Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-15
THE TRAGEDY OF rnk WOODS.
Fuller Detaiis Of shs Horrible AffAir Near
New smyrna, TIA

Fuiier Dstaiis Of the Bsrribie AMIR Near
New smyrna, TIA
Details Of the tragedy near New Smyrna,
Fla, are coming in slowly, telegraphic commu-
| nication not having been established until yes
terday morning. Mr.. Packwood left home on
Friday morning Tor Maitland, to be gone two
days. Mrs L. d. Hatch. neighbor and dear
friend Of Miss Bruce, came to spend the day
and night with her during Mr.. Packwood's alb
sence. L. d. Hatch is a carpenter and orange
grower, and has lived near New smyrna for the
past fifteen years. Both he and his wife came
from Maine. Miss Angelina Hamilton Bruce
WIS q daughter OF Hamilton Bruce Of New York
city.
Irwin jenkins was the first to discover the
crime. He is a negro who calls at the Pack
wood house every Saturday to do errands and
light jobs. At % o'clock in the forenoon he
Knocked at the door and got no answer. He
saw a window smashed in and then called the
neighbors. who made an investigation and mott
fled the sheriff and coroner.
Several footprints were made in the sand un-
der the window. Some were made by No.
or boot with box toe. the wear on the outside
OF the heel being much deeper than on the in
side, which would indicate that the wearer was
bow-iegged. 1t was at first Thought that the
crime was the work Of tramps, but this opinion
was subsequently, dispelled by finding a trail
leading around the yard to the north, and then
through the Hammock. south to the roHd-a
path that no one could travel unless familiar
with the country. Mr.. Packwood has suspi
cions of somebody. but refuses to disclose them
un til the proper time arrives.
There were rumors of a discarded lover who
had sworn vengeance and that robbery was not
the object OF the crime, but that it was rape
and murder. The murder OF Mrs. Hatch and
the two children was undoubtedly to destroy
evidence of the assault upon and killing Of
Miss Bruce
The revolver and shotgun were the property
OF Mr.. Fleetwood, and either Miss Bruce or
Mrs. Hatch had undoubtedly used them in self
defense. The negro jenkins has been arrested.
but nobody believes that he knows anything of
the crime. Two hundred armed men, with
bioodhounds, on horseback and afoot, are
securing the country.
The conviction is growing that the murders
were committed by somebody belonging to the
neishborhood or at least familiar with the
premises and surrounding country. All the
victims had their day clothes on, which shows
that the crime was committed in the day
time, for the household had evidently spent
Friday night unmolested The bed had been
slept In. batch OF yeast dough on the floor
behind the stove continued to rise until 5
o ciock IN, and in "a pot on the stove was
ham half boiled in water showing that the fire
must have gone out leaving it So 1t was 8
o clock when the negro discovered the broken
bOrs first entered the house.
WHEN THE MURDERS WERE COMMITTED.
One OF the women who washed the bodies,
about noon, says that the backs of Miss Bruce
and Mrs. Hatch were still perceptiby warm, for
the bodies had lain on their backs undisturbed
The theory is that the murders were committed
Just after breakfast Saturday morning, about
$50 or Z o'clock. Mr.. lakewood still refuses
to state whom he suspects and none of the
nelghborS appear TO have any knowledge of
Miss Bruce's love affair, if she had one and no.
body SO far as known Is missing from the neigh
Dorhood The funeral OF the victims took place
from MIR. d. L. Hatch's house yesterday morn
ing.
One OF the first men to reach the scene after
the alarm had been given thus tells the story of
the crime: when we reached the house we all
crowded around the broken window and peered
In. Before our eyes was an appalling spectacle
On her back by the window, in pool of blood.
Mrs. hatch lay with pistol ball wound on the
inside corner OF her left eye. Her face was
blackened with powder. The other bodies lay
near her. When the crash came she had evil
IDENTIFY been near the window, when the MUIR
derer entered Her little son. frenzied with
fright, had probably fed. as child would and
had sought refuge in the bed clothes of a bed
lounge at the other end of the ROOM He was
torn from these, shot over the left eve
and his throat cut in three places
dis head was almost severed from his
body. The bed clothes were stained crimson
While the murderer was entering the window
Miss Bruce had apparently secured an old
Smith d Wesson pistol, which was handy, and
fired at him. The ball took effect in the win
dow frame. The murderer, needless of this
onslaught. continued his terrible work. BY this
time Miss Bruce had gone to the closet and
secured "A double-barreled shotgun. She lev
eied 1t at the murderer as he approached, but
unfortunately, both hammers snapped on shells
that had been exploded many days before. lie
overpowered her, probably after killing her
little nephew. After this part o. the tragedy
the murderer shot her through the right check,
the ball crashing through her teeth striking
the wall and falling on the bed.
There must have been another struggle for
the possession OF the gun. He tore It from
her grasp, and swinging it around his head
with both hands clutching the barrel, drove
the stock against her face with terrible force
The blow struck he. between the forehead
and nose and crushed in her skull. Every
bone III her face was broken. Then with a
keen bread knife he stabbed her in the neck
cutting out square section of flesh. and fin
lshing with two terrible gashes on her throat
frankie Packwood, beautiful little golden
haired child OF five years, was found on the
floor at the foot of the bed with his throat
cut. His features had been married. The floors
OF both rooms were completely covered with
blood.