The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-27
AN ENTIRE FAMILY KILLED.
HUSBAND. MOTHER, WIFE AND
THREE CHILDREN DEAD.
The Horrible Crime Committed in
Daviess COunty-The Dreadful Fate
of billiard ID. wratten and His Fam
uy-AH Was Done Tor n Little
Money.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1s.-Special.-
The most horrible crime ever committed
in southern Indiana must be entered
against Daviess county.
billiard benson Wratten, his wife,
mother and three children were murdered
last night in the most cruel and bar
barous way.
The wrattens resided about nine miles
from this city in Harrison township.
They were well-to-do farmers.
The husband was down with typhoid
fever, but must have been asleep when
the horrible deed was committed, for he
lay on his back, his hands folded peace
fully across his breast with three ugly
gashes in his forehead.
Mr.. Wratten's mother, aged sixty-one,
was evidently the first killed. She was
lying upon the floor with both arms
broken. and a terrible struggle must
have ensued.
His wife was also found upon the floor,
anu llNG IttN lIOiAl AtI Adg AlGE nll1c
daughter, Stella, aged six years.
The baby. three years old, was found
murdered in the kitchen.
Ethel. a girl eleven years old. showed
signs OF life, but she has her skull broken
in two places. She has not yet attained
consciousness. Upon her recovery will de-
pend all the evidence that may be
CLEANED about the atrocious crime.
The motive for the murder was proba-
bly, money as it was known that Mr..
Wratten's mother had a great deal Of
it concealed about the house. 1t was
the window of her room that was broken
open and entered. while the struggle
which ensued awakened the other men,
bers of the family.
Old Mrs. Wratten had received a pen
sion ever since she was a widow just
after the war and all this money was
supposed to have been secreted about the
house
The drawers of the bureau were ran
sacked and every place where money
was likely to be found had been dis
turbed. Thirty-nine dollars, however,
was found which the robbers overlooked.
The instrument of death was either a
cornknife or a hatchet or both.
The question is, who did it? The i'm
preston prevails that some one well
known by the family committed the
horrible crime and that when he was
discovered by the older people he muir
dered even the three-year-old babe to
destroy the evidence against him.
The tracks of three men were found
made while leaving the house through
cornfeld.
Excitement both in the county and
city runs high and should the right
parties be apprehended Judge Lynch will
evidently preside over their cases.
Men have stood on the street here all
day discussing with rage the horror Of
the diaboIical crime, men. too. who are
true and tried, and should an opportu-
nifty occur they would soon swing the
criminals to the nearest tree.
Bloodhounds have been secured and
placed on the tracks of the murderers.
They are diligently at work and it is
believed will scent out the right parties
before morning.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.-Special.-No
positive developments have come to light
today in the wholesale Wratten slaugh-
ter
Many theories are afoat and Mr.. Far
see, the detective who spotted the Daviess
county court house burners and has this
case in charge, looks very knowing when
approached.
While almost every clue has been lost
there is reason to believe that the guilty
parties will soon be apprehended and
brought TO speedy justice.
The detectives are sanguine In the hope
OF their success. On Saturday a letter
was found in a wood near the scene OF
the murder where a fire had been re-
Gently built. 1t was lying under a bloody
shingle. but there was no address on the
envelope or any writing on the paper
within. II Is believed that the murderers
left IL as a means OF communication with
some accomplice.
The deaf and dumb negro who was ar
rested at Terre Haute last week is not
believed to be the murderer, although
his story is very contradictory.
The excitement Is subsiding and citi-
zens begin 10 talk OF other things, fully
confident that the officers Will do all in
their power TO discover the criminals.
Fully 10000 people have been TO the
scene OF the murder, and no one leaves it
who does not feel determined TO aid TO
his utmost ability In hunting down the
murderers.