Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-24
A BRUTAL MURDER
Vim, H. Brooks Killed
at His Home.
HIS WIFE ALSO ASSAULTED
She Lies Now at the Emer-
gency Hospital.
her CONDITION is SERIOUS
RER CONDITION is SERIOUS
Robert Funk is Suspected as Hay-
ing Committed the Deed.
THE CORONER'S INQUEST

horrible tragedy was enacted at No 9i4
I'D street northwest about o'clock yester-
| day afternoon, William II. Brooks, a vet
| eran OF the late war and seventy-three
years old, dying soon after an AK had been
| used on his head. and his wife Martha
| slxty-five years old, receiving terrible in
| juries from blows inflicted with the same
weapon. Mrs. Brooks is in the Emergency
| Hospital, and it is said nothing short of a
| miracle can save her life. The police be-
| lieve that robbery was the motive which
| impelled the killing, and the detectives are
| doing their best to cause the arrest of Rob-
| ert Funk, carpenter, who is charged with
the crime. Funk's wife and child live on
Wood street, Philadelphia, and his father
and other relatives live in Baltimore.
Daughters of the victims have reported
that their mother had between $50 and
sloO0 tied in false pocket about herswaist
This money. they say. is missing, as are
the false pockets. kilograms asking for
| the arrest of Funk have been sent to the
| police authorities in different cities and In
| spector Mattingiy is doing everything in
his power to have him apprehended.
Popular Among Ncfghbors.
"Pappy'' and Nanny" Brooks. as the
cid people were familiarly known to their
relatives and reighbors, had not an enemy
in the world, far any one knows.
They were extremely kind-hearted, and
were highly respected by all who knew
them. Yesterday afternoon as late as $50
o'clock Mrs. Brooks was in front of her
house, watering some plants. Half an hour
later she found in little store room
in the rear. on the first floor, unconscious.
Her husband was in the same little room
and life left his body before he could be
moved from where the terrible crime had
been committed.
DR.. Morhart, from the Emergency Hos
pital, who came hurr;edly in response to a
summons. pronounced the man dead. lie
had Mrs. Brooks Ilaced in the ambulance
without delay. and she was soon on the
operating table in the hospital.
George Larson, a friend of the Brooks
family, is the man who made the dis
covery of the crime. while one Of the neigh
bors heard the groans of one of the victims
from her house
Attracted by GrOans.
Larson called at the house few minutes
after O. clock. He was SO well acquainted
that he entered without the formality OF
ringing the bell or knocking on the door.
He found nobody in the parlor or dining
room, and thought he would wait few
minutes, but before anybody appeared he
heard groans in the little room In the rear
of the dwelling. Going to the door. he
found ii securely bolted on the outside
Pulling back the bolt, he opened the door,
and was Mortified at the sight of the old
people in pools Of blood. Without stopping
to make investigation he hastened to
the street and called for assistance. A let
ter carrier, Mr.. Johnson, who lives in tha
adjoining house, was the first one to re-
spond to his call, and soon afterward
large crowd collected. The police were also
sent for and Precinct Detective Mc(ilue and
Policeman vanhorn were assigned By Lieu
tenant Boyle to make investigation.
1t was the belief of the police at first that
the dead man had committed suicide, after
having inflicted the injuries upon his wife.
He had threatened to end his life several
times. and had expressed the fear that be
might possibly injure somebody else. The
theory of suicide. however. was dispelled by
information given by Mr.. Larson.
There is a window in the room which
opens upon the yard, but it was found to
be nailed down. and cobwebs over the nails
indicated that 1t had been secure for many
months. and possibly years. This fact In
connection with the fact that the commu-
nicating door was declared to have been
bolted when Mr.. Larsen reached 1t caused
some perplexity, but the police made a
thorough Investigation, which ended I'm the
effort to apprehend the missing PhIiacel-
phia carpenter:
Detectives at Work.
Detectives Weldon and Phillips were as
signed to the case this morning by In
spector Mattingiy. and 1T was after they
reported to headquarters the result of their
investigation that the message asking for
Funk's arrest was sent out. Robert Funk's
sister, Mrs. Kate Clark. lives at No. 903
New Hampshire avenue. At her house
Mrs. Sophie Brown, daughter OF the aged
couple, met and became acquainted with
him about month ago. He was then
working on new school building at Gath
and F streets, and. desiring a boarding
house, Mrs. Brown introduced him TO Mrs.
Buckley, who keeps boarders at 2l45
street, just around the corner from the
Brooks house. Mrs. Brown, who Is sep-
arated from her husband. lived with her
parents. az did her unmarried sister, Mag
gle Brooks- Mrs Buckley gave her new
boarder the best room In the house, ana
for the two weeks he was there he paid
his board and kept regular hours He sell