, 1897-04-15
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
ENACTED BY A BACHELOR OF 65
YEARS AT PASCOAG, RHODE
ISLAND.
Husband, Wife and Daughter Brutally
Murdered and the House Then Set
on Fire-The Murderer Arrested in
a Barn But He Has Become a Jib-
bering Idiot.

at the home of Edward Reynolds, on tn,
Elisha Matthewson place neal Swee
Hill, in the town OF Oakland.
Mrs. Reynolds, her husband ant
adopted daughter, Servilla, were brutal
ly murdered and the house was her Sc
on fire. presumably to cover the crime
Martin Mowery, the hired man employ.
ed by the Reynolds. who is undoubtedly
a raving maniac, was found hiding In {
barn ear Oakland, and was at once
placed under arrest. The neighbors
were aroused by the fire. On reaching
the house it was found securely fasten-
ed, with doors bolted and windows lock.
ed. They forced an entrance, and in sc
doing found evidence Of a murder, with
arson to hide the crime. Mrs. Reynohs's
body, mutilated and b~loodstained, was
taken from her bed by those who were
the first to enter the house. The flames
from the part of the house burning
spread so quickly 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
charred bodies of Mr.. Reynolds and the
young girl were found.
In the meantime the local and state
police had bene 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 saturated with coal
oil thoroughly, so that the flames spread
with marvellous rapidity, 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 the appearance Of her body, a bru-
tai murder had been committed. The
head had been crushed in, and the upper
part Of the body was horribly mutilated.
Those who brought out the body say
the bed which she occupied was covered
with blood. An attempt was made to
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
! his DON to alarm him. The room was
e.-'v. and. from the hasty examination
that could be made, 1t was evident that
the bed had not been disturbed.
The bed clothing. as well as the floor
leading to the door, had been saturated
with kerosene. An empty oil can was
found in the room. Mowery's trunk and
a box belonging to him were open, and
his clothing was strewn about the floor.
A careful search for him was begun, and
he was found hiding in a barn near
Harrisville, chattering and laughing like
a maniac. Mowery is a bachelor, about
IS years Of age.
From the position OF the bodies it is
believed 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. At that
time Miss Reyonlds was probably kill
ed.
The murderer, it is supposed, 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. He then went to Buffum's barn.
The revolver with two chambers empty,
was found in his possession, and an emp
ty oil can was found in Mowery's apart
ments.
Mowery was willing to talk after his
arrest, but from his appearance and
manner OF expression 1t seemed clear
that he was insane.
This afternoon Medical Examiner
| Wilcox held an autopsy on the three
victims Of the tragedy. The body Of Mr..
Reynolds was so badly disfgured as to
be unacceptable, while that OF Miss
! Reyonlds was identified by the head.
The doctors made a careful examina-
ton Of the body of Mrs. Reynolds and
found a deep wound on the head, made
by the butt Of a musket, while there were
no less than seven bayonet wounds on
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. The bayonet fitted the wounds ex-
actly. The entire left side Of the body
Of Mrs. Reynolds was shattered. all the
ribs being broken, while there were
bruises on other parts Of the body.
Immediately after autopsy had been
completed, Judge Spear Of the district
court signed a warrant for the arrest OF
Mowery, and he was at once brought
into court for arrangement. After the
customary preliminaries Mowery was
charged with the murder Of all three per-
sons, and. upon the advice Of his coun-
eel, pleaded guilty. He ~ then com
United to Jail without bail to ewait the
preliminary trial on April n.
The only thing like = confession made
b. 1Gowsry tontght was vh0 d.. VIII