Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-01
MURDERS MOST FOUL.
A CITY STRICKEN WITH AWFUL AND
MYSTERIOUS GRIMES.
Austin, Texas, Haunted by an unknown
Moloch-Two Tragedies on Christ
mas Day-No clue as Vet to
the Perpetrators.

GALVESTON, Texas Dec. 21.--During the
past year Austin has been Mortified every
few weeks by some dastardly attack on
servant women, both white and colored
Fully dozen servants have been out
ragged and eight murdered within this pc
Rod. The crimes all bore evidence of be-
ing perpetrated by the same persons.
Every effort has been made to apprehend
the criminals, skilled detectives being EN-
ployed. Many negroes were arrested and
put through IA rigid examination, but
nothing came of the efforts. Many citi-
zens and some officials held to the theory
that the crimes were perpetrated by some
insane person who cunningly devised how
he could shed woman's blood without APP
prchension.
About midnight last night w. II. Han
cock was awakened by groans Entering
his wife's chamber, he found the vacant
bed covered with blood spots. He follow
ed the trail out of the front door around
the house and into the back yard, where
he found his wife weltcriug in Il pool of
blood. She had been struck twice across
the head and face with II blunt axe, and
her skull was fractured. In the midst of
the great excitement the citizens were APP
palled at learning of Il still greater crime
that had been perpetrHted about the same
hour several squares distant. AT o'clock
Mrs. Phillips was awakened by the cries
of her grandson, Entering the room OF
her son, James Phillips, she found the in
FAINT on the bed covered with blood, and
Phillips lying SenSeleSS from II terrible
blow across the head. Ella Phillips, the
wife, was missing, but was found dead III
the back yard of the adjoining premises,
from IL blow ON the forehead with an axe.
Across the body lay heavy rails. There is
no clue in either case. The excitement on
the streets during the day was very great.
The mayor called IL meeting of citizens
and nearly one thousand responded TO the
call. The feeling over these last outrageS
is intense. \ house to house search for
the bloody-handed murderers will probate
~ be made.
\ special from Austin. dated Saturday,
says: No clue has yet been unearthed to
the mysterious tragedies of Christmas
eve. The community WAS Mortified again
to-day by the discovery OF Il series OF
crimes even more inhuman than the
others. The remains of little SyearS old
Claude EaneS We're found in the back yard
of his mothers premises in Clarksvile
two miles from Austin. The swine Were
deVouring the body when it was disCoV-
cred. Last August Hugh Eanes, the
father, mysteriouslY died, and the I'M
natural mother tried to give her two
children, Claude and Dollie, away, plead
ing poverty. a couple of weeks ago she
told her neighbors She had given Dollic
10 Il school teacher down the river and
Claude to II family in LampasaS. Mrs.
Eanes left us she said. for Illinois to at
tend the funeral OF Il relative. The body
of Claude was to day found, having been
buried Il foot deep and aftcrWarl up
rooted by hogs. There WAS intense cN
element when the news of the murlcl
reached Austin, and search is being made
for DoIle
Mrs Enups has hppu arrested i'm San