Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-27
A CRAFTY DEMONS REIGN
AUSTIN, TEXAS, IN A STATE OF
SAVAGE BEWILDERNIENT

SAVAGE BEWILDERMENT.
Women Servants Outraged and Mur-
dered by the Score. and All Efforts to
Detect the Fiendish Criminal Futile
One Woman Killed Outright, Another
Fatally Injured, and n Man and n Child
Horribly Hacked in single Night.
GALVESTON, TEX, Dec. CA special
dated yesterday from Austin says: 1.-TWO
terrible crimes were committed IN this
city last night after midnight, which will
undoubtedly result IN three deaths, and
there is no telling how msny lynchings.
During the past year Austin has been
horriied every few weeks by some das-
tardy attack on servant women, both
white and colored.
TWELVE OUTRAGED AND EIGHT KILLED.
Fully dozen servants nave been out
ragged and eight murdered within this
period. The crimes all bore evidence of
being perpetrated by the same person.
Every effort was made to apprehend the
criminal, skilled detectives being em-
ployed. Many negroes were arrested and
put through a rigid examination, but
nothing came Of the efforts.
INSANE CUNNING SUSPECTED.
Many citizens and some officials held to
the theory that the crimes were perpe-
trated by some insane person, who cum
ningly devised how he could shed
women's blood without apprehension.
About midnight last night W. II. Han
COCK, well-to-dO carpenter, residing at
No. 2O3 Water street, was awakened by
grOans.
HORRIBLE DISCOVERY.
Entering his wife's chamber, he found
the vacant bed covered with blood spots.
He followed the trail out of the front
door, around the house, and into the back
yard, where he found his wife weltering
in pool OF blood. She had been struck
twice across the head and face with
blunt ak. and her skull was fractured.
Although still alive, the physician says
she will surely die from her wounds.
Mrs. Hancock is 40 years of age and
| handsome woman. she bears an un-
blemished character.
ANOTHER MASSACRE.
In the midst of the great excitement
produced by this outrage the citizens
were appalled, at learning Of a still great
er crime that had been perpetrated about
the same hour several squares distant.
At Il O'Clock Mrs. Phillips, residing at No.
30S Hickory street, was awakened by the
cries of her grandson. Entering the room
of her son James Phillips she found thein-
faat on the bed covered with blood and
Mr.. Phillips lying senseless from terri
Bile blow on the head. Ella Phillips, the
wife, was missing.
FOLLOWING THE BLOODY TRAIL.
The affrighted neighbOrs followed the
bloody trail and found her body lying in
the back yard of the adjoining premises.
Death had resulted from a blow on her
forehead with an axe. Across the body
lay heavy rails. Her person had been
| 10 no Qln in OF
The excitement on the streets during the
day was very great. Christmas was for
gotten.
A COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
The Mayor called meeting of citizens
at the State house, and nearly 1000 re-
sponded to the call. A committee of pub
lie safety was organized. The feeling
over these last Outrages is intense. A
house to house search for the bloody
handed mur0erers will probably be made"
MORE CRIMES UNEARTHED.
GALVESTON, TEX, Dec. 26, IL p. NJ
To-night's special from Austin says no
clue has yet been unearthed to the mys-
| teriOus tragedies of Christmas eve. Mrs.
Phillips, one OF the victims, was buried
to-day. Mrs. Hancock is still unconscious,
and is slowly dying. James Phillips is
also dying. His wounds are worse than
was at first supposed. The CON-
munity was Mortified again to-
dav by the discovery Of
series OF crimes even more inhuman than
the others. The remains ofClaude Ennes,
a little S.year-old white child, we're found
to-day IN the back yard OF his mothers
premises in the village Of ClarksVille, two
miles west OF Austin. Swine were de-
vouring the body when IL was discovered,
and bad eaten all the flesh from the bones,
but the features we're recognizable.
POSSIBLY A CLUE.
Last August Hugh Eanes, the father,
mysteriOusy died. The c0roner's jury
declared that he had been poisoned by
some person unknown. About the time
of Eanes' death Charles Courtney became
a boarder in the family, which comprised
Mrs. Eanes and her two children, Dolly,
aged IL. and Claude. The unnatural
mother tried 10 give the children
away, pleading poverty. A couple Of
weeks ago she told her neIghbors that she
had given Dolly 10 a school teacher down
the river. On Monday night Mrs. Eanes
visited neighboring family and asked
the privilege Of spending the night. She
said she had also given Claude away 70
family in Lampassas, and gCourtney be-
ing absent she was afraid to sleep in the
house alone.
THE WOMAN DISAPPEARS.
The next morning the woman departed
for Austin, saying sne had received a
telegram from Illinois asking her 70 at
tend the funeral OF a relative who had
lust died and left her a legacy. Court
ney returned to-day and found the
house deserted. He discovered the body
OF Claude, which had been buried n foot
deep and afterward uprooted by hogs.
There was intense excitement when the
news Of the murder reached Austin.
Courtney was arrested on suspicion. A
search il being made for Dolly.
Post once Inspectors.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 26.--On July last
I uf