The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-12-16
A TRIPLE MURDER.
A Maniac Goes Through the
Country With an Axe and
Butchers a Whole
Family. ri8sssrg


ST. Louis. December S.-Some
OF the particulars of a horrible
triple murder, near Chester Ill, was
telegraphed last night. 1t appears
that young, man, % years OF age,
named Lewis L. Locksteln, became
insane few days ago from re
ligious excitement. He was taken
before the court by a deputy sher-
if. adjudged insane and placed in
the charge of two guards to be ia
ken to the asylum at Jacksonville.
The guards took the manito the ho-
tel in town, and remained with him
all night. About 6 O'Clock this
morning heicalled for water to wash
himself. Que of them brought
him some in a basin, which he took
and immediately flung into the
guards face. he then dashed
through one of the front windows
of the room and ran down the road
leading out into the country, the
blood streaming from his face and
hands flon cuts made by broken
glass A quarter of a mile from
town is the house of Thomas Ryan,
an old man OF 68 wears, with whom
lived his widowed daughter, Mrs.
Smith, and her little girl of II
years, and a boy still younger. Ar
irving at this house. Lockstein, who
had stripped himself naked on the
road, rushed wildly in, ordered the
inmates to kneel down and pray,
saying they had but fifteen minutes
to live. They all obeyed but the
little boy, who escaped from the
house, ran to neighbours and gave
the alarm. When friends arrived
at the scenee they found Ryan and
Mrs. Smith dead, with their skulls
smashed by an ak, and the little girl
lying headless on the floor, the ma
MAC having chopped the chid's
head completely off. Having fin
ished his bloody work at this place,
he seized the bleeding head of'the
innocent child by its long:.faxen hair
and, swinging it at arms length
over his own head, dashed down the
road again. About a quarter of a
mile beyond he stopped at the
house OF DIR. Gordon. Entering
the house. he found only a servant
girl. He ordered her, as he had the
Ryan family, to kneel and pray
The girl screamed, which brought
a hired man from the stable, and
DR.. Gordon appeared at the same
time. After fierce and desperate
struggle they overpowered and
bound HIM with q rope. He was
then taken to Chester, his wounds
dressed and clothing put on him.
He was placed in charge of persons
who brought him to Esst st. Louis
tonight, and took him thence to
the Jacksonville Asylum. tsA
ST. LOUIS, December Sock
stein, who literally butched the Ry-
an family at Chester, III, Yesterday.
.was a farmer living near Chester, 4
and one of family Of six brothers
and sisters. He had been a strong
Catholic, but of late had attended
the meetings of other denomfna
tions, and under the strong excite
ment occasioned thereby became
insane. but not violent His ma
MIA consists mainly in asking per !
sons to pray with him, and on Sat
lrday, he made his two isis
5ers kneel and pray with him on
the street, and expressed the opin
ion that the world would come to
an end in a few days. His story is
that at the hotel from which he
escaped, parties were trying 20 rob
him, and that he had to run away;
that when he neared tie Ryan |
house he discovered 1t to be on
fire, and rushed in and saved all |
the inmates with the exception of |
the lIttle boy who he maintains |
persisted in tile flames ID He says |
that while saving the Ryans from |
death by fire, his own clothes were
igni ted and were burn off him.. ana |
that he himself was badly scorched. |
Thos. Ryan was an old man be |
tween 20 and 80 years, quite feeble |
and unable to defend himself |
against the attack Of the maniac. |
His daughter. Mrs. Snith, was a |
young widow and kept the house
for him. They were old citizens
and highly respected people. Great
excitement existed among the citi- |
zens when the butchsry became
known and a strong disposition
was manifested to lynch Lockstein,
Notwithstanding his insanity. This
feeling, in fact was so strong that
officers were obliged to take Lock
stein across the county in a>wagon
and board train for East Louis at
a small railway station, a