The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-19
A DEMONS DEED.
A Quadruple Murder Near New
Smyrna, Florida.
4 Beautiful Home Turned Into a Slaughter
Pen-Evidence of Desperate Fight for
Life-The Crime Involved in Mystery

In the issue of THE CALL OF last Sunday
WAS published telegram conveying the
information that two women and two chill
dren had been murdered near New Smyrna,
Fla. The following details of the terrible
crime as developed by investigation are
taken from the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat
of last Tuesday:
After journey of sixty miles on a crank
car and twenty miles by vehicle your CORE
spondent is enabled to give the details OF the
Quadruple murder below New Smyrna.
They are Incredibly horrible. The perpe-
traitor must have been demon in human
form. AS yet the mystery Is deeper than
that of the murders of the Rue st. Morgue,
The scene of the murder is beautiful and
romantic spot seven miles below Smyrna, or
half way between Smyrna and Oak HILL
The house where the murders were commit
ted stands on q shell mound thirty feet
above the Hillsborough River. only twenty
feet away, and commands a magnificent
view of the two graceful sweeps OF that
stream. On this shell mound are two
houses. both of one story. One house OF
two rooms was used for dining-roOm and
kitchen. 4 house Of the same size, twenty
steps away, is where the deed was done.
These houses are shaded and surrounded by
and palms. Back, or west of the house. is a
dense hammock, with fat pine land beyond.
To the awful crime of murder was added
rape. Not a cent nor article OF value was
stolen On Friday F. j. Packwood left his
sister-in-law, Miss Bruce, and his little SON
in charge Of tile house and proceeded to
Maitland, never dreaming that he would
see them alive no more.
Miss Bruce sent up mile or two for Mrs.
Hatch, a dear friend, who came over with
SnpnN night
them company. Irwin jenkins. q negro llv-
ing mile south, had been III the habit OF
calling at the house on Saturdays on bis way
10 New Smyrna TO see If the people wanted
an errand done or goods purchased. Ats
O'Clock Saturday morning he went TO tue
house, knocked at the door, got
NO REPLY,
And then observed that the front window
opening On the piazza and facing the east
had been smashed IN. The cattle were in
the yard, gates were open, and a heavy
piece of scantling lay near. Knowing that
something was wrong lie fastened to the
house OF Z. J. Hewitt, the nearest neigh
Dor, living mile away. j. S. Crouch, an
other neighbor, and his man, John Pell,
were next told that something was wrong
at the PackwOod house. These four pro-
ceeded to the house and looked through the
window. Before their eyes was an appalling
spectacle. On her back by tile window in q
pool of blood Nrs. Hatch lay with pistol
eve. Her face was blackened with powder.
The other bodies lay near her. When the
crcs came she was evidently near the win
dow. When the murderer entered, her little
son, frenzed with fright, had probably fled
as child would, and sought refuge in the
bedclCtheS VI bed-lounge at the other end
of the room.
He was shot over the lett eye and his
throat cut IN three places, the head being al
most severed from the body. The bed
murderer was entering the window Miss
Bruce had apparently secured an old pistol
which was handy and fired at him. The
ball took effect in the window frame. The
murderer, needless OF this onslaught, con-
tinued his terrible work and finished it. By
this time Miss Bruce had gone to the closet
and secured double barreled shotgun and
leyeled 1t at tue demon as lie approached,
but unfortunately the hammer snapped on
the shells that had been exploded many days
before. He Overpowered her, threw her
upon the bed and accomplished his devil
ish purpose, probably after killing her lit
tie nephew. She was found lying ON
her back upon the bed. Her feet
down to just above the knees. After this
part of the tragedy the murderer shot her
through the right cheek, the ball crashing
through her teeth, striking the wall and
falling on the bed. Then another struggle
must have begun for the possession of the
gun. He tore II from her grasp, and swing
ing it around his head with both hands
clutching the barrel, drove the stock against
her face with herculean force. The blow
struck her between the forehead and nose
and
CAVED IN THE SKULL.
Every bone in the jaw and face was
broken. Then with keen-bladed knife he
stabbed her in the neck. cutting out square
section Of flesh and finishing the job with
two terrible gashes ON the throat
frankie Packw0od. a beautiful little
golden-haired child of years, was found
on the floor at the foot of the bed with his
throat cut. The floors OF both rooms were
| completely covered with blood. and the mat
treSs of the bed on which Miss Bruce lay
was soggy with gore. On the curtains and
walls blood was spattered. The young lady
was a comedy woman of 80 years, OF Iowa
| Bile disposition, being q mother to Pack
woods little boy. Mrs. Hatch was the wife
OF l.. ID. Hatch, a carpenter. He came from
Maine. and has been living five miles below
Smyrna for fifteen years. The discovering
party notified the county authorities at New
Smyrna, and also sent word to the Coroner
and an undertaken.
Then search began for clew 10 the MUIR
derer. Near the house the neigh bors found
the track of left foot, No. or s. with a
common box-toe shoe. The indentaton of
the heel on the outside was deeper than on
the inside, showing that the man wearing it