Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-30
1 CHASTITY MYSTERY.
The Remains of an Old Lady and Her
Grandson Found Decomposed
Beyond Recognition.
TAey Lived on . DesoIs,e Ranch In
Cslorads, and the Bodies Were
Hidden In q Stable.
Did the woman Murder Her Grandson
and Commit Suicide, Or Were They
vissins of Other Parties?
CAN'T BE EXPLAINED.


Special to the Gazette.
COLORADO SPRINGs, Colo April g.
Yesterday . ranchmsn by the name Of 8.
x. Harris and Mrs. Black made .
CHASTITY fad on ranch mile and half
northwest Of Edgerton Station. For sew
eral weeks past an old lady, by name
Kssrney, and her grandson, sbou. eight
years old, named Hood, have been living
at the ranch, which is in very desolate
place, somewhat removed from the line
Of travel. The nearest neishbors are an
old couple who resided about four hun
dred yards from the house.
Just month sgo tomorrow Mrs.
Kearney and the boy visited the old peo-
pie, who stated that they were then sp-
parently enjoying good health. About
week ago they noticed that there vas
no evidence of life about the Kesrnsy
mouse and supposed the old lady and boy
the matter TO some neighbors, one OF
whom wrote Mrs. KsaTney's relatives In
St. Louis to know what had. become OF
her. A few days ago he received s
letter from 81. Louis stating
Whereabouts and that no word had been
received from her since the middle OF
March. Yesterday q telegram was re-
ceived for Mrs Ksarney. but when the
messenger rode to the ranch to deliver il,
he found
ALL THE DOORS LOCKED
and the place apparently deserted.
This morning shortly before noan Mr..
Harris went to Edgerton postt a Re ex-
pecting to receive letter from Mrs
Kearney's relations at ST. Louis. Instead
OF that he met Mrs. Beach, one Of her
daughters, who arrived on the train in the
afternoon. They p -oceeded to the rsuch
without delay, making thorough search
lof'the premises. Arriving AZ the place
they found the doors locked inside. After
forcing one Of the doors they entered The
house. Nothing unusual was noticed
about the arrangements of the in
terror OF the building. The lady, how
ever, WAS Of the opinion that the house
hsd been rsnsack ID as there we're some
| signs Of disorder IN the rooms. Finding
| no:hiag IN or about thu house that would
explain the absence OF tue former occu-
pants the seercners repaired to smal!
stable near the bulldog where they made
| a horrible discovery. IL one corner OF 3
small grain room lsy tne b1Gy Of the old
| lady badly decomposed. From the an
natural position OF the body it was JAGGED
that II had been thrown into the corner.
Owing to the atYar I'd stage Of ec0mpo-
sitlon eb0uG the head il was impossible
to distinguish any marks Of violence
there, end it WAS thought best not to dis
turb the body until the coroner should
a.rive.
In another corner OF the room WAS s
feed box which, on examination revealed
A HORRIBLE SIGHT.
In it was the body Of S little boy which
had been literally i,mmed iBto 1t. The
oox was not large enough to contain the
entire body, and one foot wss found pro.
truding from it The body of the boy
WAS not so badly decomposed as that Of
the old lsdy, and blood could be plainly
seen on the neck, which apparently hsd
proceeded from some kind of wound.
The Coroner will leave for the ranch at
once.
This is one Of the mos. mysterious af-
fairs mat ever occurred in the county.
The number of sus picious circumstances
surrounding IL would clearly indicate foul
plsy and not suicide. Toe old lady
| aud boy have been in the habit of takiog
| O casi0nal trips to Denver to be gone
| days at q time, so the fac. that the house
remsined closed did not es first arouse
suspicion OF anything wrong 1t is mot
| known if she had a motive for Commit
ting suicide. II is not revealed by any
| thiog sne has ever seid or done
| II she killed herself she must have de-
Iliberstely murdered the boy before doing
so. Several years ago the boys father
committed suic de in this city BY
taking morphine, and the
old lady was very much shocked
at the time. She has taken care OF
the boy nearly ever since. About three
weeks ago enc of the Harris brothers
who lives within mile and q half of the
Kesrney ranch, heard several shots lrt
apparently At the ranch. He attached no
particular significance to them at the
time, bat since finding the bodies he can.
aot help associAtiJg them with the death
Of the old lady and boy.