The San Francisco call., 1896-07-21
Father and Daughter Killed Out
right and Three Chill
dren May Die.
THE MURDEREss Is SILENT
Neighbors Are Horrified at the Ter.
rible Tragedy AMI There Is
Talk of Lynching.

HUNTINGTON, W. VA, July 20.-A
fearful tragedy occurred last night six
miles above here. 1t was one of the blood
lest and most shocking murders ever hap
pening on the upper Ohio waters. The
whole neighborhood is Mortified and peo-
pie for miles around are focking to the
scene of the outrage.
The fiendish work was perpetrated by
woman named Eta Robbins. AS result
of her diaboljcal actions A. ]. Call and his
daughter Nettie were killed and horribly
mutilated. Another daughter named Lot
tie was fatally injured. Two other
children named Grace and Otis Call were
hurt SO badly that they may die.
As far as known the crimes were COM
mitted without any motive and the only
reason assigned for them is that the
woman who did the work was crazy. 1t
appears that she was stopping with the
family in a shanty-boat moored to the
river banks. They ali retired to bed last
night IN the best of humor. Eta Robbins
seemed particularly cheerful. She laughed
and chatted with the different mem bers of
the family as though she was pleased with
them all.
About A. NJ. the Robbins woman awoke
and stealthlly crept to the corner of the
boat where double bit ak was concealed.
After grasping it in her hand she waited
few minutes until fully assured that none
of the family were awake. 1t was not
quite daylight but it was light enough for
her to see A. j. Call, who was quietly
sleeping in one corner of the boat.
Stealthily creeping over to him the woman
- L. L
passed and the cruel weapon descended
with sickening thud on the head of the
unconscious man.
The blow evidently killed the sleeper,
for he never moved. The woman, how
ever, was not satisfied. She rained blow
after blow on the PROSTATE form. The
noise of the descending ak awakened Lot
tie and Nettie Call, who ran into the
room. AS soon as they entered the Rob-
bins woman turned on them and attacked
them with the bloody ak. She killed Net
tie with few blows and cut Lottie several
times. She would undoubtedly have killed
Lottie had not the wounded girl Ieaped
into the river. Being a good swimmer,
she managed to reach the shore in safety,
despite her probably fatal wounds.
The fendish woman then turned on the
other children and cut them severely.
Fortunately for them the woman saw Lot
tie Call swimming to the bank, and in a
frenzied rage she threw the ak at the form
of her escaping victim.
A little boy who was on the outside of
the boat saw the murders and managed to
escape to alarm the neighbors. When
they arrived they found the boat in hor-
rible condition. Calls body was living
weltering in blood. His head was almost
cut off. His heart was visible through a
gaping wound in the breast. The head of
Nettie Call was also almost cut off, Her
breast was terribly mangled and her heart
was cut out. The other children were cut
in dozen places.
The Robbins woman when arrested re-
fused to give any reason for her demoniacal
act. She was promptly put in jail The
neighborhood is greatly excited and there
is strong talk of lynching the woman.