Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-05-06
WOMEN TARRED.
Moral Reformers In Weston, W. Va.
M-Treat a Couple of Females.
AWFUL WORK OF A DAKOTA FIEyD.
Pittsburgh, Pa, Visited by Big Conflsgrs-
ti0n-A Man Kills Ills Aged Mother
An Incendiary Fire In MIN.
Ing Town.

WESTON, W. Va, May 3.-This city
was the scene of the most fendish out.
rage that ever disgraced the history OF
West Virginia, and which will prob.
ably result in murder. Some weeks
ago two young women came here from
Clarksburg and took up their abode in
the outskirts. Their names are Ida
Duncan and Bertha Merriman. In a
few days it became noised about that
they were not Of good character. The
rumors took on more Objectionable
features, and Saturday nighta party OF
men got together, secured bucket Of
tar and proceeded to the women's home
TO drive them out Of the city. They
broke open the doors, heated the tar,
stripped the women and applied II
with brushes to the bare bodies. The
women screamed for mercy, as the
scalding tar was applied, but the 20
masked brutes did not desist until
their victims were covered almost from
head to foot. The tar blistered the
skin almost every place IT touched, and
when charitable persons, attracted by
the women's sorry plight, attempted to
remove it, great patches Of skin came
with 1t. Physicians are doing all in
their power for the women, but there
II little hope Of saving Bertha Merri-
mans life, her condition being terrible.
Miss Duncan may survive, but she is
suffering awful agony from the burns
and the shock she sustained. There is
no definite clew to the perpetrators of
the outrage, and no arrests have been
made. Officers are at work.
AWFUL WORK OF A DAKOTA FlEND.
LARIMoRE. N. d., May "a double
murder took place ut the residence Of
Knute Hillstead, prominent farmer
residing eight miles west Of here, at
one o'clock this morning. August Nor
man, young man well known in this
section who had been making his home
ut Hillstead's, off ind on, came there
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Hillstead be-
Ing absent, he wanted to stay all night
About one o'clock Norman went to
Mrs. llillstead's room and de-
admission, She blocked
the door, and he said he would
kill all the family If she did not
admit him. She refused, and Norman
procured razor, went up stairs and
cut the throat of Peter X IIilstead,
aged Is. He then went down stairs
md tried to get into Mrs. llillsteads
room again, but she had blocked the
door, He then proceeded to carve the
son, Thomas after which
he cut the throats of Adolph and Oscar,
aged II and three. lie then forced his
way into Mrs llillstcnd's bedroom and
assaulted her, promising to not kill
her and the two little girls. The two
oldest sons are still alive, with but
little hopes of recovery. After doing
the murders he stole one of the horses
md is still ut large.
A Bld BLAZE.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, May 3.-The great
,st fire that has visited this city since
The memorable one of 1S4j started
shortly after midnight in the immense
grocery establishment of
G. Jenkins on Penn avenue and
streets. Three large blocks,
extending from Liberty to Penn avenue
and from Fifth street to Sixth street,
have been reduced to smoldering ruins,
The loss will be between 50, O00, 600 and
30, 900, 900, and is well covered by insur-
ance. Among the buildings destroyed
are Jenkins wholesale grocery cstab-
lishment, Horne's six story dry goods
Ilorne's office building,
the Duquesne theater and the Metho-
dist book concern. A number of fire.
men were injured by falling walls and
live wires
MURDERED HIS MOTHER.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, May 3.-News has
reached the city of brutal murder
that occurred about two miles from
Blue Point, Ark. Alvin Byley, u white
man, % years of age, is the murderer
md his victim was his aged mother.
Byley, after dealing the death blow,
armed himself with Winchester,
placed his wife and child in n skitf
and pushed out into the overflow. He
has not been heard from since.
AN INCENDlARy FIRE.
NANTlcoKE, Pa., May "A disas-
trous fire occurred at Glen Lion IL min
ing town five miles from Nanticoke,
yesterday. 1t originated in Kennedy's
hotel. The fire was the work of an in.
cendiary. But for the heavy rain the
whole town would have been de.
stroyed. The inmates of the hotel
narrowly escaped with their lives.
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