The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-10

lOI OIIme8 Oh UNUSUAL IlCuutbuu0Sb-
Undertook to Assault His Niece and
Killed His Wife for Interfering, the
Murder of His First Intended Victim
Following Prominent Men of Business
Commit Suicide Whereabouts of MUIR
derer Butler-Crime and Catastrophe.
Brookville, KY, Jan. 9.-Robt. Laugh
lin was hanged here at 9:37 a. m.
On a farm near Augusta, Bracken
county, KY, on the night of February
Is, 1896, Robert Laughlin, tenant and
/ farm 3aborer, was guilty Of the triple
crime OF personal outrage TO his niece,
The murder Of her and his helpless wife,
Ind arson.
A jury accepted his own confession of
MS guilt and decided that he should
hang.
Robert Laughlin and his wife Sarah,
February IA, visited the family of Lee
Jones, near Augusta, and, returning,
took with them their niece, Mary Jones.
then IA years old, TO remain over night.
Everything went well in the Laug him
home and all retired in fine spirits az
the usual hour About o'clock on the
morning of February 10, Mrs. Laughlin
was awakened by a struggle and
noise from Mary's bed room, and strik-
ing light she learned that her husband
had attempted an outrage upon the girl,
and she threatened TO expose him. He
tlereupon seized the heavy poker and
struck the invalid wife dead at a single
blow. The frightened niece attempted
to escape by flight, in her night clothes.
and was laid dead at the door by a blow
In the back of the head.
Laughlin's next thought was TO burn
the house and destroy the bodies, mutt
late himself and tell the story of assault
and murder by tramps. The first part
of the plan, the burning Of the house,
he carried out promptly. He hesitated
about mutilating himself and started to
Augusta, about three miles distant, to
tell his story to w. o. Holmes. high Of
ficer of the Odd Fellows Lodge. He
changed his mind after nearly reaching
Augusta, retraced his steps and standing
near the burning house cut his neck and
side with a pocket knife, burning his
clothing, and then went to the home of
his sister, Mrs. McCracken, told his lie,
returned to his home and by the embers
repeated his story to crowds of indig-
nant people gathered there. Blood
hounds were put on the track of the
supposed tramps. They followed Laugh
Inns footsteps to near Augusta and~then
followed them back 10 the burning
house The faithful animals traced his
trail 10 the home Of his sister and fol-
lowed it back TO the scene of his crime.
The testimony of these dumb witnesses
was too much. Suspicion was fixed on
Laughlin and he was jailed at Brook
vile, where, on Sunday night, he con-
10 soly 20 Mo- 70
avoid lynching and after his trial and
conviction he was removed to Coving-
ton, KY, for safe keeping, where he re-
manned until he was brought to Brook
vile to be hanged.
In the Covington Jail his companions
and cronieS were Jackson and Walling,
murderers convicted and sentenced TO be
hanged for the murder of Pearl Bryan,
just two weeks before Laughlins crime.
Cincinnati, Jan. "a Times-Star spe-
ciai from Brookville, KY, says: The
crowd succeeded in breaking down the
enclosure before the prisoner was
brought out, so that the execution was
public. Laughlin made no confession.
USED A 44-CALIBRE.
West Superior, Wis, Jan. 9.-The life
less body OF F. f. Williams, freight
agent of the Chicago, Minneapolis and
81 raul dI west superior, was
discovered in room 211 at the West Su-
perior hotel this afternoon. In his hands
was clutched a 44-calibre revolver Will
Jams pulled the trigger with the thumb
of one hand, holding the pistol in place
against his forehead by grasping the
barrel with the other hand. No cause is
assigned for the rash act, except des-
pondency. He was to be succeeded as
agent at West Superior on January Is
but it was understood that he would
have received a position elsewhere. He
is a brother-in-law of Purchasing Agent
w. H. Wright, of the Omaha. His faith
er resides at Hudson, Wis. Williams
was about s. years old. and single. He
has been here since 1889.
A WRECK TO START WITH.
Lon du Lac, Wis, Jan. 9-OWen Fer
guson, for the past six years clerk of
Fon du Lac county, shot himself last
night twice. each time a little too high
20 hit the heart. About a year ago his
wife died; at the last election he was de-
feated for reelection TO the position of
county clerk; few months ago ne broke
his leg. and previous to that he was a
cripple. He has been drinking hard of
late. and ii is reported that he is short
In his accounts with the county. He is
still alive.
INSOMNIA AND A RAZOR.
Cincinnati, O.. Jan. 9.-Taylor Brent,
oookheeper of the Covington. XIV. Ger
man National bank, committed suicide
during the night by cutting mis- throat
with his razor, in bed. His accounts
with the bank are said to be correct and
the only cause mentioned is Temporary
insanity caused by insomnia. He was
unmarried. and was a brothe-in-law to
lob ID
fer congress in the Eighth kentucky dis
trict.
THE AUSTRALIAN HOLMES.
san Francisco. Cal. Jan. 9.-The an
nouncement in the Hawaiian papers that
the Australian murderer. Frank Butler.
had been recently seen on the streets of
is considered erroneous by the
British vice consul The latest Austral-
ian advices trace Butler to the coal docks
Of Newcastle. and show that he was
shipped from the Newcastle Sailors
Home on board the British shin Swan
hilda under the name OF Captain Lee
Waller. To have reached Honolulu AT
the time he was said to have been in
that city. IL would have been necessary
to have sailed from Australia by steam
er at date earlier than that Of the de-
parture of sailing vessel. like the Swan
nlida- Several attaches of the Sailors
Home remained on board until the
Swanhilda weighed anchor. with Rutle,.
on board He had no opportunity 10
leave the Swanhilda and sail for Homo
iulu by steamer. Swanhilda had no
sooner sailed than detectives arrived m
Newcastle bringing to the home nboto-
graphs of Butler, alias Harwood. alias
Waller, which were identified bv many
as the man who had shipped on the
swanhilda under the name OF Lee Waller.
FINISHED THE FAMILY.
GAINESVILLE, Wis. Jan. 9.-Herr,an
Stimm shot and killed his wife and s51 !
last night and then committed suicide
aniiy troubles were the cause. All
I Nraa hndiAc