Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-01
ASTRANGE MYSTERY
The Burning of a House at Holden
Excites Suspicion
TWO MEN SEEN IN THE FLAMES.
Their Dead Bodies Show Violence and the
House Believed to Have Been Robbed
a Wife and Sisters Shocking
UncOncern.

HOLDEN, Mo-, Dec. 26.-About 2
. o'clock yesterday morning the alarm of
fire aroused the pec~le of this city, and
soon it was known t the cottage of
Samuel Malone CT Vest Fifth street
was consumed, and that the bodies Of
Malone and his brother-in-law, John
Hicks, had been cremated, and there
was evidence to warrant suspicion of
foul play.
The hose company started for the
scene of the fire as soon as the alarm
was given, but being informed that it
was useless to go, stopped. A message
from the chief of the department, 7. j.
Johnson, summoned the company to the
burning building about the time the
roof fell, and all hope of saving life or
property was foregOne. ' -..t, ,,.i@ i..
Chief johnson, who was one of the
first persons to arrive at the burning
House, says that he could see Hicks
standing, leaning against the head of
the bed, while Malone lay dying on the
floor.
At first nearly everybody thought the
fire was due to some accident, but after
the excitement had subsidized other the
cries were advanced, and prominent
among them was the belief that the
men had been murdered while asleep
and the building set on fire to prevent
the discovery of the crime. When
taken from the ruins it was discovered
that Malone's skull was crushed in and
his brains were oOzing out, a horrible
sight to see. Hicks body was almost
severed at the waist and appearances
went to show that Malone had received
two flesh wounds on the body. Both
men were horribly burned. ...
Malone was a Union veteran of the
late war and drew a pension of $50
month 1t had been rumored for long
time that he had large amount of
money concealed about his house, which
report lends color to the theory that
murder was done before the building
was fired.
\ short time ago Malone and his wife
separated, it being reported that he had
driven her from their home. She OBJ
tanned employment as domestic, he
keeping their three children, and their
troubles seem to have been for
gotten. a day or two ago John
Hicks came to visit Malone, and though
Malone had driven his wife, Hicks
sister, out into the world, there seemed
to exist no hard feelings between the
two. Wednesday night they were seen to-
gether after nihtfall, and it is believed
that they went home and went to bed
and were murdered by an enemy COM
mon to both.
Some persons have expressed the be-.
lief that the fire was caused by the ex-
plosion of lamp or by stove, but the
testimony of Chief johnson goes to
show that such was not the case. If it
had been so the fire would have spread
from the interior. of the building, or
from the room the men occupied, which
portion of the house under such circum-
stances must have been consumed first
That was not true. On the contrary the
room occupied by the lifted men was
the last portion of the house to burn.
As soon as it was known that both
men were dead Chief Johnson went to
inform Mrs. Malone ,f their end. lie
found her getting l- fast where she
is employed. Mrs. Sialone, terrible
thing has happened. Sam and John
have been burned to death.
Without making any inquiries to how
or where they came to their death the
woman assumed an Indifferent air ank
replied: ''Well, they'll have to be buried,
but have no money to bury them"
That said, she resumed her occupation as
though nothing unusual had happened.
She is not regarded as woman of bright
intellect-in fact most of her acquaint-
ances think that her mind is unbalanced.
The fact that she pays so little heed to
matter that would naturally be of
great concern to most women in a sim
liar position has caused comment.
Though it is at present a mystery how
the cremation, if not murder, occurred,
it is not improbable that closer investi-
CATION will reveal the facts in the case.
Coroner hurry held an inquest on the
bodies and up to last evening nothing
further than is here stated was devel-
oped.
A pocketbook containing 20 cents was
found on the body of Hicks, but moth
ing of value on the person Of Malone,
not even his gold watch, the absence of
which. would indicate robbery. 1t is
not known how much money Malone
had about the house, but there is no
doubt that he recently received con-
siderable amount of pension. While
some persons discredit the theory of
foul play, no one is prepared to say that
the men were not murdered. .t-
Both bodies were placed in one coffin
and buried last evening. rsr