The evening world., 1891-08-28
ALL BUTCHEREO.
Mother, Two Children and Their
Father Found Dead.
Triple Murder and Suicide In q
Harlem Tenement. House
Painter Baxter Killed His Wife and
Little Ones, and Then Himself.
lie Was Son of WFecler Baxter
His Letter.

Harlem people were horrined to-day by the
discovery OF q triple murder and suicide, on
East one Hundred and Sixth street.
John Baxter, painter, after numbering his
wife and two little children, commitod
suicide. The tragedy became known at 10
o'clock this morning.
Mrs. Mary Madden, housekeeper OF the fiat
house 321 East one Hundred and Sixth
street, reported TO Patrolman William Lawler
at Gao that she had heard nothing OF the
family living on the top floor of the building
since daybreak, and she feared something mad
happened to them.
The ofIlcer failed in an attempt TO batter In
the door, and he effected an entrance TO the
rooms by way OF the nre-escape, climbing
from the third floor To the windows Of the
| Baxter fiat.
AS he clambered in at the front window
sight met his gaze that made his blood run
cold.
There on the floor lay husband and wife,
side by side, dead and weltering in the blood
that flowed from gaping wounds in their
heads.
The woman was fully dressed, but the man
was in his undershirt and trousers and his
feet were bare.
Beside the man lay 32-calibre American
bulldog revolver, and q hasty examination
revealed that four chambers were empty.
Both bodies were cold. Life had been extinct
a long time
Lawler stepped over the bodies and into the
bedroom beyond.
Here upon broad bed lay the dead bodies
OF two pretty children, each with bullet
wound In the head. They were Katie and
Johnny Baxter, fiye and four years old, re
spectively.
They lay clasped in each others arms. They
were both partially undressed, and they lay
as II they had shrunk away from some ap-
preaching danger and had clasped each other
for protection.
The door was opened from within and the
neighbors soon thronged the four rooms that
had been the home OF John and Mary Baxter
and their children.
The apartments occupied by the BaXters
consist of four rooms. The 'front.' room, Where
the bodies OF the husband and wife lay, was
evidently used as parlor and sitting room.
IL was plainly though comfortably fur
nished, and the door was covered with new
ingram carpet. A number OF pictures, framed
Autographs and photographs hung upon the
walls
A large-armed reading chair which stood
near one OF the front windows was overturned
when the policeman entered the room, and
there were other evidences IN the disordered
condition OF the room OF struggle. 1t is be-
lieved that the wife made desperate night
for her life when she first perceived her hus-
bands murderous designs.
Baxter was thirty-nve years old, a painter
H. I'D
: TO Mary, his wife, and they seemed TO live
happily together, though On occasional quar-
rel had occurred between them.
From the location and character OF the
; wounds In the womans and the children't
bodies 1t was plain that the hand OF the hus-
band and father had done this terrible thing
The wife, who was twenty-eight years old
had undoubtedly been the FIRST victim sht
lay prone on the floor OF the 'front.' room, OF
parlor, with a single bullet wound In thu
right temple.
A gaping wound was IN the forehead OF
o little Katie, and the muzzle OF the revolver
l. had been held close TO the right temple OF the
. little boy.
I There were two pistol wounds In the heac
OF John Baxter-one In the middle Of the fore
head the other in the left side OF the head
Just above the ear.
After slaughtertng his innocent children
Baxter had evidently returned 10 the parloi
and then shot himself, so that his body fel
beside that OF his murdered wife.
= All DOUBT about who used the pistol was
L dispeled by a letter, written by Baxter anc
addressed 10 his mother, widow Mary Baxter
g OF 5o7 East one Hundred and FOrty-hrsi
street.
In this letter Baxter announced that he was
/ about TO kill his family and himself 1t wa
found on o stand In the front room OF the
four-room fiat, and was taken in charge BY
Coroner Levy.
: No reason was given for the terrible deed
y and the most plausible reason advanced n
that the painter was insane.
This is the letter:
"AUGUsT 27.-Dear Mother ] write 10 tel
you that am tired OF living. Dear mother
don worry about me, for my life is no use tC
! me now.
Dear mother, you might think that an
d gone in the head, but am not. Two bullets
will fx me now. Good-by, dear mother, my
/, lifs is gone.
"Good-by, all. tell you what would do
3 J, Dear Mary, my life is lost now. Two shot
y win nx me.
"Good-by, mother and all, from your son,
JOHN BAXTER
my mother lives IN One Hundred anC
Forty-nrst street, 50T. Baxter. Give her al
u got"
" Among other things found In the room wa
!; a pocket notebook belonging 20 Baxter
u which contained, besides 90 IL money, tim
check card Of Charles II. Newman, OF 90 Yves
One Hundred and TWenty-nfth street, hi
employer, giving him credit for a considerabl
ls amount Of work.
'r The shots wefe probably all OF them In
z stantly fatal. The bullet In each instAne
Y crashed into the brain Of the Victim.
There had appayently been no struggle an
no outcry, so far {as could be learned anon