Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-27
The Horrible Discovery Made By
Clergyman Phillips.
MRS,VARNUM WAS NOT ATCHURCH
On Sunday and Was Missed From
the Choir-Her Husband Had
Murdered Her, Her Mother and
Her Daughter, and Killed Him
self-They Seemed to Live Hap
PLY and Attended Church.
Three Dead and One Dying.

WORCESTER, Mass, December 90
A horrible triple murder and suicide
was discovered at noon to-day In the
upper fat of a tenement building at 81
Taintor street.
Hedry c. Varnum and his little adopt
ed daughter, Florence, were found
dead, his wife was nearly dead when
discovered, and died on the way TO the
hospital, and Mrs. Wright, the mother
~ Mrs. Varnum, now lies at the hos
pital in critical condition, unable to
talk or indicate in any way the story OF
the awful event.
Henry c. Varnum came to this city
from Huron, VT, In September and
sought employment as machinist,
which he found in the shop OF l.. l..
Pollard. He then hired the tenement
on Taintor street and sent for his fam
lily, which consisted Of his wife, an
adopted daughter, Florence, and his
wife's mother, Mrs. Wright.
The family lived quietly and to all ap-
pearances happily. Mrs. Varnum was
a regular attendant at the Congrega-
tional Church, where she sang In the
choir. Her husband and little daughter
often accompanied her.
Mrs. Varnum was not present at the
church services Sunday and the pastor,
Rev. z. w. Phillips, remarked the ab-
sence aud expressed some surprise, say
ing that Mrs. Varnum was not the sort
of a woman to stay at home because 1t
was cold.
Mr.. Phillips had occasion to-day to
make a call near Taintor street, and In
passing the house thought he would
find out II anything was the matter.
He rang the Varnum bell but received
no answer and called up the lower ten
ement and later the occupant to the
middle dwelling, Mrs. +. T. Hall, who
said she had not heard anything from
the Varnums, and that she felt nervous
about them. She also said that the
door up stairs was opep.
Mr.. Phillips went up stairs immedi-
ately and entered the apartments
through the parlor. The rooms were
very cold and the furniture undisturoed.
He pushed open the door of the bed
room leading of from the kitchen and a
terrible sight met his eyes.
Lying on the bed, covered with blood,
were Mr.. Varnum and his wife. The
man was quite dead, but the woman
was breathing heavily. In a corner OF
the room lay the child, turned over on
her face, also dead.
Mr.. Phillips waited to see no more but
rushed down stairs and telephoned for
the police. When the police arrived
the body of Mrs. Wright was discover
ed in an adjoining room. She was con-
scious but not able to speak, though she
understood what was said to her, and
made several Intellectual attempts to ar
ticulate. The bodies of the man and
child were taken to the undertaken and
the two women were carried to the hos
pital. The younger woman died just as
the ambulance stopped at the hospital
door. Mrs. Wright is still unable TO
speak, but she may live. She Is about
eighty years OF age.
The weapon with which the foul deed
was committed was an iron door hang
er, an iron strap about fifteen inches
long headed by cylindrical knob.
The instrument weighed fully four
pounds. Varnum himself was killed
by q stab from a knife, identified as his
own. He was cut in the region OF the
heart.
Medical Examiner Keefe, whe exam
ined the bodies, says that the deed was
done early Sunday morning. The body
OF the man and child when found were
stiff, and water in the kitchen frozen.
There was no sign OF violence about
the house outside OF the bedrooms. Mrs.
f. Z. Hall, who lives In the tenement
below, says that she heard slight
sonnd from the child at about 5 o'clock
Sunday morning, and moment later
the sound of footsteps. The noises
ceased Immediately and she thought
nathing Of them.