The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-04-24

sAoskths Tragedy IN HOLT County. N.s-
souri,. the Ousgrowth ofa breach % the
seventh Three slvess
ana rcrhnrs foar, sncrinccd---An'f sxcated
Community. f* FN4 <" N+V
vyEoREsr Cary. Mo- April i5.--Particu-
lars Of one Of the most hendish crimes
In the history Of the state were re.
celvcd here to-day, the scene Of the ,trag-
edy being Holt County, four miles
Northeast Of Nodaway station and one
half mile west Of tho Andrew County
line. H hnf f nei tN HtN
On farm At the point named lived
Mrs. Josephine Hardin, widow, forty
two years old, and her three children, the
eldest being Mrs. Ella Harmon, the sec
ond Miss Anna, sixteen, and Johnnie,
fourteen. Two months ago Anna
gave birth 20 an illegitimate child,
and N on being questioned she
stated that she had been
seduced BY william Clark, farmer,
aged thirty, who lived in the neighbor-
| hood, and had wife and three children.
Soon after the birth OF the child the Har-
dins demanded PREPARATION OF Clark, but
| he was obdurate, and not until Mrs. Har-
din threatened to prosecute him for Sc
duction did be show any signs 81 relent-
ings
county seat Of Holt County, for the pur-
pose Of effectiug . settlement. ihey
sought lawyers Office and long
wrangle ensued. Clark was willing 70
- 80
Hardins wanted $500. To this demand
Clark would not acccdc and at night the
parties returned home, and Clark agreed
10 call ut Mrs. Hardin's at later hour
and talk matters over again, and see u q
conclusion could not be reached. lie
put in an appearance At eight o'clock and
at once opened negotiations BY Offering
TO pay $500 and thus settle matters.
Il TRIPLE SHOOTING.
This offer was again refused, and the
daughter became incensed aud accused
Clark OF cffecting her ruin. For : short
time he bore her reproofs in silence. but
It length became angry, and producing 4
3s-caiibcr seif-acting revolver placed u
AT Mrs. Hardln's head and fired. The
bali took effect over the right eye, pro-
ducinc instant death. The man was nov
II n demon. Turning toward the daugh
, ter. Anna. whom he had ruined, he placed
, the muzzle Of the weapon an inch
back Of her right ear and dis
charged Il, after which h
fired 4 third shot at the son, johnny, thu
bali striking him In tho left check, ant
lodging in the muscles Of the neck. TIN
married daughter, Mrs. Hammon, wa
also In the house, but her presence. was
: unknown to Clark and she escaped In
jury. Immediately after the shooting
: Clark fed.
. Yesterday the little town Of Nodawa,
Station was scene OF the widest excite
ment- The Coroner and sheriff had beef
notified at Oregon, aud ncighbors wer
searching the woods for Clark.
HORRIBLE SIGHT.
In the little cottage the scene was hor
I ribly impressive. Mrs. Hardin lay ou'
!. stretched on bed, cold In death Ia an
y other room lay the daughter. entirely un
conscious, the brains still oozing out =
the bullet-holc In her head. Close besid
her lay her little brother, moaning pite
ously, his cheeks torn horribly aud bleed
Ing almost constantly.
The small room In which the TRACED
occurred presented horrible appearance
' Everything was In disorder; the wall
. and door were smeared and spattere
with blood and brains.
al KILLS HIMSELF.
The search for Clark was prosecute
Z all night and threats Of lynching whe
captured were freely INDUCED IN. II va
y well known that he was armed, aud VII
n all the desire to catch the monster an
= mete out justice, great caution was q
served. No trace was found until &c
o'clock yesterday morning, when his iii
less body was discovered by the side
70 4 straw-stack In an open neld, $50 YARD
10 from his residence. lie had commits
suicide BY shooting himself through u
J. head, and IL Is presumed the fatal s.
Of was fred two hours after enacting u
tragedy NJ Mrs. Hardin's residence.
- Acting Coroner Goslin, Of Oregon, he
4 the inquest, aud vcrdicts were, Ia accor
n ance with the above facts, rendered
!. each instance.
Y, THE VICTIMS.
Clark was recognized as q man OF We
Y. bad reputation, but was well fixed flna
- cially. Information received from Nod
way Station s TO the effect that MI
Anna will die, but II y thought the %
= Johnny, will recover.
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