The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-12-29
FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY.
TRIPLE MURDER AND SUICIDE
IN BOSTON,,
A Man Kills His Daughter, Mortally
p, Wounds His Wife, Seriously
Injuries Her Mother and
.. Then Ends His
Own Life. .. .g. ..-


u. Then Ends His
Own Life. d.. .g. ...-
The Last Should Have Been First. ,
worcester, Mass, Dec. PA horrible
triple murder and suicide was discovered
to-day in the upper flat of tenement
building at 81 Taintor street. Henry
u. Varnum and his little adopted daugh-
ter Florence We're 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 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
TO all appearances happily. Mrs VAR
mum was regular attendant at Hope
CONGREGATIONAL church, where she sang
IN the choir. Her husband and little
daughter often accompanied her. Mrs.
Narnum was not present at any of the
church services Sunday, and the Das-
tor, Rey. b. w. Phillips, remarked
about the absence and expressed some
surprise, saying that Mrs. Varnum WAS
not the sort of woman to stay at home
because it was cold. Mr.. Phillips had
occasion to-day to make call on
Chrlsty street, near Taintor. and in
passing the house thought he wou,d
md out if anything was the matter. He
rang the Narnum bell, but received no
answer, and called up the lower tene-
ment. and later the occupant to the mid
ole dwelling. Mrs. r. r. Hall, who
sald she had not heard anything from
the |arnums and that she felt nervous
aoout them. She a $50 said that the door
up stairs was open.'
MI. Phillips went up stairs and entnrod
the apartments through the parlor. Tho
rooms were very cold and the f,1rnitnro
UndlSturbed. He passed through tho 1,or-
,or INTO the back parlor and then into the
hatcnen. lie then pushed open the door
OF the bed room leading off from the
Ntchen, and terrible sight met his eyes.
Lying on the bed, covered with blood.
were Mr. Farnum and his wife. The
man was ute dead, but the woman was
breathing heavily. In one corner of tho
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
ches long, headed by a cylindrical knob.
The cylinder weighed twenty pounds.
Varnum himself was killed by stab from
a knife identified as his own. He was
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 and
the water in the kitchen was frozen.
There was no sign Of violence about the
house outside the bed rooms. Mrs. T. T.
Hall, who lives in the tenement below,
says that she heard slight sound from
the child at about 5 o'clock Sunday morn
ing, and moment later the sound of
footsteps The noise ceased Immediately,
and she thought nothing of them.
Crime and Suffering.
Boston, Dec PA shocking scene of
depravity came to light at No. - Min
dora street, Roxbury, yesterday. Re
ports that a row was in progress; in the
house brought officers to the place. On
the floor Of one of the barely furnished
rooms was found woman in a beastly
state of intoxication. A man in an I'M
conscious condition was lying on the
floor in another part of the room, and
two other intoxicated men We're half
lying in chairs. Five small children,
the eldest but seven years of age, We're
huddled about stove in which there
was scarcely vestige of fire. The I'M
conscious man, whose name was John
Tusther. was found to be suffering
from a fractured skull and was sent to
the hospital. The other two men, John
and Michael Gately, were arrested,
charged with assault and battery on
Tusther. with brick. The woman,
Tusther's wife, was also removed to the
station and the five children to the
Marcella street home. Tusther is not
expected to live