The record-union., 1897-04-15
And Their Home Set on Fire to Cover
Up the Crime.
rlartin nowery, an Employe of the
Murdered Family, Placed Under
Arrest Charged With the Crime,
Makes an Intellectual Attempt to
Commit Suicide.

PASCOAG OR. II, April 14-A horri-
BILE tragedy was enacted this morning
at the home of Edward Reynolds, on
the Elisha Matthewson place, near
Sweet Hill. in the town of Oakland
Mrs. Reynolds, her husband and an
adopted daughter, ServiIla, were bru-
tally murdered and the house was then
set on fire, presumably to cover the
crime. Martin Mowery, the hired man,
employed by the Reynolds, who is un-
doubtedly a raving maniac, was found
hiding in a barn near Oakland, and at
| once placed under arrest.
The neighbors We're aroused by the
fire. On reaching the house it was
found securely fastened. with doors
bolted and windows locked They fore
ed an entrance, and in doing so found
| evidence of murder, with arson to
hide the crime. Mrs. Reynolds body,
mutilated and bloodstained, was taken
from her bed by those who were the
first to enter the house The flames
from the part of the building burning
spread so rapidly that a search for the
other members of the family who were
supposed to be there could not be made.
Hours afterwards, when the ruins of the
house had sufficiently cooled. the char
red remains of Mr.. Reynolds and the
young girl were found
In the meantime the local and State
police had been searching for Mowery.
the hired man. and he was found in the
barn chattering unintelligibly
The neighbors who first arrived
found that the house had been saturat-
ed with coal oil thoroughly. so that
the flames spread with marvellous rap
idity, and they had only time to take
Mrs. Reynolds body out before that
section of the house was in a blaze.
From what could be judged from her
appearance a brutal murder had been
committed. The head had been crush
ed in, evidently with an ak. and the
upper part of the body was horribly
mutllated. The bed she occupied was
covered with blood. An attempt was
made . locate Reynolds body. but it
did not appear to be in the room.
Martin Mowery, the man who worked
for Reynolds, slept in another part of
the house, and the villagers hurried to
ms room to alarm him. The room was
empty. and from the hasty examination
that could be made it was discovered
that the bed had not been disturbed.
The bed clothing, as well as the floor
leading to the door, had been covered
with Kerosene. An empty oil can was
found in the room. Mowery's trunk
and box belonging to him were open,
and his clothing was strewn about the
floor. careful search for him was
begun, and he was found hiding in a
barn near Harrisville, chattering and
laughing like maniac. Mowery is a
bachelor about 50 years of age.
h.
appears that Reynolds was called to his
daughters room by some unusual
sound and that when he reached the
side of the bed he received his death
blow. Miss Reynolds was probably
Killed then. The murderer, it is sup
posed, then went to Mrs Reynolds
room, and after stabbing her twice in
the face, battered her head in
When Mowery left the house he went
to the woods, where he shot himself in
the head The bullet only stunned him.
however, and he did not repeat the at
tempt. The revolver, with two cham
bers empty, was found in his possess
sion, and an empty oil can was found
in Mowery's apartments.
Mawery was willing to talk after his
arrest, but from his appearance and
that he was insane.
This afternoon Medical Examiner
Wilcox held an autopsy on the three
victims of the tragedy. The doctors
made careful examination of the
body of Mrs. Reynolds. and found a
deep wound in the head, made by a
butt of a muske,t while there were no
less than seven bayonet wounds in the
body. The musket and bayonet were
both found in the ruins of the fire. and
are known to be the property of Now
cry.
Immediately after the autopsy had
been completed Judge Sjear OF the Dis
trict Court signed a warrant for the
arrest of Mowery, and he was at onc.,
brought into court for arraignment He
pleaded not guilty, and was committed
to Jail without bail, to await the pre-
liminary trial on April 21st.
The only thing like a confession made
by Mowery tonight was when DR. Will
cox told him he proposed to etherize
him and then abstract the bullet which
is now in his head. Mowery said: ST
won't be etherized. You think if YOU
get me that way / will tell my whole ,
story"
TRAGEDY AT CHICAGO.