Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-22
DEVIL POSSESSED
Must Have Been the Man Who
Did This Slaughter.
SHOOTS TO DEATH FOUR PERSONS,

Of His Murder Of . Boy-HanginG Of
jackson and walling-wm Wood To n.
Prosecuted by Theie Friends.
Richmond. Mo-, March GA tragedy
resulting in the death of five members
of one family is reported from Orrick. q
small village thirty-five miles south OF
here. B. Rainwater, a farmer, shot and
killed his wife: his mother-in-law, Mrs,
William Artman; his brother-in-law.
Johnnie Artman, and his little step
daughter. Ethel Gentry. Then after 50
nearly exterminating q whole family
the murderer blew on the top Of his own
head. dying instantly.
The tragedy occurred before midnieht
Saturday at the home Of William Art
man. sr.. father-in-law Of the murder
er. The two families lived a quarter of
mile apart on the bank of the Missouri
river. three miles south of Orrick. Last
week Mrs. Artman was taken sick and
sent for her daughter to come and stay
with her. Ethel Gentry. Mrs. Rain
waters little daughter by a former hus-
band. went with her mother.
The Way He Began His Develtry.
On Saturday evening Rainwater, who
had been alone at home for several
days. went over to the Artman house
to spend the night. During the evening
he went to church with his young
brother-in-law. Johnnie Artman, and
upon their return he appeared in good
humor. At bedtime Rainwater proposed
to young Artman that they should go
outside and shoot come dogs that were
barking there Artman consenting they
took shotgun and a revolver and went
out. They had gone but fifty yards
from the house when Rainwater, who
was walking behind the boy. levelled his
shotgun and shot young Artman in the
back. Then he reloaded the discharged
barrel. Leaving the boy for dead Rain
water returned to the house, where all
the other members Of the family were
by this time in bed.
Makes the House Q Slaughter Pen.
In one big room Mr. and Mrs Artman,
Mrs. Rainwater and her daughter Fam
ME Gentry and a 10-year-old daughter
OF Artman were in bed. Entering the
room and levelling his gun at the aged
Mistress Artman, the murderer shouted:
Damn you; I've got you all now" Mrs.
Artman threw up her hand as he fired
The charge tore off her fingers and car
rted away one side Of her head. She
was instantly killed. Turning around,
he literally blew his wife's head Off with
the other charge in the shotgun. Then
drawing revolver the murderer fired
two bullets into the body Of Fannie
Gentry. one passing through her lungs
and the other entering the brain. She,
too, died instantly. For some unknown
reason Rainwater spared the aged Mr.
Artman and the young Artman girl.
Finally Cheats the Hangman.
The murderer deliberately reloaded
both barrels of the shotgun and went
out into the yard. There he encountered
Johnnie Artman, whom he had left for
dead. The boy had crawied almost to
the door. Rainwater killed him with
another charge Of buckshot, which tore
of part of the boys head. The mur-
derer completed his most horrible crime
by leaning upon q fence and, with the
charge Of buckshot remaining in the
gun. blowing off the top of his own
head.
Rainwater had been considered 1eaI-
Gus OF his wife. and had frequently
quarreiled with her, but there had been
nothing in his conduct to warn his fam
lily OF his murderous intentions.