Evening journal., 1891-03-06
The Death 0arb Doomed.
REEVES TgRRlsLE CRIME

How He Accomplished His BeastIy
Purpose and Frightened tho Child 10
Silence.
The crime for which Shakespear Reeves,
alias Jacob Starkey, was put to death
this afternoon, was one OF the most
brutal ones ever heard Of in this c0mmu
nifty. 1t was committed on the evening
of Sunday, October 25, dark and rainy
day. 1t occurred in a barn on the farm
of Thomas T. T. Clark, father of the
victim, just inside the western city
limits Of New Castle. Reeves had gone
out into the barn and up in the hay NOW
for nap.
About sunset. the little girl Oracle,
with her little brother Tssker, was sent
out to the barn to hunt up the eggs, as
was their want. Coming upon Reeves,
lying there in the hay, the children began
to play around him and finally laid down
beside him.
The Brutal Deed Done.
Reeves aroused and by e-ding his
pocket knife TO Tasker, coaxed him to go
down below, where he amused himself by
cutting pumpkins. Reeves then called
Oracle to him and first by persuasion and
then by threats, succeeded in accomplish
ing his inhuman purpose as far as was
possible. He stifed the girls outcries
with bundles of hay until the ravish was
complete, when he let her get up and
made every effort to soo5h her.
His NIurdsrous Threats.
BE then sliced the girl and, staring
her IN the face like mRdman, told her
that III she ever told anything OF what
had happened before she was fifteen
years old he would drown her In q neigh
boring stream. He warned the child re-
peatedly OF the necessity of obeying him
and succeeded. for time at least, in
keeping her silent. Meanwhile, the fell
low went about his work and continued
at 1t the same as usual until he was ar
rested Previously Mr. Clark had sent
him to the almshouse, he being afflicted
with loathsome disease, and he had
been from there only three weeks.
The outrsga Discovered.
The child passed the next two days in
fearful silence She was so weak from
fear and the struggle that she was
scarcely able to get about, It was not
until Wednesday, October 2S, that her
mother, finding her in fit of crying,
ascertained the sickening details, and she
was so dumbfounded for time that she
knew not what to do. She first took
care of the girl and put her to bed Then
she hurried to inform her husband She
told him the whole story as quickly as
possible, and then begged him to DO
something at once.
AFather Frenzied with Rage.
Clark became white with rage aud
hurried to get his gun. fully intending
to shoot the man on the spot He found
that there was no ammunition In
the house, and. hurrying to the barn, got
team and drove rapidly to New Castle
He hurried to the house of his brother
William q. Clark, and cried ,WiIl, for
the Lords sake give me your gun. That
negro Jake has outraged and nearly
killed my Grace. and must kill him be-
fore to-morrow's sun rises.
starkey Arrested.
His brother persuaded him to follow a
much wiser course Of action, and the two
drove to the office Of Mayor Hanson aud
issued warrants FOR Starkey Reeves's ar
rest. Two officers got into the carriage
with them and he party drove at once to
ths house Reeves wss lying on the side
| nereh hotF otlaa~ The man end ,ffioapg