Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-05-01
DOUBLE MURDER.
Two Women Beaten to Death
at Hill Top, Md.
KILLED WHILE THEY SLEPT.
Scores of Arm I'D Men Scour South"
ern Maryland for Burglars
Whom Joseph Cooking AL
leges Robbed His Store

4
leges Robbed His Store
Charles county, Md, was startled by the
aews OF an atrocious double murder at Hill
TOP eleven miles west, the victims being
Mrs. Joseph Cooking. aged thirty years, wife
If the storekeeper there, and Miss Daisy
Miller, aged eighteen. her sister.
Mr.. Cooking, the husband, was foun1 In
tho cellar OF his store, slightly injured. His
eet were tied with a clothesline. The front
1oor OF the store was broken open, as was
also the cash-drawer.
The whole county is being secured for the
murderers.
THE HUSBAND FOUND FIRST.
Between day break and sunrise Nicholas
Jones, colored, aged sixty-fve years, went to
Mr.. Cocking's store 10 buy pillow point. He
found the front door OF the store aiar.
Jones, not finding Mr.. Cooking, called him
/ and heard an answer. He thought from the
sound that Mr.. Cooking was outside and went
to find him. He called again and found that
Mr.. Cocking's voice came from the inside.
Jones entered the store and after repeated
callings discovered that the voice came from
the cellar of the store. He found trapdoor,
which he says was closed. Then Jones saw
Mr. Cooking lying in the cellar. There were
bruises over his right and left temples, and
four scratches on his forehead, from two OF
which little blood might have flowed. His
nose had been bleeding, his hands were
scratched an1 on his shirt front was a
splotch OF blool about two and half inches
square, with other drops OF blood near BY.
His right shirt sleeve from the elbow down
was saturated with blood and there were
stains on his left shirt sleeve.
Mr.. Cooking seemed dazed when found,
but later recovered and remained conscious.
Jones assisted him up the cellar stairs and
into the store, Mr.. Cooking walking with
Joness assistance.
"TOo TERRIBLE TO TALK ABOUT"
According to Jones Mr.. Cooking then said
to him: "Ihere is something wrong upstairs
Go up and see." Jones objected to going
into the ladies' rooms, but finally went and
Returning, he told Mr. Cooking that what
he had seen was too terrible to talk about
He said Mr.. Cooking asked no more ques-
tions.
To other persons aiterward Mr.. Cooking
said that when the family retired at night
there were in the house himself and Mrs.
Cooking, their little son, five years old, Miss
Miller and colored servant
SAYS TWO MEN ATTACKED HIM.
Mr. Cooking says he slept in the small hall
room with his little boy. The child states
that he slept there alone. The bed showed
the impress OF but one body, a small one.
Mr.. Cocking's story is substantially as fol-
lows:
.Thursday night l retired as usual, after
locking pp the store and the house. L went
30 bed ne hall room with my son. My
wife was Il. her room and her sister in hers,
ON the other side Of the hall. My two eldest
children, girl AMI boy, were spending the
hight with Mrs. Miller, their grandmother.
The colored servant was in the rear Of the
house.
Something awakened me between one
and two o'clock. Then 1 heard noise In
the store. Pulling on my trousers l went
down. passing from the hall into the dining
room from, which door entered the store.
I opened this door and was faced by two
men. 1 cannot tell whether they were white
or black.
Gas soon az I opened the store I was
struckMith some kind Of blunt instrument.
They both may have struck me; may be with
their fists. l fell in the doorway. was I'M
conscious, but / have recollection Of feel
ing the men moving my arms and legs.
euppose they were tying me. Then l was
carried through the general store into the
grocery. They opened the trap-door and
threw me into the cellar. That is all that
remember.
The two women were found dead in their
beds by Jones when he went upstairs. Both
we're horribly hacked about the head, and
the Ratchet with which the murders were
committed was found on counter In the
store. The Ratchet was a new one, with its
blade rusted 1t was smeared with blood.
Mrs. Cooking was lying upon her right
side. Her head had slipped off the bolster
and was on the sheet, nearly hanging over
The outside of the bed.
Her hands were clasped over her breast.
A deep cut extended through her left ear
and temple bone, the main arteries being
severed. Above this cut and back of 1t were
three other cuts, all made by sharp edge.
Blood saturated the bolster and stained the
sheet and floor.
In the center of her bed upon her back
Miss Miller was lying. Her hands, too, were
crossed over her breast, and there was gold
ring conspicuous upon her finger. On the
right side of her head above the ear was a
cash u inches long, which cut through the
scalp severing an artery. On the left temple
was a wound made by the "eye" of the
Ratchet. In the back of the head, above tho
/ left ear. was an irregular hole, which pene-
trated the skull to the brain. Her bed was
soaked with blood and the floor about 1t was
stained. A trunk In the room was broken
omen. In her bureau drawer was her
pocket-book, containing 81 Is and some
iewelry.
Cooking Held for Murder
Joseph Cooking has been officially charged
II II