The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-12-27
MURDER and SUICIDE.
A Triple Tragedy Discovered in
q Worcester Tenement.
AN ENTIRE FAMILY FOUND DEAD.

Henry @. Varnuin and His Adopted
Daughter Dead When Discovered.
His Wife Expires on the Way TO a
HospitaI-Mrs. Wright Recovering.
WORCESTER, Mass, Dec. 27.--A hor-
rible triple murder and suicide was dis
covered yesterday in tenement build
ing at 81 Taintor street. Henry G. VAR
mum and his little adopted 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 of Mrs. Varnum,
now lies at the hospital in critical con-
dition, unable as yet to talk of the
awful event.
Henry 9. Varnum came to this city
from Haron, Vt, in September and
found employment as a machinist in the
shop of l.. |. Pollard. He then hired 1e
tenement on Taintor street and sent fer
his family, which consisted Of his wife,
an adopted daughter, Florence, and his
wife's mother, Mrs. Wright. The family
lived. quietly and to all appearances
happily. Mrs. Varnum was a regular
church, where she sang in the choir.
Her husband and little daughtSr often ac-
companied her. Mrs YMmdIn was not
present at any of the Church services
Sunday. and the pastor, Rev. L. w.
Phillips, remarked Che absence and ex-
pressed some surprise.
Discovery of the Crime.
Mr.. Phillips had occasion yesterday to
make call on Christy street, near Tain
tor, and in passing thought he would
see if anything was wrong. He rang
the Varnum bell but received no an
swer and called up the lower tenement
and later the occupant Of the middle
dwelling, Mrs. F. f. Hall who said she
had not heard anything from the VAR
NUNS, and that she felt nervous about
them. She also said that the door up
stairs was open. Mr.. Phillips went up
stairs Immediately and entered the apart
ments through the parlor.
The rooms were very cold and the
furniture undisturbed He passed through
the back parlor and then to the kitchen.
He then pushed open the door Of the bed
room leading off 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 ives
quite dead but the woman was breath.
ing heavily, In a cot In the corner Of
the room lay the child, turnad over on
her face, also dead. Mr.. Phillips waited
to see no more, but rushed down stairs
to the Office Of the Knowles Loom
works, where he telegraphed for the
police.
When the police arrived the mother,
Mrs. Wright. was discovered in an ad-
joining room. She was conscious, but
not able to speak, though she understood
what was said to her, and made several
| Intellectual attempts to articulate. The
| bodies Of the man and child were re-
moved to an undertaken and the two
women were carried to the hospital The
| younger woman died Just as the ambu.
lance stopped at the hospital door.
Mrs. Wright May Recover.
Mrs. Wright is still unable to speak.
but she may live. She is about 80 years
of age. The weapon with which the
crime was committed was an iron doof
hanger, an iron strap about fifteen
inches long, headed by q cylindrical
| knob. The instrument weighed fully
| four pounds. Earnum himself was
killed by stab. from a knife, identified
as his own. He was cut in the region
| of the heart. There were no other marks
! upon his body
I hSulSal AAaalliiiel hotLoi Wuo eA'
amined the bodies, says that the deed
was done early Sunday morning. The
bodies of the man and child when found
| were stiff, and water In the kitchen was
frozen. There was no sign Of violence
| about the house outside Of the bedrooms
Mrs. Z. L. Hall, who lives in the tene,
ment below, says that she heard slight
sound from the child at about . O'Clock
Sunday morning, and moment lstei
the sound of footsteps. The noises
ceased immediately, aud she thought
nothing of them.