The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-21
4 MYSTERIOUS DOMESTIC TRAGEDY

records OF the police OF Paris, 90 extraord
nary, dramatic and thus far mysterious :
murder as that which recently occurred
Waynesyille, Ohio.
A youth named Anderson, printer, en-
ployed ut his trade In the village, lived wit
his mother In small cottage In the village
4 His age was eighteen, his character was gooc
hig habits correct and his disposition gen
0rous and affectionate. He contributed hi
wages to the support OF his mother
who had many years before bee
4 divorced from his father. In the judgmen
OF divorce the father was allowed the custod
and support of the son. The father WAS
carpenter by trade, and was employed In Gin
Cinnah The youth, however. appears to hav1
preferred living with the mother at Waynee
+ Vile. The father served through the war will
credit, and seems to have had good stand
Ing. Both father and mother were marie,
INTER- their divorce At the time OF the occur
renee to be related they had become again
widow and widower. Her name was HATTIE
Living with her WAS an elderly woman, he
sister, and her daughter, girl OF ten 0
eleven.
On Tuesday night, at a late hour. some o
the neighbors were startled by womanl
scream proceeding from the cottage Of Mrs
HATTIE. Il was d loud and piercing scream
but brief. and was succeeded by profount
stiffness.
Through the darkness two persons were
soon emerging from the house, carrying I
large bundle, which appeared to be bed OF
mattress doubled up.
They tottered aimlessly with this burden
shout the yard, and finally returned with II
Into the house. The next day Ii was observed
that the house YVES SILENT the doors and win
allows closed. There was no sign of any life
about the establishment.
The youth, Willie, however, was observed In
The afternoon OF that day, and for several
succeeding days, going about the yard feed
4 Ing the chickens and looking after his pets
but always left without opening or entering
the house. On the occasion OF one Of these
visits he was accompanied by young friend,
named Davis. with whom he slept at night.
Davis noticed very offensive odor which
seemed To proceed from the house and per-
yaded the whole yard and extended some dis
lance beyond. Davis testifies that young
Anderson was apparently cheerful and ex-
hlbited nothing In his manner to Indicate any
] anxiety or burden on his mind. He pursued
his ordinary avocatlons and habits. At last
the odor became 80 offensive as to excite the
suspicion Of the neighbors. Willie Anderson,
naked by some or them where his mother,
aunt and cousin were, that they were no
longer to be seen about the house, answered
that they had gone to Cincinnati and that he
was going there for them.
Fl He was seen on the Saturday following to
20 aboard the train. This was the last ever
Aeen Of him In Wayneville.
The neighbors determined to ascertain the
source OF the offensive odor proceeding from
the house. and breaking into 1t discovered the
appalling spectacle OF the bodies of the two wo-
men and the girl, bearing fearful and fatal
wounds, inflicted with Ratchet. and far adj
yanced In decomposition The widow and
mother Of Willie Anderson had been killed In
one room, and the other two In the adjoining
room. Bedding and clothing had been piled
up on the bodies An inquest was held. or
.xourse suspicion, indeed, positive belief, at
tached to Willie as the perpetrator of the
horrible deed.
But there we're two men seen coming out Of
The house on the night of the murder
The district attorney suspected that the
1Ather Of Willie was his companion. He made
the necessary affidavit for the arrest Ok both.
The warrants were issued for their arrest |
The officers holding these warrants, on in
Quiry, found that Willie had proceeded to
Cincinnati, had consultation with his father,
stayed all night with him and the next day
lett to 60 back home. He took the train
without money to pay his fare, was put off at
ne hrst stopping place, proceeded to o tavern
where he was refused accommodations hav-
Ing no baggage or money. He then went
short distance from the road, and In an old |
pat shot himself through the head with a
pistol, which was found clutched Id his hand.
The father, In the meantime, had been ar
rested and taken to Waynesville The offi-
GERS who arrested him In Cincinnati ascer-
fained from his employer that he had absent
"a himself from his work and had gone to the
o0untry on the day the murder was COM
united. The fathers statement OF the inter-
view with his son gave no olew and shed no
Hight on the action 81 the son.
Il Upon these the main facts In the case, two
theories have been formed.
& The first Ia that the son had quarreled with
The mother and In moment OF passion or in
HIDING that the other females had witnessed |
the act had, with the aid of companion,
killed them.
This theory could not be reconclled with
the character of the youth, with his general
amiabiltty, generosity and devotion to his
m0ther, and with the impossibillty Of fixing
upOn his companion In the murder There
Was nothing In his conduct to indicate any
eondency toward violence and passionateness
But how could the insansibility displayed
nv him TO the horrid fact manifested W his
nenses BY the odor emanatIng from the house
that the bodies Of three murdered women
were locked up In the house, while he was ten
derby and affectionately feeding and looking
after bis pets In the yard2
Some persons ascribed such insensibilitv
and apparent change of character In the bow
4t.O fy.H If tina villa sancatinp,l oLn..