Evening journal., 1891-02-16
SCARED AND SCORCHED.
A Woman Murdered with a
Red Hot Poker.
DEATH BY rROLoNeED TORTuRE

Edward McMulIen. while orazed with
Drink. slowly Stays His wife, NeA.
wiikesbarre, in Most Shocking Mar,
ner-The Room Bathed ia Blood.
WmEEsBARRE, Pa, Feb l0.-Thc viIlacs
Of Shermervlle, five miles from this citH
was the scene Of horrible murtsrr aboul
midnight Edward McMullen killed his
wife with a red hot poker wounding ana
mutilating her in shocking manner
MoMullen is about 50 years Of age and ~
was his wife They had been drunk an
day, as was their custom after pay dax
In the evening they were alone in the
house and were heard by the neighhors
quarreling all the evening No attention.
WAS paid Co this but about midnight
shrieks were heard coming from the honSa
which were soon followed by rroana
Soon after McMullen came running ouk
Of the house shouting and cursing like ont
insane
Horribly burned and Mutilated.
When the neighbors yentured in they
found the woman lying on the floor, wita
every particle OF clothing torn from hel
body, which was burned and mutilated in
horrible manner McMullen had eyf
IDENTIFY taken "a red hot poker, beaten hes
on the bead aud thrust il into her bods
and pressed it into her flesh in dozens "a
places. Justice of the Peace Scaulon was
aroused and a constable was sent in search
Of MeMullen. He found him lying in
drunken stupor on the road about half
mile from his house
Drink Caused Their Misery. 'Ti'2A4
When aroused and told that his wife was
dead he said, Il know it; didn't kill her
myselfq"
He was brought to this city and lodges
in the county Jail The crime is the ont
come Of almost lifelong drunkenness Nos
only have MeMullen and the murdered
woman been drunkards for years, but thein
children have inherited the vice Twa
years ago, in the same house. their onis
daughter a girl Of 20 years, mas burned ta
death with her infant child while lying in
bed in a drunken stupor, while her fathes
and mother were in the next room in tha
same condition.
Scene of Awful Horror
The scene, as described by the neighborn
who first entered the house. was horrify.
ing The woman, with some Fragments
clothing around her waist. was lying
the ioor, and around her great pool
blood had collected The walls were spas
tered with It, and the few bits Of furDitui
daubed red The murderer WAS probably
half an hour about his butchery, for thu
poker must have been heated again AN
again The house was filed with the odor
OF burning flesh. II is believed that thu
drunken rufIian was stirring Che fire VITA
the poker The couple had been quarrel
ing, the woman said something that anas
cred him and he wheeled around and struck
her on Che head with the poker, knockine
her down. He struck her again while she
was prostrate
Stupeied with liquor and the blows she
only laid there and shrieked A fendish
determination came in his head He thrust
the poker into the stove, and when il was
red hot turned to the woman on the floor.
tore OH her clothing and laid the glowina
iron on her flesh Then must have coma
the piercing shrieks the neigbb0rs heard.
but she could not stir.
A Drunkard's EnhuHsanity.
Again and again the hot iron was ap
piled. II grew cool and he thrust il onca
more into the fire, and when il was algaiH
red hot returned to the grOaning, dying
woman and tearing what remained of hez
clothes off thrust il into her body. The
blood burst in streams from the wound
and perhaps the awful agony brought an.
other shrek from the dying woman's lips
Again the poker was heated and again
and again applied to her quiycrng form,
but she was probably then far beyond feel
ing pain. lie then discarded the poker and
took up a pair Of tongs.
They were found covered with blood ta
the handle. The fiend made them red hot,
too, and then plunging them into the gap
ing wounds he had already made tore and
mangled the sizzling flesh with his new
implement Of torture What motive inn.
pelled him to this horrible mutilation no
sane brain can imagine. From every
wound blood had streamed tverywhera
around the room where be had laid his
reeking hands on walls or furniture they
left red stains When at last bis fearful
work was done be turned and fled from
the house reeling in his drunkenness and
frenzy.