Bent County register., 1886-11-13

addition to the dead, there lay my
Younger sister, TiIlie, nearly dead
with blllet through the shoulder,
and Mrs. Purple's little three year
old girl with charge of powder
and shot in the face, distiguring the
poor little one almost beyond recoe
nition. Such was the scene was call
ed home TO witness Three dead and
two badly wounded and di>tigured.
The sight was a most appalling one.
A person could hardly believe u h"-
man conld perpetrate So dastlrdly
and fiendish an act.
The funeral took place from my
fathers house this afternoon. There
were fully two hundred sympathiz-
ing friends present, some coming a~
far as twenty miles. Rev. 5. E.
Busser, Congregational pastor, of
kinsley, preached the sermon, which
was very impressive.
/ am in no condition to write
much, and will briefly state the facts
and leave you to gather the re-
mainder.
HOW IT WAS DONE.
The crime was committed at the
residence of Samuel Purple, about
seven miles east of Jetmore, Hodge
man county, on Friday morning, be
tween eight and nine O'Clock. The
family were ut breakfast and Mr.
Purple having not yet arisen, 1t was
thought he was i'll, and Mrs. Purple
took his breakfast to him. This he
took from her hands and threw ii
on the floor without saying u word,
doing this he Immediately got up,
and beng partially dressed went
through the house and locked the
doors; having the doors locked he
proceeded to knock the women and
children down with his fists, and
then compelling them to SIT on the
bed, shot them down. He first shot
the infant babe, which was only ten
days old, the bullet passing through
the brain. He next sent bullet
through the mothers brain, who for
the first time on that morning had
been up from three weeks bed of
sickness. The next victim was Til
lie LAUDER, aged eighteen years, sis
ter of Ms. Purple, who was there
for the purpose of caring for her
sister during her illness. He shot
at Tillie, the ball grazing the right
temple, burning her face some, but
doing no further injury; she ran to
the door and unlocked it, and ran
ont into the yard, when he fired the
last shot in the pistol at her, the ball
striking in the upper right arm and
lodging in the shoulder. Having
gained the yard, she ran to a neigh
boris house half mile distant. and
on reaching there she tell in a faint;
having recovered from her faint she
told the horrible story. The next
one he killed was little Hattie, aged
six years. Having emptied his re-
volver, "A 45 calibre, lie loaded the
shot gun, the contents of which was
discharged in the breast of poor
little Hattie, killing her, and "A
charge of powder finding lodgmenl
in the face of Mamie, three year
old daughter.
The remaining and younger child,
Eddie, being frightened SO badly
had hid himself under the bed, and
thus escaped the notice of the tiend-
ish parent. Having accomplished
his hclli>h task, he locked the doors
of the house and throwing the sad
die on a horse rode off to Jetmorc.
and gave himself up 10 the sheriff
When but "a short distance from the
house he met gentleman, and re-
marked to him: 81 have killed all
my family but one, and she got
away. If You don't believe it, go to
the honse and see" and then rode
rapidly away.
| can give no cause for his actions,
other than it was II wilful and pre-
meditated murder, which will prob
ably remain Il mystery to us for all
time to corle, as he had been out of
bed but a very few minutes. A few
facts which GO to show that he was
not labcring under a tit of insanity.
are, that "A few days ago he sold off
all his rattle and other stock, and
had completed negotiation for II loan
of money IN lands and nro,arty