Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-10-16
ATERRIBLETRAGEDY.
An Unfaiihiul wife and IEer Paramount
Murdered.

Guy Bates, or Guy Smith, and Mrs.
Hattie Armstrong were murdered In
Newaygo Sunday night, October ., by
Alba A. Armstrong, the husband OF the
woman. Armstrong says tho murdered
people were in Bates room in the Arm
strong house, Bates being boarder,
and Mrs. Armstrong refused to go down
stairs after repeated calls by Ter bus
band. The husband stepped out OF
doors and saw their heads close together
on the bed. he then went up stairs
and found the woman on the bed and
Bates in a chair pretending to write.
He went down stairs again, after max
ing up the bed, calling his wife several
times to come down, which she refused
to do, telling him to mind his own bust
ness. He then took his AK and
went up stairs. He found the
door fastened and pushed 1t
open. His wife grabbed hold of him
and told Bates to go and get the revolt
yer off of their bureau and they would
''fix him." Bates ran down stairs.
Armstrong could not get loose from his
wife until he struck her twice With the
axe, He then ran down stairs and
towards the door, when Bates came
after him with the revolver. When he
got pretty close Armstrong struck him
several times with the axe as he advanc'
ed and finally got out of doors and ran
to the house of Mr.. Doane, neighbor,
telling him that Bates had come at him
with a revolver, and he had hurt him
and his wife with an AK, lie did not
know how badly. Ho then, at Doane's
advice, went down to the prosecuting
attorney, who sent him to the sheriff
and together the sheriff and Armstrong
went to the scene of the tragedy, where
they found the bodies of the victims.
Armstrong does not manifest much
feeling over the matter. He seems to
have been terribly frightened when his
wife told Bates 10 get his revolver.
Bates, or Smith, is comparative
stranger in the village. No one seems
to know where he came from. He went
by both names and told the postmaster
that he expected mail in both names
He was good looking young fellow OF
% or "a.
The above is the statement of the
prisoner. Whether Bates made any
defense or not or exactly what occur.
red between the several parties, no one
will ever know. When the officer went
to the house the next morning Bate:
lay at the front stairs on his back OF
the floor and the stairs were covered
with blood and the wall and the wood
work were spattered here and there
A child 16 months old, which wa!
asleep in the room on the first floor
awoke and fell out upon the floor anc
crawled out to the body Of Betes, where
it was found besmeared with blood
The wife would be 10 years old Janu
airy l, 1885, and is the daughter of d.
vorced parents. The husband is Sc
They were married April 9, 1888, u
Gobbleville, Van Buren, county. Th'
wife did not bear very savory repu
tation, while the husband was know
as hard working man. Bates was {
desperate character and is said to have
killed two mon. His parents reside a
Big Rapids, and his father who wa
summoned by telegraph, refused t.
buy him shirt TO lay him out in, ant
said that had he known which son i
was he would never have come for tn
body. Much sympathy is expressed
tor the husband.