Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-06
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.
AFathsr and Two Daughters Brut.
ally Murdered,
And Their Bodies Dragged Where the fire
Started by the Murdersr's Torch
Would Consume Them and
Remove
ALL TRACE OF THE aEtLIsH CRIME.
Special Dispateh 10 t.e Renister.

SpectdI DhSpdtch 10 TIE Re01deT.
PAEKERsBURG, April 5.-0ur city was
shocked today by the report of a bloody
tragedy which occurred last night at West
Union, 55 miles east of here, in which q
father and two daughters were brutally
murdered and robbed. Three men have
been arrested on suspicion, but the deed is
yet shrouded In mystery. The murder is
supposed to have been committed early in
the evening. The murdered man is Barney
Doyle, who kept grocery and liquor store
and resided with his daughters aged and IL,
under the same roof. The main living
room adjoined and communicated with the
store room. The last time the father and
children were seen alive was about 8
O'Clock, when George Cottrell and Arthur
Ingle left the house, leaving a man named
henney with Doyle and the girls, who
were IN bed. Kenuey was sitting on the
side of the bed. About 10 o'clock Kenney
rushed into Mrs. Weekley's, where he had
his washing done, and requested the privi-
lege to change shirts, after which he left
The woman, having heard a noise in
was near. Peering through the window,
she observed that the carpet was on fire,
and!
Gaye the Alarm
and Mr.. Bee rushed in, extinguished the
fire and was Mortified to find the bodies of
Doyle and the two innocent girls wsltering
in their life's blood. Doyle was still alive,
but remained unconscious until 2 A. NJ,
when he died. The youngest girl was dead
when found, but the other daughter was
still alive and barely able to speak, but
must die. They were all lying together
near the fire to which they had apparently
been dragged, and the fire raked out on the
carpet with the purpose of burning the
house, thus hiding all traces Of the bloody
tragedy. The murder was evidently COM
mitted with heavy iron poker, as one was
found there with blood and hair on il.
From appearances the struggle commenced
in the store room, as evidence OF 1t exists
there and
The Opinion Prevails
that the murder was committed for the
purpose of robbery, as Doyle was supposed
to have q large sum in his possession. The
strong iron-bound chest, in which he kept
his money, was split open with some edged
tool, and stains of blood were left on the
chest, but no weapon of any such descrip.
tion was found. In addition to the wounds
inflicted on Doyle's head, his arm was
broken, which goes to show that he made
manly struggle for the protection OF his
gold and his dear little girls. The wound
on the back OF his head was
The Fatal One.
The children were beated TO death in the
same cruel manner. The oldest child raj
lied sufficiently to say that Jim Boyd Har.
| per, was the man who struck her and her
| father with a poker, but no further in
| formation could be obtained from the
| child, who will, ere this reaches the public,
have joined her father and sister IN etern-
| ity. Harper and his father were both ar.
rested and are now in Jail, but claim they
| can prove an alibi. kenney was also ar
| rested under suspicious circumstances,
| which lead the community to believe him
! guilty. Great excitement prevailed dur
| ing the day, and it requires coolest heads 10
Prevent the LynehIng
| of the prisoners. Aside from the theory OF
robbery, there are rumors of different mo-
| tiyes in circulation duplicating a man
| named Weekly, who was once resident OF
| the town, and who attempted to levy black
| criminaliy intimate with Mrs. Weekly, and
prevailed on her to write to Doyle, inform
ing him that he was the father OF her un-
born child, but proposing to compromise
| the matter for one hundred dollars. The
| letter was written in March, and
Threatened Death
in case of refusal on the part OF Doyle,
Weekly has openly charged Doyle with the
crime referred TO, and threatened to kill
him. The public considered the scheme
| a blackmailing one, as Doyle has always
stood well in that community. The pre-
vailing opinion is that these other parties
| were enlisted by Weekly in the tragedy in
the hopes of securing large amount OF the
money which Doyle was supposed 70 nave
| in store in the strong chest, but no idea
can be formed as to the sum obtained by
the bloody handed robbers. Weekly has
not been found yet.