The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-15
MURDERED AND BURNED
HORRIBLE DEED COMMITTED BY A
RHODE ISLAND MANIAC.
Farmer, Wife and Adopted Daughter
Killed and Their House Fired
by n Hired Man.

PASCOAG, r. l., April IA horrible
tragedy was enacted early this morning at
the home Of Edward Reynolds, on the
Elisha Matthewson place, near SweethiIl,
in the town of Oakland. Mrs. Reynolds,
her husband and an adopted daughter, Ser
villa, were brutally murdered and the house
was then set on fire, presumably to cover
the crime. Martin Mowry, the hired man.
employed by the Reynolds who is undotbt-
edly raving maniac was found hiding in
a barn near Oakland, and at once placed
under arrest
The neighbors were aroused by the fire
On reaching the house IL was found Sc
curely fastened, with doors bolted and win
dows locked. They effected an entrance
and In SO doing found evidence of a mur-
der, with arson to hide the crime Mrs
Reynolds's 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 for the
other members of the family who were sup
posed TO be there, could not be made.
Hours afterwards, when the ruins of the
house had sufficiently cooled, the charred
bodies of Mr.. Reynolds and the young girl
were found. In the meantime the local and
state police had been searching for Mowry.
the hired man, and he was found in the
barn. chattering uninteligibly
When the neighbors who had been
aroused by the fire went TO the REYNOLDS
house this morning they found that the
flames were confined to one part of the
house. The house was securely fastened
the doors being bolted and locked and
every window closed tightly, so that they
were compelled to burst open the door to
gain admittance. The house had been
saturated with kerosene thoroughly, and
the flames spread with marvellous rapidity.
The rescuers attempted to reach that part
OF the house where the Reynolds family
slept but were driven back quickly that
they had only time to take Mrs. Reynolds S
body out before that section of the house
was in a blaze. From what could be Judged
by the appearance of her body "a brutal
murder had been committed. The head had
been crushed In, evidently by an AK, and
the upper part OF the body was horribly
mutilated. Those who brought out the
covered with blood. An attempt was made
To locate Reynolds's body, but il did not
that he had been alarmed by a noise and
had left the room and had met his death
IN IN another part of the house. 1t is stated
bears out this theory
Martin Mowry. 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 examination that could be
made, it WIS evident that the bed had NOT
been disturbed. The bed clothing as well
as the floor leading to the door had been
saturated with some liquid supposed to be
Kerosene. Mowrys trunk and box belong
ing to him were open and his clothing was
strewn about the floor. 1t was intimated
that his body might be i'm the ruins but
this seemed improbable, in view of the sus-
for him was begun and he was found hid
ing in barn near Harrisville. chattering
and laughing like a maniac. Farmer Buff
fun seized the maniac and gave him up TO
one of the posse searching for him. Mowry
Is n bachelor, about sixty-five years of age.
From the position of the bodies il is be-
lieved 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. il is supposed, then went to
Mrs Reynolds's room and. after stabbing
her twice in the face, battered her head in
with some blunt weapon. When Mowry
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 Buff
fumS s farm. The revolver, with two cham
bers empty, was found i'm his possession
and an empty oil can was found I'm Mowrv's
apartments. Mowry was willing TO talk
after his arrest, but from his appearance
and manner of expression il seemed clear
that he was insane.