The herald., 1897-04-15
Kills the Family Which
Employs Him
WAS METHOD IN HIS MADNESS
SOUGHT TO DESTROY ALL THE
EVIDENCE
An Aged New Jersey Farm Hand
Kills a Whole Family and
Then Attempts Suicide
Associated Press Special Wire.

|
PASCOAG, R l., April 14-A horrible
tragedy was enacted early 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. Servilla, Here brutal
| ly murdered and the house was then set
on fire, presumably to cover the crime.
\ Martin Mowery. the hired man employ
| ed by Reynolds, who is undoubtedly
| raving maniac. was found hiding in
| barn near Oakland and at once placed
under arrest. The neighbors were
| aroused by the fire. On reaching the
house il was found securely fastened,
with doors bolted and windows locked.
They forced an entrance and in so do
| ing found evidence of murder with ar
son to hide the crime. Mrs. Reynolds
body, mutilated and blood-stained, 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 foy the
other members of the family who were
Hours afterwards, when the ruins of the
house had sufficiently cooled. the charred
remains of Mr.. Reynolds and the young
girl were found. In the meantime the
local and state police had been search
ing for Mowery the hired man, and he
was found in the barn chattering unin-
telligibly.
The neighbors who first arrived found
4. l@Ax t,,ro taI x.ith
coal oil thoroughly, so that the flames
spread with marvellous rapidity, and
they had only time to take Mrs. Reyn-
olds' body out before that section of the
house was in a blaze. From what could
be judged from the appearance of her
body, a brutal murder had bden COM
mitted. The head had beep crushed in,
evidently by an ak, and the upper part
of the body was horribly mutilated. The
bed she occupied was covered with blood.
An attempt was made to locate Reyn-
olds body but it did not appear to be in
the room.
Martin Mowery, the man who worked
for the Reynolds, slept in another part
of the house, and the villagers hurried
to his room to alarm him. The room was
empty and from the hasty examination
| that could be made 1t was discovered
that the bed had not been disturbed. The
bedclothng as we'll as the floor leading
to the door, had been covered with kerr
osene. An empty oil can was found in
the room. Mowery's trunk and box
belonging 70 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 bachelor abou.
65 years of age
From the position of the bodies 1t ap-
pears 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 supposed, then
went to Mrs. Reynolds, and after stab
| bing 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 possession
and an empty oil can was found in Now
ery's apartments.
Mowery was willing to talk after his
arrest, but from his appearance and
manner of expression it seemed clear
| that he was insane
This afternoon Medical Examiner Will
| cox held an autopsy on the three victims
of the tragedy.
The doctors made a careful examina-
| ton of the body of Mrs. Reynolds and
found a deep wound in the head made by
the butt of musket. while there were nc
less than seven bayonet wounds on the
body.
The musket and bayonet were found
in the ruins of the fire and are known to
be the property of Mowery.
| Immediately after the autopsy had
been completed Judge Spear OF the dis
trict court signed a warrant for the ar
rest of Mowery and he was at once
brought into court for arraignment. He
pleaded not guilty and was committed
TO iail without bail to await the prelim-
mary trial on April 21.
The only thing like confession made
bv Mowery tonight was when DR.. Will
cox told him he proposed to etherize him
and then extract the bullet which is now
in his head Mowery said: Il won't be
etherized. You think If you get me that
way I will tell my whole story"
>>>-