The times., 1898-06-24
MURDERED WITH AN Ak
VIM. Brooks and His Aged Wife
Victims of an Awful Crime.
FOUND DYING TOGETHER
Locked Into Store Room, They Are
Found Weltering in Their Hood
Weapon Used-Mrs. Brooks Has "a
Chance OF Recoyery-No CIew.

Shortly after o'clock yesterday even
ing William n. Brooks, an old soldier sew
enty-three years of age and his wife,
Martha Brooks, were found in store
room in the rear of their residence, No.
914 Twenty-second Street northwest, with
their heads cut open and slowly bleeding
to death.
Brooks died Immediately after a physi-
clan had arrived on the scene and his
wife is now at the Emergency Hospital
in a precarious condition.
George L. Larson discovered the bodies
at about 6:20 and Immediately summoned
medical aid from the neighborhood and
notified the police. '
DR.. Maddox was among the first TO ar
rive on thei scene and he directed all his
attention to the woman after an exam
inatiOn of her husband disclosed the fact
that he could not live. IL was seen that
Mrs. Brooks had a chance for life and
the doctor gave her mis- aid till the arrival
of the patnol wagon, in which she was
taken to Emergency Hospital
Mr.. Brooks liked only a few minutes
after the doctor arrived. The body of the
man was removed TO the morgue and the
coroner notified
DR. Carr was at the hospital when the
woman was brought in, and as chief sur
geon he conducted the operation which
was decided upon. 1t was found that her
skull had been fractured in five places,
and several small pieces of the bone
which were detached from the skull were
taken out before the wound was dressed
The cuts were evidently made with the
sharp edge of the ak, as they were very
clean and not very wide, though long and
close together
~
recover, though the chances are against
her.
Sergeant Keefe, of the Third Precinct
station, answered the summons for the
police which was received at the station
at $3.50. He found the bodies lying in a
small storerooE1 about six feet wide and
ten feet long. The man was propped up
against a washboard. in a sitting pos
ture and the woman was lying across the
sill of the door, with her head against
the wall of the house The room was
filled with old lumber and was used pfin-
cipally as a depository for trash The
space occupied by the bodies of the man
and woman was not more than five feet
square. The body of the woman was
lying partially across the legs of her hus-
band
The weapon used was an AK with a
handle about ten inches long. The handle
had been broken off for convenience It
was covered with blood, and had two
very plain impressions. evidently made
by the hands of the person who used ii
last, as the imprints were in opposite
directions. The impressions were prob
ably made by the hands OF two different
persons.
There was no evidence of a struggle of
any kind, either in the room where the
bodies were found, or in those adjoining.
and the neighbors say that no sound was
heard. The room in which the two old
people were found seems entirely too
small for fight to have occurred in it
or to give credence to the theory that
some one had forced the old man and
his wife into it, and there attempted to
murder them.
The first person to see the bodies was
George L. Larson, who is an intimate
friend of the family, and is in the habit
of calling al the house when in the neigh
borhood. Larson has a tent at Camp
Alger and keeps a general suffers store
| for the accommodation of the soldiers.
| He was in the city yesterday the entire
afternoon purchasing goods for his store
at the camp and on his way back he
called to see Mr.. Brooks, who has been
sick since last December.
When he reached the house he knocked
at the door, and not receiving an answer
| opened it and walked in as has been his
habit. Once inside the parlor, into which
the door opens. Larson called out to Mrs
Brooks but received no answer. He then
went into the inner apartment used as a
| dinng-room and again called. This time
| he heard faint groan and he called
again. The lgroan was repeated, and
seemed to come from the storeroom
Quickly crossing the room Larson opened
the door. and was appalled, by the sight
that met his eyes. He Immediately sum-
| moned assistancey but did not go into
| the house himseifsuntil aid had arrived
In his statement last night Larson said
positively that the bolt that was on the
! door was shot into its socket and that the
door was thereby iucked from the outside
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