The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-01-06
Insane Love for n Child.

ATLANTA, Ca, December 3l.-Edward
G. Flanagan, an employee of the Stand
ard Oil Company, attempted to extermi-
nate the Allen family at Poplar Springs,
DeKalb County, tonight, and did kill
three Nom bers. His victims were Dix
on E. Allen and wife, an old couple both
more than 10 years old, and Miss Ruth
Slack.
Flanagan seems to have been in love
with Leila Allen, the l1-year-old grand
daughter of Dixon Allen. The old cou-
ple's married SOD, g. w. Allen, and his
wife and two children lived with them
in neat little cottage, four miles from
boarding with them for six months. His
actions to-day were not quite natural,
but he did not cause any alarm. It was
noticed though that he was anxious to
get the mem bers of the family to leave
the house. Late in the afternoon he re-
turned, and when supper was announ-
ced he ate with the family. When he
had finished he asked Mrs. G. w. Allen
to give him a drink of water. She left
the room to get it. Her husband was
standing by the table talking to his faith
er. Flanagan went to his own room, and
returning in moment thrust pistol
through 9 poriiere close to the son s head
and fired. Allen lodged, and the ball
struck him in the back of the head. He
fell to the floor. Flanagan stepped over
his body and knocked the lamp from the
table with wave of his pistol. This loft
Miss Slack, who was sister of the
younger Mrs. Allen, and the children
ran into room in terror. Flanagan
dubbed the elder Allen with his pistol
and killed him with few blows. Then
he strode quickly to the room where the
women were screaming and began firing
on them. Grandmother Allen was SHOT
through the body twice and killed. Miss
Slack was shot through the bacl- and
mortally wounded. At this moment the
daughter-in-law, who had gone for the
water, returned and rushed into the
room, where she heard the firing. She
found that Flanagan was trying to kill
Leila, her daughter. She struck up the
pistol, and then ciinched with the MUIR
derer. He struggled, and she held to
doors.
There she, by almost superhuman
strength, threw him to the ground.
Flanagan fought like madman and tried
mis- best to shoot her. She succeeded in
preventing him from firing for minute
or two. BY this time her husband had
recovered consciousness, and ran out to
his wife's rescue. Together they were
able to hold Flanagan and disarm lin.
Mrs. Allen then called help and when
neighbors arrived Allen was holding the
murderer on the ground. Flanagan vas
bound with ropes and held until Sheriff
Austin, of DeKalb County, arrived. In
the meantime large crowd had assem-
bled and they talked of lynching Flana-
gan. The Sheriff did not wait to give
them an opportunity, but Immediately
hurried the prisoner off and brought him
into the city, where he was placed in the
county Jail. Flanagan would not talk,
except to say that he was drunk. A bottle
of whiskey and S535 were found in his
pockets. He had evidently prepared
himself for flight. Flanagan came to
Atlanta from Louisville, Ky last spring.
He is a carpenter by trade, but of late had
some connection with the Standard Oil
Company.
Miss Slack, who died at midnight, WAS
from Birmingham. She was to be mar
ri'sd next week. G w. Allen, who was
not dangerously wounded, is contrao-
tor. He thinks that Flanagan was in
love with his daughter Leila, and wanted
to kill the whole family because he could
not marry the child.
Flanagan retained Judge Hillyer to de-
fend him. The attorney had an inter"
view with the prisoner at the Jail tonight,
but refused to talk and he asked tho
jallor not to allow any one to see Flana.
gan.