The Flagstaff sun-democrat. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1896-1897, 1897-03-25
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
The Crime Of Morose Farmer In
Ray County, Mo.
he WIPES OUT FIVE HUMAN LIVES.
HIS Wife, His Mother-in-Law, Step
Daughter and y step-Brother Shot
to Death and the Murder
err Then Suicides.


evening near the little village OF Or
rick In Ray county, Mo. Bee Rain
water, farmer of morose and jealous
disposition, cruelty murdered his wife,
his mother-in-law, one of his wife's
children by former marriage and a
step-brother and then made good end
ing OF his awful work by blowing out
his own brains. The dead are: Bee
kainwater, the murderer and suicide;
Mrs. Bee Rainwater; Mrs. William Art
man, Mrs. Rainwater's mother; John
Thurman, son Of Mrs. Artman and
step-brother Of the murderer, and
Fanny Gentry, the murderer's step
daughter.
The Rainwaters and the Artmans
live within a quarter of mile of each
other near the bank of the Missouri
river, about three miles south of Or
rick. Last week Mrs. Artman became
Ill and sent for her daughter, Mrs.
Rainwater, to come and stay with her.
saturday night Rainwater went over
from his place to the Artman house to
visit his wife and children. He greeted
them atfectionately, his manner giving
them no idea of his murderous mood.
After he had been in the house little
while, he proposed to Johnny Thur
man, his wife's brother, that they go
to church. They went and were absent
about an hour, when they returned.
Rainwater was annoyed by some dogs
barking in the orchard and said to Thur
man: Johnny, let's kill those dogs"
Thurman took shotgun and Rain
water revolver and they left the
house. When they had gone about so
yards Rainwater, without having said
q word, stepped behind Thurman and
placing the revolver to his head sent a
bullet crashing through his brain.
Maddened by this first taste of blood,
Rainwatcr hurried back to the house
where his upsuspecting victims were all
in bed. In one bed were Mr.. Artman and
his wife; in another bed in the same
room Mrs. Rainwater, Fannie Gentry
and ten-year-old daughter of Mrs.
Artman. Rainwater had brought back
the gun which Thurman had taken out
and this he leveled at Mrs. Artman's
head, saying: "Tve got you all now"
Mrs. Artman threw up her hands as
Bainwater fred, the charge of shot
carrying off every one of her fingers
and the right side Of her head; turn
ing around, he literally blew his wife's
head off with the other barrel of his
gun, scattering her brains over the
wall.
Drawing revolver from his pocket,
he fred twice at Fannie Gentry, one
bullet penetrating her brain and one
piercing through her lungs. For some
nnaccountable reason he spared Mr..
Artman and the younger Artman girl.
into the front room of the
house the murderer coolly reloaded
both barrels of his gun and went out
INTO the orchard again. Here he met |
Thurman, still alive, and crawling to-
ward the house. He fred two more
shots into Thurman's brain, and then
yoing few feet further, he leaned |
eaned against the fence Of the orchard |
Ind, placing the muzzle of the gun
against his head, blew out his own
,rains.
William Artman, father-in-law of the |
murderer, was in bed with his wife
when the first shot was fred, and got |
Up. He says when Rainwater came
INTO the room he knew something aw-
ul had happened, and his son-in-law
old him not to be afraid, as he had
Nothing against him. Further than
his, the old man says: at was all
lone so quickly that could hardly re-
'i1ze what was happening As soon
IS ne recovered from the awful shock
lie ran to his nearest neighbors and
ave the alarm. An inquest was held
yesterday morning and verdict rem
lered In accordance with the above
acts.