American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-09-13
Triple Murder in Ohio--Suicide of the
Supposed Murderer.
tChicago Times Special


CINCINNATI, Sept. 3.-The particu-
lars of the killing of three women at Waynes-
vile, o., With hatchet were briefly tele-
graphed last night. The suicide of Willie
Anderson, son of Mrs. HATTIE, one of the VIC
tins, news of which has just been received,
completes one Of the most remarkable eases
of crime i'm the history Of the State. The in
vestigation of the Coroner and of detectives
to-day have developed the following facts:
Mrs. Hattie lived in Waynesville, small
Quaker village in Warren County, with Will
lie Anderson. her son by former divorced
husband, q lad 1S wears of age. With her
were staying temporarily her sister. Mrs.
Clementine Weeks of Cincinnati, and 12-
year.old daughter of the latter. One week
ago last night neighbOrs of the family heard
screams issuing from the house, but little
attention was paid to the fact. On Sunday
morning the boy Willie left Waynesyille for
Cincinnati. On the same day persons PASS
ing the house noticed an offensive smell COM
ing therefrom On yesterday afternoon il got
so bad that the Marshal ventured to open one
of the windows, when
THE STENCIL BECAME HORRIBLE.
Entering he found the room i'm confusion and
two dead bodies lying one on bed and the
other under. A further search revealed
third body I'm the back room, and all were In
an advanced stage OF decomposition, while
the head of the one in the front room had been
eaten by rats until the hair and scalp were
all gone. The bodies were unrecognizable
child lay in the front room. Mrs. Hattie, i'm
the back room, near lounge, was covered
with tick, and had her head mashed. The
victims had evidently retired, the little girls
pallet lying on the floor near the window
board, stained and tumbled, while the child
lay OIL the bed, partially covered by clothes.
The poor mother had crawled under her bed
to die. Her arm was gashed with blows
from the Ratchet, as if it had been put up to
protect her head.
SUSPICION AT ONCE
attached to the boy, whose conduct toward
the close of the week had been noticed to be
suspicious. 1t appeared by testimony before
the Coroner to -day that he had left the house
on Tuesday night and spent the rest of the
week at a hotel. He was seen, however, sew
eral times going back to the place, and the
discovery of dime novel, which had been
loaned him on Saturday, lying by his moth
er's side shows that he must have spent some
time in the house as late as Saturday night.
1t appears that after leaving Waynesville on
Sunday morning he came to Cincinnati,
where his father, Daniel X. Anderson, is liv-
ing. He stayed at a hotel here over night,
visited his father, and passed the time about
the city. Last night he resolved to go back
intention of confessing the deed or of putting
bold face upon the matter Is not known.
He had no money, and, being unable to pay
his fare, was put off the train at Plainville,
few miles out from Cincinnati. He went to
a hotel, but was refused admittance, not hav-
ing money to pay his lodging. Nothing more
was seen of him until O'clock to-day, when
he was found on coal heap near the station
with
BULLET THROUGH HIS HEAD
and his right hand grasping small thirty
two caliber pistol. He had been dead some
hours. The motive OF the lad for commit
ting the terrible crime can only be surmised.
He was living apparently on good terms with
his mother and aunt, and was regarded in
the village and in the printing office where
he worked as u peaceable boy. The only
thing which affords clew to the mystery is
that he acted for with his father. Mrs.
HATTIE was married to Anderson when she
was 16 years old. She was pretty girl, and
in her later years was regarded as a hand
some woman. After the birth of the son
difficulties arose and divorce followed.
Subsequently the woman was married to a
Mr.. HATTIE, who died not long ago in an in
sane asylum. The theory of the detectives
is that Anderson is i'm some way implicated
in the murder, and that Mrs. Weeks and her
daughter We're killed because they We're wit
nesses of the deed. The deed has created a
profound sensation, and further details are
eagerly awaited.