The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-30
Awful Discovery Made by the Ten
Year-Old Daughter Eight Hours
After the Tragedy.
LYING IN A POOL OF BLOOD
HEAD HAD BEEN POUNDED TO A JEL-
LIZ WITH A HARD, BLUNT OBJECT.
Letter Left by Hafnes Gives n Slight
Clew to the Cause-Man of Very
Morbid Disposition.

startled the entire community near Hun
ter's Station late yesterday. 1t was re-
ported that John r. Haines had killed his
wife, Delilah and then fed the country.
Later 1t was discovered that. after inf1ict-
ing the wounds from which his wife died,
Haines had committed suicide by hanging
himself in his stable.
The crime was discovered by little Ola,
Haines's youngest daughter, aged ten. Ola
and her sister Dossa went to school yes
ran in the house first, calling. Mamma,
mamma. where are you?" The only reply
that met her was deep groan. The little
one paused long enough to take in the de-
tails of the ghastly scene that had been
enacted, when she ran from the house
screaming To her elder sister she cried.
"Oh, something awful has happened. Man,
ma is lying on the floor covered with
blood. Oh, what shall we do?' Without
stopping to investigate, the elder sister ran
to Mrs. Joseph Irwins house, near by. and
ter returned to the house. where they found
Mrs. Haines lying on the floor. groaning
and writhing with pain.
The poor woman was a CHASTITY object.
horribly beaten and the flesh was cut to
the bone. On the left cheek a deep cash
laid bare the bone. The room was in great
disorder. and it was plain that an awful
struggle took place before Mrs. Haines had
been overcome. Great spots of blood COW
cred the rag carpet, chairs were overturned
and the place was in great disorder. Mrs.
Irwin saw that Mrs. Haines was not dead.
and while there seemed to be no possible
hope for her recovery, she sent one mes
senger to Irvington for a doctor, while an
sons of the family. who was at work on
another farm, a mile and a half away.
While the messengers were gone. some of
| the neighbors who had heard of the muir
der. arrived and assisted Mrs. Irwin to
make a bed upon the floor, where the dying
woman was laid. She tried to talk. but was
| too near dead to make herself under
stood. Mrs. Irwin and other women. who
hurried from their homes. did what
they could to relieve the sufferer
Shortly after DR.. Terrell, OF Irvington, ar
ington and notified DR.. Castor of the trage-
| dy, and the coroner Immediately started to
| the farm.
| HIS LETTER EXPLAINS.
In the meantime, search Of the premises
was made for the instrument that had been
used and something that would give clew
| to the cause Of the crime and a possible
| inkling of what had become OF Haines. On
the mantle of the stting-room, where the
crime was committed. the following letter
was found:
| This taken place between nine and ten
| o'clock the trouble with the family the boys
has done everything that they could Purle
the worst and / told her mayn time but
she woold work against all the time and
| so I will put stop to it the stock and
L
the farm may go backe to the oner good by
| to all hate to leave the too small children
| but It is Dune and Pruene and other wmin
| have bin running to church all cinds of
weether and not stay at home till 1t got
better and wene folks hant we'll and will
| close yours truley as ever John II Hanes
| and Dliah Hanes"
The instrument with which he did the
deed was not discovered, and the neigh
bors say he probably used a stick of stove
wood, which he afterwards burnt. A party
of men went to the stable to search for the
weapon used, when they rans against the
lifeless form Of the old man. hanging sus-
pended from a joist. Judging from appear
ances, he climbed out on a large beam,
tied the rope to the rafter, and. after ad-
iusting slip-knot about his neck, jumped
off. He was hanging in corner formed by
the double doors and hay NOW, his feet
about three feet above the floor His body
was left hanging until the coroner arrived.
Coroner Castor. accompanied by Journal
reporter, drove first to Irvington, where he
was joined by Doctors Terrell and Thomp-
son. After a four-mile drive over muddy
roads the party arrived about 1890 o'clock
superintendent Colbert had received word
of the tragedy in the meantime and drove
| out to Hardestys farm with detective
Kaehn, thinking, from first reports, that
Haines was still alive and something might
be done towards his capture. Twenty-Five
or thirty wagons and buggies were hitched
to the fence. and a large crowd of awe
stricken farmers were gathered in the house
and yard. AS the coroner drove up to the
| house, he met farmer who was driving
| away, and learned for the first time that
Haines. instead of fleeing after numbering
his wife. had gone to the barn and hanged
himself He is hanging down there now,
said the farmer as he drove off.
VIEWED BY THE CORONER.
Probably fifty people were crowded into
the sitting room. where the dead woman
lay upon rude bed made down upon the
floor. Her face was covered over with a
sheet. through which the blood had slightly
oozed. Throwing the sheet back, the Coro-
ner made an examination OF the wounds.
The skull, from the eyebrows up for a
distance of about three inches. was laid
bare. exposing the blood-covered bone. The