The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-01-11
CITY TREASURER FOUND MURDERED.
SAFE ROBBED.
William Bievins Finds His Father Dying in His
OfHee at New Castle Large Reward
offered for the Assassins.

City Treasurer John Blevins OF New
Castle, Pa. was Saturday night foul-
ly murdered in his office in city hall.
The floor of the Office was covered
with blood, while there was plain evi-
dence on every side that after commit
ting the crime of murder the guilty
ones had ransacked the place.
MIR. Blevins had been to a merchant
tailoring establishment to see about
an overcoat he was having made. The
coat was not finished and he was told
to come back i'm half an hour. He then
walked TO the store OF his son, William
j. Blevins. and was there n minute or
two. He had not returned to his home
when his son William reached there.
a few minutes of IL Saturday, and his
son started out to find him
The young man went directly TO the
treasurer's office. found the door un-
locked and the electric light burning.
He saw his father lying in n pool of
blood. apparently breathing his last.
Almost fainting at the sight, he rushed
outside. found a policeman and DIR.
Pollock. and the three entered the Of
fee. DIR. Pollock raised Mr.. Blcvln's
head and at that instant the latt ar
breathed his last.
The office was an awful sight. The
private room was covered with blood,
and Mr. Blevin's face was battered al
most out of human semblance. The
nose was broken the lower Jaw shat
tered, n great hole in the back of the
head, and there were no less than n
dozen cuts and bruises on his head.
He had evidently made n terrific
struggle, for there were blood pools
In a score Of places about the room
and splashes on the walls. His hands
were torn and bleeding. one hand
was almost severed, showing that he
had endeavored to retain the tin
money boxes which were in the vault.
1t is not known just how much
money was taken, but II is thought the
robbers got about $500 The two tin
cash boxes had disappeared. The po-
lice are of the opinion that the crime
was committed by some one who was
well acquainted with the office and
with whom the dead man was also
we'll acquainted. The wire screen and
door which divides the private office
from the public department where the
business is conducted was always Sc
curely locked, and that, too. from the
inside, sothat person who was enter
ing the Office could not reach the vaults
unless the man inside unlocked the
door, which was locked with a spring
Mr. Blevins, to the best knowledge
OF those who were acquainted with his
habits, never permitted anyone whom
he did not know very well to go inside
and this is why the officers think that
the crime was committed by someone
he knew well. They reason that the
murderer. as soon as he knew that he
was recognized by Mr.. Blevins, be-
came terror.zed and made the murder
Gus assault.
The city council and county commits
sioners met Sunday afternoon and each
body offered $1,000. making a total of
$4,000, for the arrest and conviction of
the murderer or murderers. The city is
In state of excitement beyond belief,
for there was no more popular man in
the county than the dead man, and IL
his murderer Is caught II is not too
much to say he would speedeily met
his end
Mr.. Blevins was born in County Ty-
rome, Ireland, February 3, 1923, but
came to Lawrence county with his par
ents in 1881. He was elected treasurer
of the county in 1875 and served three
years and was appointed city treasurer
to fill an uneXpired term in 1884. Since
then he has been elected term after
term and was the only candidate for
reelection at the coming spring cleo
tion.