The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-14
FL0RIDA'S AWFUL CRIME.
TIE MURDERER's IDENTITY STILL
A MYSTERY.

The Weapons With Which He Accom-
pnshed His Ghsssly Work Left
Behind When He Departed-MIss
Bruce Outraged Before She Was
Killed-Fears for MIR. Packwood.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Dec. I3.-It has been
impossible to establish telegraphic COM
munication to-day with those at the scene
Of the tragedy near New Smyrna. The
following facts, however, are well authen-
ticated. The scene Of the murders was the
house of Frank ]. Packwood, stand
ing in the center Of an orange
grove, on the banks of the
Hillsborough river. eight miles south
of New Smyrna. Mr.. Packwood is a ma
tive of Louisiana, but has lived near New
Smyrna for over fifteen years. The names
of the persons murdered are Miss A. II.
Bruce of New York city; Frank Bruce
Packwood, 4 years old, son Of F. ]. Pack
wood; Mrs. L. D. Hatch and her boy. G
years old.
The house was entered Friday night
through O window, the intruder smashing
the sash and glass In order to gain an en-
trance.
A CHASTITY SIGHT.
A CHASTITY sight met the eyes Of the first
visitors to the premises Saturday morning.
In one corner Of the main room on the
floor lay the body OF Mrs. Hatch, shot
through the left eye.
In the same room, lying on the bed, was
the body Of her son, shot under the left eye,
and with his throat cut from ear to ear.
In an adjoining room, lying on the floor,
was the body of Frank Packwood, shot
through the head and with his throat cut
also.
In the same room, lying upon the bed was
the body of Miss Bruce. Her person had
been outraged and her skull and face had
been smashed with some heavy weapon.
Her face had also been shot through and
her throat had been cut.
WEAPONS OF THE CRIMINAL.
At the entrance of the broken window
large revolver was found, two chambers of
1t having been emptied. On the bed by the
side Of the body Of Miss Bruce lay double
barreled shotgun, with the stock broken
into splinters. On the bed near the body of
the Hatch boy lay long bladed butcher
knife.
No clew to the murderers has yet been
found, but tramps seen in the neighborhood
are suspected of the crime A large posse.
hOo0O0 Nv OCPub1 OuSllu OlullCks SbdTbou
southwark late Saturday might to
scour the country for the murder
ers. Robbery was undoubtedly the
purpose Of the mnrderers, but
the extent Of their plunder is as yet un-
known. Some of the occupants of the
Packwood house had been there only a very
few days, and the amount of money aud
valuabies which they had In their posses
sion is merely matter of conjecture.
NOTHING SEEN OF MR.. PACK WOOD.
So far in the dispatches from New Smyrna
no mention is made of F. J. Packwood as
having been in the house at the time of the
tragedy or as appearing on the scene
then. There is rumor that he was
killed also and his body concealed so
as to throw suspicion on him as the mur-
derer of the others. He has a
nephew in this city, who gives the following
information: My uncle owns a large
orange grove eight miles south of New
Smyrna, on the banks of the Hillsborough
river and only about a mile from the ocean.
He has lived on the Hillsborough river for
at least fifteen years. should say. de is an
all-the-year-round resident and not a
tourist. All the Pack wood family came
originally from New Orleans. There
are several brothers in this state. Franks
wife was Miss Bruce of New York city,
and she died when their boy frankie was a
baby. Immediately after his mothers
death bis aunt, Miss A. H. Bruce of New
York city, came to Florida to take care of
him, and has since made her home with the
child and his father at their orange grove
on the Hillstorough river. Who
Mrs. L. D. Hatch is have no
idea. | never heard the name before.
Probably she was relative or friend of
Miss Bruce and visitor in the Packwoo
home. A brother of Miss Bruce was at one
time prominent broker in Wall street, New
York, and it is said that not long before tine
marriage Of Mr.. Packwood with his other
sister he failed, the property Of his sisters
being all lost in the smash-up. Miss A. II.
Bruce, the murdered woman, was about 80
years Of age."