The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1892-12-31
FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY.
TRIPLE MURDER AND SUICIDE
IN BOSTON,.
A Man Kills His Daughter, Mortaily
Wounds His Wife, Seriously
b Injuries Her Mother and
Then Ends His
Own Life.

The Last Should Have Been First.
Worcester, Mass, Dec. GA horrible
triple murder and suicide was discovered
to-day in the upper fat of a tenement
building ut 81 Taintor street. Henry
q. Narnum and his little adopted daugh-
ter 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. Var
mum, now lies at the hospital in a criti-
cal condition, unable as yet to talk or
indicate in any way the story of the aw-
full event.
Henry G. Varunm came to this city
from Haron, in September, and sought
employment as Il machinist, which he
found in the shop of L. L. Pollard. He
then rented the tenement on Taintor
street and sent for his family. which con-
sisted of his wife, an adopted daughter.
Florence and his wife's mother. Mrs.
Wright. The family lived quietly and
10 all appearances happily. Mrs. Var
mum was Il regular attendant ut Hone
congregational church, where she sang
III the choir. Her husband and little
daughter often accompanied her. Mrs.
,arhon was not present at any of the
church services Sunday. and the pas
tor, Rev. =. w. Phillips. remarked
about the absence and expressed some
SURPRISE saying that Mrs. Varnum was
not the sort of woman to stay ut home
because it was cold. MI. Phillips had
occasion to-day to make a call on
Chrlsty street, near Taintor, and in
passing the house thought he would
ma out it anything was the matter. He
rang the Varnum bell, but received no
answer, and called up the lower tene-
meht, ana later the occupant to the mid
dle dwelling, Mrs. r. +. Hall. who
sac she had not heard anything from
'ne Varnums and that she felt nervous
ABOUT them. She also said that the door
up stairs was open.
"if. fhllllps Went UP stairs and entered
the apartments through the parlor. The
rooms were very cold and the furniture.
nndlstnrbed. He passed through the par-
ior lhto the back parlor and then into tho
kitcnen. He then pushed open the door
OF the bed room leading off from the
kitchen' n Il terrible sight met his eyes,
Lying on the bed, covered with blood.
were MIR. Varnum and his wife. The
man was ute dead, but the woman was
breathing heavily. In one corner of the
room lay the child. turned over on it's
face. also dead. Mr.. Phillips waited to
see no more, but rushed down stairs to
the office of the Knowles Loom works.
where he %telephoned for the police. When
the police arrived the mother, Mrs.
Wright, was discovered in an adjoining
room. She was conscious, but not able
to speak, though she understood what
was said to her, and made several inef-
1ectual attempts to articulate. The bodies
of the man and child were removed by
the undertaken, and the two women We're
carried to the hospital. 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 awful
deed was committed was an iron door
hanger, an iron strap about fifteen in
cles long. headed by n cylindrical knob.
The cylinder weighed twenty pounds.
Valnum himself was killed by Il stab from
IL knife identified as his OWL. He was
cut in the region of the heart. There
were no other marks upon his body. Med
ical Examiner keefe, who examined the
bodies, says that the deed was done
early Sunday morning. The bodies Of the
man and child when found were stiff md
the water in the kitchen was frozen.
There was no sign Of violence about the
house outside the bed rooms. Mrs. Il. +.
Hall, who lives in the tenement below,
says that she heard n slight sound from
the child at about 5 o'clock Sunday morn
ing, and a moment later the sound OF
footsteps. Che noise ceased Immediately
and she thought nothing of them.