The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-12-18
DARK CRIME.
Details Of the Quadruple Murder in
Florida,
FIENDISH ATROCITY OF THE DEED
The Crime Believed to Have Been Com
mitted BY Burgiars-The Head of the
Family Missing and Thought to
Have Been Killed.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Dec. At has
been impossible to establish telegraph
communication with those at the scene
of the quadruple tragedy near New
Smyrna, but the following facts how
ever are we'll authenticated: The scene
of the murders was the house of Frank
j. Packwood, in the center of an orange
grove on the banks of Hillsborough
river, eight miles south of New Smyrna.
Packwood is native of Louisiana, but
had lived near New Smyrna for nearly
fifteen years. The names of the per-
sons murdered are: Miss A. II. Bruce,
of New York city; Frank Bruce Pack
wood, years old, son of I. j. Pack
wood; Mrs. T. d. Hatch and her boy
years old.
The house was entered Friday night
through a window, the intruder break.
ing the sash and glass in order to gain
eyes of the first visitors to the premises
next 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 Pack
wood, shot through the head and with
his throat also cut. In the same room,
lying upon the bed was the body of
Miss Bruce. Her person had been out
ragged and her skull and face had been
broken in with some heavy weapon.
Her face had also been shot through
and her throat cut At the entrance of
the broken window large revolver
was found, two chambers of which had
been emptied On the bed by the side
of the body of Miss Bruce lay a double
barreled shotgun with the stock broken
iuto 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. A large
posse, headed by Deputy Sheriff DIM
lex, started to scour the country for
the murderers.
Robbery was undoubtedly the pur-
pose of the murderers, but the extent
of their plumber is as yet unknown.
Some of the occupants of the Packwood
house had been there only a few days
and the amount of money and valua-
bles they had in their possession is a
matter of conjecture.
So far in the dispatches from New
Smyrna no mention is made of 4. J.
Packwood as having been in the house
at the time of the tragedy or as appear
ing on the scene there and there is a
rumor that he was killed also and his
body concealed, so as to throw sus-
picion on him as the murderer of the
others. He has nephew in this city
who gives the following information:
"Mr. Frank j. Packwood owns large
orange grove eight miles south of
New Smyrna, on the banks of the
Hillsborough river, and only a mile
from the ocean. He has lived there
for fifteen years All the Packwood
family originally came from Louisiana
There are several brothers in this state.
Franks wife was a Miss Bruce, of
New York city, and she died when their
boy Frank was little baby. Immedi-
ately after his mothers death his aunt,
Miss A. H. Bruce. of New York, came
to Florida to take care of him and has
since made her home with the child and
his father at the orange grove. Who Mrs.
7. d. Hatch is have no idea. never
heard the name before. Probably re-
lations or friends of Miss Bruce. The
brother of Miss Bruce was at one time
a prominent broker in Wall street. and
it is said that not long before the mar
riage of Mr.. Packwood with his other
sister he failed, the property of the sis
ter being lost in the smashup. Miss
Bruce, the murdered woman, was about
35 years of age"