The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-03-22
ATTEMPTED MATRICIDE.
Horrible Crime of an Insane Young
Man just Escaped From the
Poor House.
Richard Cawiey Says killing is Fun and
Brains His Mother With
an Ak.

believed death would soon claim Mrs. M. j.
Cawley, whose bead was cut open with an ak
by her insane son Richard, shortly after
o'clock this morning.
Mrs. McCawley is q widow, about so years of
age, and has for several years been supporting
herself and her son by keeping boarders at her
residence, No. 2lS Avepue G. Her son, who is
now % years of age, was declared insane by
DR.. Herff two years ago, and, on a certificate
issued by him, was admitted to the State Asy-
lum for the Insane, at Austin. When that in
stitutiOn burned Cawley was brought home,
and as he was not violent his mother decided
to keep him at home. But here,
several weeks ago he conducted himself
so extensively that it was deemed necessary to
again put him under restraint, and so he was
placed in the county Jail. While there his de-
meanor indicated insanity, but he did nothing
i'm injury of himself or others. Hearing this,
and fearing that he might be i'll treated, his
mother secured his transfer to the county
poor house, which occurred yesterday after
noon. As the poor house was crowded, Cav
ley was assigned to the room occupied by the
Poor House Steward, Mr.. Huppertz. His bed
was only few feet distant from that of Mr..
Huppertz, and it was thought that if he at
TENTED to escape Mr.. HuppeTtz could
retired at an early hour in the evening.
Mr.. Huppertz arose about daybreak. He did
not look to see if Cawley was still on the
premises, and SO, when questioned soon after
wards as to Cawley's whereabouts, replied that
he was in the room. But Cawlcy was not in
the room, and all efforts to find him were un
awaiting. 1t is believed that ne did not go to
sleep ut ali, but lay awake, waiting for an
opportunity to escape Then he had but to
creep to the door, open 1t, elude the watchdogs
and be off.
The county poor house is about three miles
from Mrs. Cawley's boarding house. AS few
vehicles traverse the roads between i'm the
night time, Cawley probably walked into town.
Dust-covered and tired he arrived at his
mothers house. In the yard he found
an AK, and of this he took possession. What
the workings of his mind were, what his mo-
tive for the crime he subsequently committed,
and whether it had been contemplated by him
or not, he alone, il any person, can tell. With
the AK in his hand he presented himself at the
bedroom of
HIS SLEEPING MOTHER. Is. -.-
Ii was then, perhaps, 40 o'clock. AT that
time the boarders say they were awakened by
the screachng of Mrs. Cawley and of little
girl who had been sleeping with her. Cawley
himself uttered not word but crushed in his
mothers skull with an ak. Then he threw the
AK away and fed the scene When the boarders
entered the room Mrs. Cawley was lying on the
floor, position which indicated that she had
nothing but nightdress and this was satu-
rated with blood. which flowed freely from her
wound and formed in little pools on the carpet.
She was unconscious, and since then she has
not recovered consciousness.
An account of the tragedy, as told by one of
the boarders, is as follows: Mrs. Cawley, her
sister and Richard comprise the family. 1t was
decided that Richard, after the Austin asylum
burned, was to be kept at home. He rarely
spoke, never unless addressed, and would sit
for hours with his eyes half closed. Sometimes
he would laugh loudly when there was, ap-
parently, no occasion for his mirth, and
would go to his room and initiate
the conversation of several persons, each
speaking in a tone OF voice different from that
of the others. 1t was not believed that he
would do any violence and no apprehension
was felt until last Sunday week ago. On that
day his mother brought an ak to me and re-
quested me to take charge of it, saying that
her son had been marching around with it and,
on the night previous had attempted to force
AN ENTRANCE TO HER ROOM, e
but unsuccessfully. That morning Mrs. Cav
ley asked Richard why he wanted to hit his
poor mother on the head. He replied that it
would be fun. Then she asked him if he
didn't know that the people would tear
him to pieces if he killed her. To this
he replied that he would have TO run that risk.
The next day, his mother, fearful that he
would do some injury, had him placed in the
county Jail for safe-keeping. But from there
rs she thought he might not receive good
treatment, she bad him taken to the poor
house. having first prevailed on the Steward to
let Richard occupy his room. - r.......
"The first intimatiOn had of the crime was
when young lady, about 10 years of age, who
had been sleeping with Mrs. Cawley, applied
for admittance to my room and said Richard
was killing his mother. L got u light and then
ran into the room. Richard was not there.
His mother was reclining in corner and bleed
ing profusely from wound in the head.
''The young lady states that when she awOke
she saw man-who she at first did not know
in the act of striking Mrs. Cawley, who was APP
Darently endGayOring to flee from him. The
young lady rushed past them, through u door
1T the south side of the house, on to u portico
and thence into the back yard and to my
ROOM.
Mrs. Cawley was sleeping in one of the two
nearer the south. There were two doors to the
room, one opening in from gallery at the
front and the other from
GALLERY AT THE SIDE.
The front door was locked, hut the other was
Richard forced his way through the south
door. That his mother tried to run from him
is indicated by the marks of a bloody hand on
the door. The axe was found, covered with
blood, on the south gallery.
The boarders, seven in all, sent at once for
doctors. The first to arrive was DIR. Terrell,
1npse residence is but the next one TO Mrs.
Cd@leys. On examining the wound, which is
about three inches in length, and extends in
depth int the brain. he pronounced the con-
ditiOn of Mrs. Cawley extremely
critical. Subsequently Doctors Herlf,
senior and Junior, Lowery, BarniU and Braun
uagel were summoned and surgical operation
was performed to remove the pressure from
the brain.
A soon as the police heard of the murder
mounted squad was,sent searching for Cawley
trace of him.
When the police arrived mt the poor house