Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-01-20
TERRIBLE CRIME REVEALED.
John Matthews and His Family
Found Dead In New Yofk.


-
AIRS. Matthews Muh Tier Two children
Chopped TO Druth l,y Her nuSband-s
eide of the Murderer " lie aud II usband
Had Made an Agreement to ptr.
Nav York. Jan. II, -.Jnhn Matthews,
retail grocer, soma time hetweon last
Saturday AMI this morning, murdered
bis vito and their two children, hoy
10 years old and girl II years old, by
hacking them to death with R hatrhet.
Matthews then committed suicide by
shooting himself in the head. before
dying, il ia heliavad, that he turned
the gas on, with the intent that aRphyxi-
alton should complete his murderous
work. The crime waH committed in
small bedroom in tho renr OF the store
kept by Matthews This wife and her
two children met death while RHleeE.
1t 10 supposed that Matthews had he'
come despcndent from pecuniary dill.
rulties.
The tragedy was discovered through
the odor of escaping gas. which
prompted watchman who waa max
ing his rnunds early to day, to call a
policemen. On the floor of the sleep
ing room, the officer found the corpse
OF Matthews. In his hanh was re.
vulyeF, aud there was bullet hols just
above his mouth.
ihora we're two beds in the room.
On una nf these bsds lay Matthews
wife. lier head was chopped and
mangled aImont beyond recognition.
On this other bed. the two children lay
Ritlo by side. Their faces, too, were
frightfnlly cut and hacknd. The hlnod
stains made tho little room look like Il
elaughterhouse.
That tho murders aud suicide were
prsmeditated was eviilent. Matthews
had waited until his vile and children
were asleep. Then he stripped himself
TO tho waist, took the Ratchet in his
hand and Drained his wife. After that
he attacked his children. From letters
left il was ascertainei that, for some
| time. he had bean intending to end his
ava life. lie had been in the dry goods
business further up town, anu had
failed, a few months ago hu opened
tho grocery store, aud had met with
little succnss. His wife, a pretty little
woman, had recently undergone a
severe operation. 1t vas these things
evidently that PROMPTED Matthews 10
write this letter, which was found open
and unaidressetl: mo healthy man
or woman can commit suicide from
poverty or business reyersas. He is Sc
healthy that hope ard activity are
boiling rampant within him. My
wonner ia that suicide ia not more
common. 1t seems to me wonderful
provision Of nature that man nsed
not live when life is bur1enaume.
Another letter. apparently written
| intar trna nc F,.l N,sI L. n sarril,l n
thing have to do. to kesp my word.
| and delay ia NJ good. III ! could only
two children. | told them did not
want to go in any business. that my
mind was gone, ard guess that my
We have talked the thing over. | always
wanted to go in a boat and accidentally
capsize. | knew that otherwise | would
have hard time OF it,"
From letter left by Mrs. Matthews
to friend. it was gathered that she
was party to suicide agreement.
She wrote as fnlows: "Ilsrman ia
| going to die, and ! am going with him,
and we are going TO take our darlings
with u.s.
Herman" is supposed to mean
Matthews.
From ether letters the impression
was gained that Mrs. Matthews, driven
to desperation by the serious effect of
the operation which abe had undergone,
had even urged Matthews to kill him
self, and that, from time to tine, be
had put off the execution of their plans.
Mira. Matthews had even left in
structions as TO the clothes in winch
the children should be buried, ant
signifisd as tho place of interment fol
tho entire family Highland. N. y,
where she was born and lived during
her sirlhood. Matthews was 80 ears old