The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-17
INDIANA AND ILLINOIS NEWS
The Wife of a Drunken Clay County
Miner the Victim Of a Fiendish Murder.
A Muncie Woman Killed by Youth Who
Thought His Pistol Would Not Work
Democratic Mares Nest in Illinois.
INDIANA.
Brutal Murder of Mrs. Blaokwood-Her Hus-
band Under Arrest.

Brutal Murder of Mrs. Blaokwood-Her Hus-
band Under Arrest
Special to the INDIANAPOLIS JournaI.
BRAZIL, Nov 16. considerable excitement
prevails in the city to-day over what is believed
to be an atrocious wife murder. James Black
wood, wife and two sons, who live on Otter creek,
spent Monday at Cardonia. mining village two
miles from their home While there all are re-
ported to have become intoxicated. They were
miners. and Saturday was payday. They started
home at late hour last night Early this morn
ing Blackwood was found near his home. yet
drunk, his hands, and feet, and clothing covered
with blood. His wife was missing, as were also
the two sons. the eldest being about nineteen
years. Search resulted in finding Mrs. Black
wood il hollow half mile from her home
dead. Her face and head were
badly bruised, but she had evidently
met her death by a severe kicking in the abdo-
men. She seems to have literally bled to death
from this injury. Blackwood was arrested and
% in Jail, but claims chat he abandoned his wife
en- route home, and left her with his sons. The
latter are missing. This story does not account
Cor the blood on his hands and clothing.
Mrs. Blackwood was respectfully connected.
The affair is creating intense excitement, and
here is some mystery about it, but the facts, as
this city, are as above given.
Woman Killed by Seventeen Year Old Boy.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
MUNcIE, Nov. 16-Quite sensation was pro-
duced in this city this morning. when it was
nounced that Mrs. Lizzie Bodsford had been
shot and killed by George Kennedy. a boy seven
Aeen years of age 1t appears that in small
frame house in South Muncie live Mr. and Mrs.
Kennedy, two very old people. Three
sons and one daughter live with
them. The house contains but two
rooms, one of which was occupied by Mrs Bods-
ford and her two little daughters. Calvin Ken
nedy. brother of the boy who did the shooting.
boarded with her. Mrs. Bodsford and her fam
lily were sitting at the table eating breakfast
when young Kennedy came in, with an
old 22-calIber revolver in his hand,
ing about There 10 no evidence
that any ill-feelne existed on the part of George
KennedyItoward the woman On the other hand,
it appears that they were laughing and joking
together, and that she remarked to him that the
revolver would not hurt any one; that 1t would
not shoot skin deep "Ill give you leave" said
She, and George raised the pistol, pulled the
trigger, and shot was hred, the
Dali entering ner temple anu penetrating
the brain. The woman fell over. and was caught
by Calvin Kennedy. who sat at the table beside
her. She never spoke after the shot was fred,
and died in few minutes George Immediately
left the house, telling his mother, as he passed
Shrough her room that he had been playing with
Lizzie and had killed her. and was now going to
kill himself He from the house. and
wandered into the country, but came back to the
city and, making no effort to conceal himself,
was about IL o'clock, arrested by the officers and
placed in Jail He disclaims any intent to injure
the woman. and says that he had no idea that
the revolver would Ego of" as it had continue
ously refused before to do so.
Coroner DIR. C. W. Smith held an In
quest over the remains this afternoon,
and the facts elected by him substantially
as above narrated. His verdict has not yet been
returned. The only witnesses OF the affair were
the brother and sister of Kennedy, and the little
children Of the victim. Their stories substan-
TALLY agree. except Calvin states that the
woman lifted Georges hand to her temple before
the shot fired, while George says she did
not touch either his hand or the pistol. The
general opinion is, that while the shooting was
accidental, it the result of criminal care
lessness, such as ought to be severely punished