The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-15

the young gfrl were found In the
meantime the local and state police
had been searching for Mowery, the
hired man, who was found in the barn,
chattering unintelligibly. The people
who first arrived at the Reynolds house
found that the house had been satur-
ated with coal oil so that the flames
could spread rapidly and they had only
time to take Mrs. Reynolds body out
before that section was ablaze. From
what could be learned from the appear
ance of her body a. cruel murder had
been committed. The head had been
crushed by an ak and the upper part
of the body was horribly mutilated.
Those who brought out the body say
the bed 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 room to alarm him. The room was
empty, and from the haSty eXamina-
ton that could be made it 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
bachelor, about 65 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 Reynolds was
probably killed.
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 attempt. He then went to Buffum' S
barn. The revolver with two chambers
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.
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 I'M
| recognize BILE, while that of Miss Rey-
| nOlds was identified by the head. The
| doctors made a careful examination of
: the body of Mrs. Reynolds and found
! a deep wound on the head, made by
the butt end of a musket, while there
| We're no less than seven bayOnet
| wounds in the body. The bayOnet and
| gun were both found in the room and
| the bayOnet fitted the wounds
Immediately after the autopsy had
| been completed Judge Speer of the
| district court signed a warrant for the
| arrest of MOwery and he was at once
| brought into court for arraignment
| After the customary prcliminaries
! Mowery was charged with the murder
| of all three persons and upon advice OF
! his counsel he pleaded not guilty. He
| was then committed to jail without
| bail to await the preliminary trial OF
| April 81 The only thing like a con-
| fession made by MOwery last night
was when DR.. Wilcox told him he pro-
| posed to etherize him and extract the
| bullet which is now in his head Now
cry said: II won't be etherized- You