treatment
Of his children, and they had. grown
up more In fear than In love Of him. lie was II
good father In that he provided for his family.
but he made tho mistake " ruling them MS n
tyrant. His eldest SON before he arrived az his
majority, ran away from home and enlisted in
the army. forced into the step, II IL nverrcd. bv
the uncompromising severity of his father: but
this did not seem to Influence the latter to relax
his vigorous treatment ot the other children.
Frequent quarrcls between him and them. after
they grew up resulted
Mr.. Whittaker seems to have boon doubly So
we're toward Jonathan, who was lnzy shittlc~s.
nnd inclined to he di-respcctlul aud undutiiul.
From his infancy he had been subject to rpicp-
ic fits, which seem TO BE- hereditary IN the fam
~ and they at times incapacitatcd him from
doing any work still even when we'll he would
not work. and as his father would have no Loaf
ers around him, he was several times driven
from home after being given the choice t9 work
us the rest of the family or 10. lie found odg-
ing in some neighbours house or in their barns.
sncaking home while the father WAS out in the
fields at work and getting his meals from his
mother. Whenever his father caught him at
home n quarrel. which usually ended in blows,
best in these unnatural conflicts.
Three or four weeks ago. Jonathan was
driven from the house by his father for refus-
himself. He found lodging in the barn Of u
se Gr hsnaaSei " @ His daJ un Tbn Ie
day last he went TO the house in this manner
shortly after dinner and being under tho in.
nnenco OF LIQUOR getting drunk being one OF
his vcesl. uuarrced with his grandfather.
who is blind and decrepit. The latter started to
| call his son Jonnthan's father) but Jonathan
seized him 10y the arm and with some force
| hurled him 10 tho other end Of the room. He
then went out OF the house, and after louneing
| around for while entered the cider mill and
getting bottlco f cider started for neighbor's
| field. which adloined mis- fathers. This neigh
| Dor. Mr.. Holloway. he invited to drink with
| him, and then. sentlng himself on the top rail
| OF fence. he prepared to while away the re-
| his faiher stepped M behind, and. pulling
| him of the fence. threw him on the ground, and
| then administered q terrible beating TO him.
! kicking him around the body and stamping on
| his head and face
Jonathan begged to be let up. and on getting
| 10 his feet promised to mend his ways. His
| father then seized him BY the collar. dragged
him To where Holloway was working. and made
him, repeat his promises, which were that he
| his board and maintenance. Then his father
| told him to 20 home and wash his face. which
|
| aud his mother washed his face and fixed him
| IN after which he set out down the road. tell
! or two. until his fathers temper had cooled
| down. Instead OF coming 10 Monterey. he
stopped at the first house. and borrowed a
| double-hnrrelled shotgun from the man living
| there. Mr.. Smell. on the pretence that he was
| going squirrel hunting. Continuing down the
| road he stopped at the house OF q man named
| Burns and tried TO borrow some large shot
! saying that he wanted to shoot hawks. Burns
| had none and he came on 10 this place and
| hauFhf a nick els worth Of Nh shot fha rts
| est they had az the store. He then started for
| home. carrying his gun.
Mrs. Smell. who had heard OF his quarrel that
| afternoon with his father and dared not trust
MIN with the gun. met him as he reached her
| house. and. 10 disarm his suspicious. JOkingly
asked him to let her have IT, rs she wanted TO
| use II. He refused, telling her that he intended
70 use i. and walked on, Mr. Holloway met
him. and asked him what he was going 10 do
| with the gun. Jonathan muttered something
about not allowing the old man This fatherl to
abuse him all the time. and passed on.
| Half n mile further on Jonathan reached his
| fathers premises. Just at that time the latter
stepped cut toward the fence and said
| something 70 Jonathan. Loud words followed,
| Then Jonathan was seen to raise the gun and
| right hand 20 shield himself there was flash
ever. he was on his feet and staggering. all
| bloody. To the gate The son covered him with
! the other barrel Of tho gun and ordered him to
| stand back. but the father staggered out into
| the road. apparently dazed and blinded imme-
| datoly another report rang out and the old man
! again Tell. Just as some Of the neighbors ap-
| IftttN on Tue SEEM. Out NllIlfu LOT u Dlb-
stefan, and another wrenched the gun from tho
| uatrlclde. the wounded father. in the mean
time staggering into his home.
The messenger Tor the physician. on his way.
! passed through this village and told OF the oc-
eurrence. son Of the murdered man was in
Monterey at the time, and, ACCOMPANIED by
| several others started for the scene OF the muir
der. As they reached the outskirts OF the city
| thcy met Johtlnhll cvullhg, IN lhis ufother
| Jumped upon Jonathan in frenzy Of passion.
| and knock Ing him down. kicked aud pounded
him IN such way IA 70 threaten n iratricidal
| VlsaF llA Had ..I HON a
| Jonathan, whose coming here seems TO have
been for the p1rpqse 81 giving himself up.
rendered himself lie was promptly com
! miued to jail. Owing TO the excitement in the
neighhorhood he, was removed Tor safe keeping
jonathan Whitaker il about ~ years Of ago.
rather sckly looking. and nothing vi the dcs-
! perado in his appearance. He has thin. light
hair; weak, gray eyes, and very slim blonde
moustache. His face II Just now terribly bat
tered and bruised. Both eyes are blackencd.
his mouth bruised and skinned and his hrai
swollen in places from the kicking He does
not seem rs yet 10 realize his position. and man
TESTS no conjunction for his bloody deed. He
! acknO wedges the quarrel with his grandfather
on Thursday and tells the same story rs the
others about the beating his father gave him.
but there me- version oi III" story begins 10 differ
from the others. He says he got the gun 20 20
sho9unE s'ulIlrls, uul 'ohcluunu 20 wat uhtll
next day. lio started 10 70 10 the barn. whore
he was going 10 sleep. and on the way loaded
his gun To shoot at squirrel. but the latter got
away before he could discharge II. To reach
the place where he intended to stay during tho
night he had to pass his fathers house. The
father came out and asked him. " What in h.-ll
he was marching up and down the road with u
gun forF' He answered that the road was free.
and passed on. His father started. he says he
supposed. TO beat him again-nnd be warned
him not to come near him. Then his father
stopped down and picked up n stone. aud lac re-
members no more until he found himself strug-
Cling with Smell for the possess ion Of the gun.
jonathan says TINT his epiloutlc fits were
brought on when he was years Of age by his
father beating him over the head with club.
! His mother and brother and all his relatives
deny the stories Of his fits having boon produced
by his nther beating him. They say he has
had them ever since infancy,
PHILADELPHIA May Edward Parr. 60 years
Old, stabbed his daughter. Susan Irwin aged 30,
In the left breast and temple, this morning kill
ing her almost instantly. Mrs. Irwin had gone
20 visit u friend, Mrs Margaret johnson. VINO
| lives in Purcell's court, Fit2water street While
she was talking with Mrs. johnson. Parr entered
tho court and sat down in the adjoining house.
| He sat few minutes. and, without saving a
| word. rushed into Mrs. JohnsOn's house. and
| pursued his daughter into the second-sto
| room. struggle followed. but IL lasted only a
| minute. for Parr Immediately ran down stairs
| with bloody knife in his hand. Several neigh
| bors. on reaching tho room. found Mrs. Irwin
lying ON the floor with deep gashes on her breast
| and temple and life extinct. Parr was arrested "A
| few blocks from the scene OF the tragedy. The
| murder grew out Of family feud that dates
| hugF INN nar l..a.r 81,