Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-03-25
MURDERED AND CREMATED
Horrible and Brutal Fate of Five
Persons.
ROBBERY NOT THE CAUSE
An Old Man, PeaceabIy and Kindly Disposed,
Known to Have Money and His
Family the Victims.


Nashville. Tenn, March 24-Particu-
lars of what appears to have been a hor-
rible and brutal murder were received
here from Paradise Ridge early this
morning. Jacob Ade, one of the Oldest
and best known farmers of the ridge
settlement, his wife, daughter and son,
and a little daughter of Henry Moirer,
were probably murdered and their bodies
cremated in AIDES house. which was
burned to the ground.
The theory of murder is strengthened
by the fact that all of the bodies We're
found in the same room. but scattered
around over the space occupied by this
room. It was first thought that the
old man was killed for his money, as he
was known to be well-tO-do, and always
kept a supply of money on hand, but
whether this be true cannot be positively
stated now. as the old mans money, or
at least the ashes of what was once
big roll of money, has been discovered
in the ruins of the house.
THE DEAD:
JACOB ADE.
MRS. ]. ADE.
LIZZIE ADE. aged 20 years.
HENRY ADE, 13 years.
ROSA MOIRER, aged 10.
Jacob AIDE lived fifteen miles from
this city near the Cheatham county
line. The house sits back half a mile
from what is known as the old Clarks-
vile turnpike. 1t was one-story frame
dwelling with five rooms; two rooms in
front, with hallway between. and three
rooms running back, forming an ell. old
man Ade and his wife usually occupied
the first room in the ell, just in the rear
of the front room, or parlor. There was
only one bed in this room. 1t was in
this room that all the bodies were found.
The first indication of the tragedy was
discovered at 10 o'clock last night by
Justice Simpson, who lives half mile
from the Ade place.
There was a sick man at Mr.. Simp-
sons house, and about 10 O'Clock Mr..
Simpson went out to get some water for
the man. when he saw that AIDES house
was on fire. He at once rode over to the.
scene, and found the house IN ruins.
Finding no one near, Mr.. simpsons sus-
picions were aroused and upon closer
inspection he saw the bodies of several
people in the ruins. He went to work
at once to rescue the bodies and succeed
ed in getting four of thep out. These
proved to be the bodies of Mr. and Mrs.
Ade, Miss Lizzie AIDE and Rosa Moirer.
After this Mr.. Simpson rode around ana
notified a number of the neighbors and
in a short while quite crowd collected
about the ruins.
Henry-Ade, the 13-year-old son of Mr..
Ade, was also missing, but his body could
not be found. 1t was first thought that
he had escaped to the woods, but FUR
ther search of the ruins of the house thia
morning disclosed his body.
The bodies of Mr. and Mrs. AIDE, Miss
Lizzie Ade and Henry Ade were burned
to a crisp. The limbs and heads were
burned off and, in fact only a small
of homes remained The
old man and his wife were more horribly
burned than the others.
The body of Rosa Moirer was nat
burned so badly as the others. The lit
ale girls legs were burned OF; one arm
was raised over her head, and the hand
of this was gone. A portion of her skull
was missing, but the brain, which was
exposed and the skin on her face was
only partially burned. This fact gives
further evidence in support of the the
orv of murder. Some of the people be-
lieve that possibly while the o;her mem
bers of the family were being murdered
this child escaped and was not killed un-
til after the house had burned Whlle,
when the body was thrown into the fire
The fact that a part of her skull is gone
and the rest of the head perfect, with the
skin of her face only badly burned, lends
weight to the theory that she was
knocked in the head, probably with an
AK. One handlesS arm was raised over
Il, y
protect herself she threw up her arm and
the hand was cut off by she same blow
which tore away part of her skull. The
blow parnlyzed her muscles and the arm
remained in the protecting position after
death had ensued.
The purpose of the murder was first
thought TO be robbery, but if this be cor
rect the murderer was ill-paid for his
horrible crime. In searching the ruins of
the house this morning an oyster can
was found under the place where a closet
once stood in Mr.. AIDES sleeping ROOM
In this can the remains of what was
evidently a large roll of money was
found, together with four silver dollars,
which had been melted SO that they were
sticking together.
his money in this closet. He was in the
city Monday. While here he told Jerry
Matthews that he had $4,000 and that he
did not know what TO do with 1T. Mr.
Matthews advised him to deposit it In the
Fourth National bank. Mr.. Ade did not
say that he had the general whim.
Sheriff Sharp was notified of the sup
posed crime early this morning and he,
with several deputies. went to the scene,
and they are there now working on the
case.
Disposing of the robbery theory, it ia
very hard to find a motive for the hor-
rible crime, as Mr.. Ade was a very popu-
lar man and well liked by all his neigh
borS.
The only enmity which might have ex-
listed between him and any of The people
living in that section was that which re-
suited from a charge he made against a
man who was arrested in Cheatham coun-
ty a few years ago. charged with stealing
hogs from AIDE. This man was tried be-
fore q. magistrate in Cheatham county
and bound over to the circuit court.
There is, however no evidence against
this man which would in any way con-
meet him with the murder.
Mr.. AIDE was so years of age and had
lived in that community for twenty-five