The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-12-27
THE DEVIL LOOSE,
Horrible Series of Murders
and 0utrages During the
Last Two Days.
Two wives Dragged From their
Reds az Austim, Then Out
ragged and Murdered.
The Husband of one Terribly
aud FatnilY wounded by
the Midnight Assassin.
n hoy and Girl Murdered,
IL Is supposed by Their
own Mother.
MORE HORRORS.
Two Women, n Man, n hoy and n Girl
Murdered at Austin.


Two Women, u Man, hoy and Girl
Murdered ne Austin.
Special to the Examiner.
AUSTIN, TEX, December 25.-One
year ago there was perpetrsted in
this city horrible murder. which,
however, has since proven to be but
the beginning of series OF hellish
outrages aud murders, the victims OF
which have, for the most part, been
colored servant. girls. Last night
there occurred here the climax ofihese
horrors, and, as in all the previous
cases, there is no clue to the iiendish
perpetrators of the decd. The vic
inns in these instances were all white
people.
A little before midnight on Christ
mas eve, NJ. Hancock, a carpenter, re-
sidiug at 302 East Water
street who was sleeping in a room
occupied by himself alone, was awak-
encd by the sounds of groans from
an adjoining room. lie immediately
arose and passing into his wife's
apartment found the room in disor-
der, the bed and floor spattered with
blood, and his wife gone. A bloody
trail which he followed led him out
at the front door and around into the
rear yard, where he found his wife
lying In u pool of blood, only her
means indicating that she was still
alive. His cries for help aroused the
neighbors, with whose assistance tho
poor woman was taken to the house,
where, upon examination by the doe
tors and police who had meanwhile
arrived, II was discovered that Mrs.
Hancock had been struck twice with
an axe. Both blows had taken effect
on the left side, one over the car, the
other on the temple, fracturing the
skull. II is considered impossible
for the lady TO recover.
ANOTHER AID WORSE HORROR.
About midnight also, Mrs. Phillips
wife of james Phillips, an architect
residing at 3Os West Hickory street
was awOke by the cries of her son, a
Young man about 2S years OF age, who
with his wife and ls-months-old child
occupied room on the opposite side
of the house from hers. Proceeding
al once to the room, u horrid ano
bloody scene met her sight. In thu
bed lay her son, weltering In bloc,
which flowed from great cash undcl
the ear extending round to the bach
of the head. The little babe, COVERED
with blood, though unhurt, was sit
ling up by Its papa. On the bed Ia.
a biooi-besmeared axe. The poor
stricken old lady's cries brought thu
others To the scene. a blood market
trail led them out to til,
gallery across the yard, acros
another gallery, into an
other yard. and here, near some
out. buildings, on the blood staine,
ground lay the missing woman, dead
Across her breast lay two heavy rails
aud IL was evident that horrible out
rage had been added TO murder. IL
the forehead was CHASTITY wound
made by an axe, the skull beini
crushed in. There were abundan
evidences Of q desperate struggle be
tween the poor woman and her rs
sailants. The husband was found I,
be still breathing, though there
little or no hope Of his recovery.
In each of these murders the ax
with which the deed was performc'
was the one belonging on the prem
ises.
A meeting, called by the mayor
was held at the state house thi
morning. Hundreds OF citizenswer
present, and committee of fou
from each ward was appointed to as
sist the officers. The best detectives
available have been employed, bd
no direct evidence has been obtained