The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-18
ALL THE FAMILY SLAIN.
h, y,sERlBLE COUPLE DIE WITH
= TurJR MURDERED CHILDREN.

,,oh ncither OF them was in fault, John Her
w., uattb, ws and his wife Minnie, who nfteon
L.. AGO promised before the altar love and
sS.iI,v while life should last, agreed to die to-
ns,hnr. and they carried out their agreement
tt..,.rdoy. Unwilling to leave their two chill
49, "to suffer and fight life alone" as the
.o,her wrote, they doomed them to tho Same
a.. Death camo by the hand Of the husband
I'D father. After turning on the gas In their
Garments behind his grocery at 42G Columbus
.,orue no waited until his wife and children
-.re unconscious, then killed them with a
hotchet as they lay. With their blood on his
hands he sat down and wrote his last note. and
,b,p shot himself t~wice-once In the head and
once In the breast
when the police broke into the place yestor.
,,rday morning It was like q shambles. All the
,ic,ims had been dead several hours. and the
,.,tcrs found in tho front room of tho apart
mcnts told the whole pitoous story. James
Ford. one of tho clerks In the store, when no
,,me to open up at q o'clock yesterday morning
,meued gas. An attempt to get into the living
,n,rtmcnts of the Matthewses proving futile, no
,.,,ed Policeman vliet. who broke open the
door and staggered back as the gas flowed out.
when the air was partly cleared both men won't
In In the front room, used as q parlor, there
was no confusion. Several letters lay on the
table. and standing near were two empty cham
n.pne bottles. 1t was in the bedroom adjoining
tba, the tragedy was disclosed.
Nm the floor lay tho body of Matthews, naked
N The waist. There was n bullet holo in the loft
breast over tho heart and the face was hardly
recognizable, for a bullet from the pistol pressed
into the mouth had shattered 1t. The body Of
Mrs. Matthews lay in tho bed. The head had
been hacked to pieces. The. bed in which 13-
rearold Hattie slept stands in an alcove. The
rirl had been killed as her mother was. and 80
had her brother Schuyler, who was two years
Younger. In each case there had been a terrible
,borourbness about the work. Life could not
have fingered five minutes after those crushing
blows had been struck. The. burner had been
wrenched from the side,wail gas fixture; ana
ooiicer turned 1t Off. Then. tho two men. sick
and half ~fainting, staggered out into the open
fFi Wo tae WV west aa o sixty Sehs Il street station.
and the Investigation began.
Evidences were plentiful of the predetermined
nature of the killing. First there was found on
he table in the outer room this letter, written
in pencil with n steady hand:
"Msssrs. Ford and Johnson.
then sell tho store and fixtures and pay for
burial. which should be inexpensive. There are
not more than q few outstanding, accounts.
Then to yourselves each take $50 and give, the
balance 20 the landlord. You should be able TO
close it up in a week. Please deliyer household
goods to- the person 70 NV, %h g sns Mrs, mesaenSss
b sent to Mrs. George Reid, at 702 East, 10th
street. with the little package on the desk; also
Tilford. Twenty-1rst street and Broad way.
Give Schuyler's bicycle to George Reid. which
store. JONI MATTHEws."
william johnson is Ford's fellow clerk in the
store. Besides tho package, referred to; there
was q letter addressed to Mrs. George Reid In
Mrs. Matthews's i'll health. speaking bitterly of
'"this terrible disease and the operation that
has left me less than a woman" and said In part;
than this: We are both tired of life. as we can't
act well. My Matthews as well as myself is
not well, norhas been for years. tho he looks
healthy. May ask you, as a last favor. to come
and see that the proper thing is done for us and
no strangers allowed to enter al, and cape; r NY
some time during, the day from Poughkeepsiie;
II you will take charge OF us until then l will
DO much obliged to you. Ihave laid out o few
want Hattie in white and flowers. and my
dear little man in q now suit II necessary.
can never and viii not leave them TO suffer and
light life alone. 1t Is our right; and We feel we
our jewelry upon us.,llockets and rings. and the
This was signed minnie Matthews" An.
other letter to a cousin by marriage. Mrs; Lily
Lanfer, was to the same general effect. and less
In detail as regards the writer's sufferingsf from
the disease that wrecked her life. To her cousin
"
my DEAR COUSIN JOHN: This will doubtless
Ing Judgment upon us. No one knows how we
have suffered. and can't seem to get well; Her.
man as well as i. perhaps more. He has been g
life, for all he has had no wife for years, and it
istelling on him. We are sick and tired Of life.
nor will Herman leave them. 1t is no coward
that will take his own life. 1t is very hard to
The reat NJ ,bja noto ra,otoa 70 nriroto fapilv
Affairs. It is signed Minnie? Near the end
+ !. f bnpisa r. a. H;c urgent request THAT that The re- bodies Mbfs
thews's family lives. On the same table was q
letter to n Mr.. and Mrs. Ira Gonzales of Texas
In Matthew'S writing, and near 1t these refiec.
to no one, but signed ~ p H. NJ" L
No healthy man or woman can commit sui
s sN 6d tsE% poverty or business Ieyerses. HE'S
within him. My wonder Is that suicide is not
more common. 1t seems to me a wonderful pro-
life is burdensOmc."
Finally there was found, on a pad of business
writing paper, sinearcd with blood and with the
impress OF q bloody thumb upon It,, this, note
written by Matthews after he had killed all his
oh. the horrible thing I have to do to keep
ny word l promised that ell should go, and
the gas was no good. If could only have died
Alone ! loved my wife and children. 1 told
mind was gone, and I guess my nerve is all that
was lott. For five years we have talked 1t over.
taI"a.s Whhud 10 go IN q boat ana have IL cap
sae accidentally. knew that otherwise / would
nave a hard time OF It,"
by these letters and the evidence OF the room,
ne whole tragedy WAS unfolded. The two empty
Slampagne bottles told of the preparation.
matthews and his wife had nerved themselves
Up TO the deed. The children werc already In
oedi Mrs. Matthews. bidding her husband fare
MWel, went to her bed. and he wrenched off
,ne sas burner. Brt tho action OF the R's was
700 SLOW, or perhaps his wife and tho children
tloaheu ana tossed ms they wero being poisoned
~ me FUMES, and he could not hear the sight.
ne hau thrown Oft his coat and waistcoat. and
INV rolling up his sleeves, he went and got the
mlchet. Undoubtedly the woman and children
were sLNpehed before the blows were struck. 1t
W, ~ NJ over In Q minutes space. Matthews.
"iuoWer ana chi!dlcss, dropped the hatchet,
ssUU,Ss OF MS oiood'stained shirt and undershirt,
~ lhrew them into the bathroom. Then no
ttanG ouI ana wrote the note telling of his keep
%s tne promise made. Another slip OF paper
Tsdis inc figures "2:3O." Perhaps that was
Mg Time OF the, killing. Two shots from his re-
~ finished the nights work. The bodies
Try coia when they we're found at g o'clock.
NJ answer to n telegram from Capt. Price,
~s hIorse Held, to whom one of the letters
III a. audressed, came to the place. She opened
, ny p"gkage addressed to her and found in IL
v%S ciothing and n small dictionary.
e NJ, ms Is a most terrible shock to me-" said
en NJ heid;" know that Mr.. Matthews had
NJ talked or suicide. Ho had seemed TO have
hasss III himng IN mat direction over since he fell and
Iinssna ~ mean several years ago. Then mis- wifc's
h avan ana trouble preyed upon him.. But l
N'onnurehLncd that he could Der6ualc Minnie To