St. Paul daily globe., 1891-12-14
Tramps Seem to Have Committed
the Awful Deed.


JACKSONVILLE. Fla, Dec. 13,-It has
been impossible to establish telegraphic
communication today with those at
the scene of the tragedy near
New Smyrna. The following facts.
however, are we'll authenticated: ::
The scene of the murders was the house
or Frank j. PackwOod. standing in the
center OF an orange grove on the banks
OF HlllsborOugh river. eight miles south
OF New Smyrna. Packwood is a native
OF Louisiana, but has lived near New
Smyrna for over fifteen years. The
names of the persons murdered
are Miss a. II. Bruce, of
New York City; Frank Bruce Pack.
wood -four years old, son of F. J. Pack
wood; Mrs. l.. ID. Hatch and her bOy.
six years old. The house was entered
Friday night through a win dow, the in
truder smashing the sash anu glass in
order to gain entrance. A ghastly sight
met the eyes of the first visitors to
the premises Saturday morning. In
one corner Of the main room on the
floor lay the BODY Of Mrs. Hatch, shot
through the left eye. In the same room,
lying OD the bed, was the body of her
son.shot under the left eye and with his
throat cut from ear to ear. In
an adjoining room, lying on the
floor, was the body of Frank
Paekwood, shot through the head and
with his throat also cut. In the same
room. lying upon the bed, was the BODY
of Miss Bruce. Her person had been
outraged, and her skull and face had
been smashed with some heavy weapon.
Her face had also been shot through.
and her throat had been cut. At
fhn Of tho
large revolver was found, two
chambers of it having been
emptied. On the bed by the side of the
body of Miss Bruce lay a doubIe-bar-
relied shotgun with the stock broken
into splinters. On the bed near the
body of the Hatch boy lay a long-bladed
butcher knife.
No clew to the murderer has yet been
round, but trampS seen in the neighber-
hood are suspected of the crime. A
large posse, headed by Deputy Sheriff
DImlek. started southwark late Satur-
day night to ScOur the country for the
murderers. Robbery was undoubt-
edly the purpose of the murderers.
but the extent of their plum
der is as yet unknown. Some of the
occupants of the Packwood house had
been there only few days. and the
they had III theire possession is merely
a matter of conjecture. So far in the
dispatches from New Smyrna no
mention is made of the name of +. J.
PaekwOod as having been in the house at
the time OF the tragedy. or as appearing
on the scene then. There is a rumor
that he was killed, also. and his BODY
concealed, so as to throw suspicion on
him as the murderer of the others. He
has a nephew in this city jacksonville,
who gives the following information:
Frank j. PacKWoOd, my uncle, owns
a large orange grove eight miles south
OF New Smyrna, on the banks of the
river, only about a mile
from the ocean. He has lived on the
HlIlsborough river for fifteen years.
he is an all-the-year-round resi-
dent. and not tourist. All
the Packwood family came orig
inally from New Orleans. There are
several brothers in this state. Franks
wife was Miss Bruce. of New York
city, and she died when their boy Frank
was little baby. Immediately after
his mothers death his aunt, Miss A. II.
Bruce,Of New York city, came to Florida
to take care of him, and has
since made her home with the
child and his father at the orange
grove on the HillSborough river. Who
Mrs. L. D. Hatch is l have no idea.
never heard the name before. probably
a relative or friend of Miss Bruce and
visitor in the Packwood home. The
brother of Miss Bruce was at one
time a prominent broker in Wall
street, New York, and it is
said that not long before the marriage
of Mr.. PackwOod with his other sister
be failed, the property of his sister
being all lost in the smash-up. Miss
Bruce, the murdered woman, was about
years of age"