The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-21
Eiend of a Father Murders His
Five Children.
Seeks to Cover His Crime by
Burning the Bodies.
is NOW UNDER ARREST
Skulls OF the Children Frac-
tured and Threats Cut.
At Inquest He Tells a Story of
Lamp Explosion.
Mother Was Away From Home
A Hutchinson Tragedy.

Il
Hutchinson, March 21-When the
children of John Moore were first found
dead yesterday in the ruins of the burn
ing home, as related in the dispatches,
it was thought that they came to their
deaths through suffocation.
Now it has developed that the five
young children were murdered and their
father is under arrest charged with the
crime. Moore was arrested after the
close of the coroner's inquest last even
ing and is now in Jail.
The crime is a horrible one and rivals
that of Gilbert. the Clay Center flend.
The dead are:
Carl Moore, aged II years.
Mary Moore, aged 10 years.
Pearl Moore, aged years.
Charlie Moore, aged z years.
And little Lee Moore, babe OF
years.
The parents of the dead children are
Mr.. and Mrs. John Moore, who moved
here from Lyon county about three
weeks ago. Mrs. Moore is daughter
of NJ. w. Franklin, who came here from
Emporia two years ago.
The first that was heard of the fire
was at about o'clock Monday morning
when John Moore alarmed the family of
Mr.. Hayes, who lives on the lot just to
the west. When Mr.. Hayes went to
the door Moore appeared to be almost
speechless from fright and his talk was
incOherent. He finally made it under
stood that his house was on fire and
that his children were in the building.
Mr.. Hayes got out as quickly as posi-
BILE and others were on the scene in a
short time. Moore acted Queerly, and
borrowing horse from a nelghbor rode
to his father-in-law'S on Avenue B east
to tell the terrible news. leaving the
neighbors to attempt rescuing the chill
dren, who were no doubt unconscious
before anyone reached the scene.
One of the first men to reach the
scene went through a window into the
room where the children were supposed
to be- He was unable to find them
and in a moment had to leave the
building almost suffocated. 1t had not
been possible to get any particulars
from Moore as to where the children
were, and the flames spread so rapidly
that the building could not be entered
again.
The location of the children which
was learned far too late, might have
made 1t possible to save them when
Moore first gave the alarm. There were
but two rooms down stairs. The father
slept in the north room. the children
just through the partition door in the
south, on Strawtick upon the floor.
There was an outside window on the
west OF the room near the children's
cot, and from this window the children
could have been taken out. AS soon as
the water had stopped the fiercest
flames some of the f1remen entered the
rooms. Hastily the rubbish was cleared
away and there, as soon as light could
be thrown upon the floor, were found
the bodies of the five children as though
they had died just they had lain
sleeping. The two boys lay with their
heads to the east at the north side of
the straw bed and beyond them were
the two girls and the baby boy with
their heads to the west.
During the day the belief spread that
the children had been murdered before
the house was burned. At first the on
ly evidence of this was the fact that
the children had not moved in their bed
and the presence of blood upon parts of
the bed.
An inquest was held which developed
the fact almost beyond a doubt that the
children were murdered by the father.
Before the inquest physicians made an
examination of the bodies. In the skull
of each was found a fracture made by
a heavy blow by some blunt instru-
ment. With one exception. each child
also had a cut in the neck, evidently
made by the knife. This evidence was
produced by the physicians at the in
quest.
oner was that he slept in the next room
to the children. He accounted for the
fire by saying he left a lamp burning in
the children's room and that it had ex-
ploded. Moore talked indifferently about
the affair. He said he was awakened
by the smoke and rushed out doors. He
was about Is minutes recovering from
the effects of the smoke and gas.
He then awakened a neighbor who
lived about 20 feet west on the next lot
He did not try to get the children out,
as the fire had too much start. When
others arrived, he could not tell where
the children were sleeping. No one else
was at the house, the mother having
gone out to nurse a sick woman.
MooreS testimony was given before
he had an intimation that it was known
that the children had been murdered
He said when he saw the children could
not be saved he went to his wife's faith
~ nd Gfa I1s1fi T11n niT7cr ha0
the doctors testified that the children
had been murdered, Moore gave close
attention but his countenance did not
change. Once or twice he sneered at
the evidence. Although not under ar
rest, he was closely watched during the
trial. He made no attempt to get away
When the verdict of the coroners jury
was brought in, charging him with the
crime, he acted as Indifferent as before
He refused to talk after the trial.
He was taken to the Reno county jail
for the night and will be tried at the
district court here next month.