The times., 1898-06-24


that is from the dining-room. He said
that he was sure about this. as ne had
difficulty in opening the door He went
into the house as soon as the neighbors
arrived, and assisted in carrying the
bodies from the storeroom TO the dining
room. He tried to get Mrs. Brooks TO tell
him how she got hurt, bat she could not
talk
Joseph Johnson. a letter carrier, lives
next door and said he was eating his
dinner in the room next 10 the side of the
house where the crime was committed.
but that he heard no sound OF a struggle
going on in the Brooks home. The walks
arc Of the usual thickness and any noise
out OF the ordinary would have been
heard. From what Larson said IL would
be supposed that some one had come in
and after getting the old couple into the
store room, murdered them and lock-
ing the door on his victims. escaped.
The Blood on the handle of the ak
shows that the murderers hands were
covered with II and would have I2ft
traces on the dock and the door in closing
It, as the hinges were old and worked
with some difficulty. There was not
trace of blood on the door jamb or in
its vicinity. 4 window in the room was
raised, but a close examination failed to
disclose any evidence of person pass
ing through it.
Maggie Brooks, a daughter of the un-
| fortunate pair, left the house at o'clock
to visit some neighbers and did not re-
turn till she was sent for after the bod
les were carried out
She said that she had raised the win
dow in the dining-room before she left
home. She said that her mother had
large sum of money on her person. the
result OF many years savings Mrs.
Brooks would not trust any banking in
stitution and preferred to keep her
money hidden away about her person.
With this end in view her dresses all had
false pockets in them, and she was in
the habit of wearing what is known as
money belt around her waist beneath
! her clothing. The money for immediate
use she kept in a drawer in the side
| board IN the dining-room, and the key to
| this drawer was supposed TO be hanging
around her neck all the time.
Neithsr the money nor the key was
found on her body, although a careful
search was made by the police and the
authorities at the hospital The drawer
in the sideboard was opened with a key
that was found upstairs by Mrs. Brown,
l another daughter, but only two or three
dollars in, small change was found
Miss Maggie said that her mother was
very careful about letting anyone see her
count the money, which she did very
I OANNA4s anu O4ANS Ms4t4A i4N4 udu5llGI udu
come into the room, and found her hand
ling roll OF bills. the old lady refused to
! count any further until the young woman
] left the room. She then had counted out
about eight hundred dollars There was
at least nine hundred and probably q
/ thousand dollars In the house yesterday
! morning. The house was thoroughly
| searched but the police were unable to
| ind cent other than that in the side
( board.
1 The theory of the police is that Brooks
| tried to commit suicide and in trying TO
! stop him both he and his wife received
| their Injuries.
T! This is based on the fact that Mr..
! Brooks had been i'll for about three
/ months and had lost his position as
/ watchman at the War Department in con-
| sequence. During this time he has re-
peatedly attempted suicide and his daugh-
! ters have taken away from him at differ
ent times ropes with which he was going
! to hang himself, a razor and the ak
! which was used yesterday The police
| think that the old man tried to commit
! suicide and his wife, hearing the noise,
| attempted to stop him and in doing so
| received the cuts on the head When the
| bodies were found, the ak was lying be-
/ side the woman as if it had dropped from
/ her left hand. They discredit the theory
| that there was a sum of money in the
| house, and assert that, to the contrary,
| Mrs. Brooks applied to the stationkeeper
/ two weeks ago for the address of the
nearest physician TO the poor, as she
wanted to summon him to attend her
husband. Another thing they advance in
support of this theory is the fact that
! Mrs Brooks was seen at $50 by Mrs
/ Laura E. Chamberlain, who was return
| ing from work at that time and passed
/ the house. Mrs. Brooks was in the front
/ yard at the time. Mrs. Chamberlain lives
at No. 924 Twenty-second Street,
| Detective Phillips is detailed on the
| case, ard a careful investigation of the
/ whole affair will be made. The body of
| the dead man was removed to the morgue
| and the coroner will hold an inquest there
| at o'clock this afternoon
| The head of the dead man was COM
! pletely beaten in, and it is thought that
he may have been hit by the blunt side
! of the weapon Brooks was a veteran
| of the Civil War and drew a pension Of
! s12 month. Up to the 1st of January
| he held position as watchman in the
| War Department where he had been en-
| Ill