Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-03-23
A KANSAS BUTCHERY
Five Children Said to Have Been
Murdered by Their Father.
The HOUSE IS Then SET ON FIRE.
The Evidence Of Physicians at the Inquest
The Alleged Murderer Acts In an
Indifferent Manner and ID
Taken to jail.


fendish crime. similar to the recel
Gilbert murder in Clay county, o
Cured here yesterday morning. FL
children were murdered by the
father while sleeping and the hou,
afterward burned over them. IT
children were: Carl Moore, aged /.
Mary, aged ten; Pearl, aged eigh
Charlie, aged seven, and Lee, age
three years, all the children OF job
A. Moore Yesterday evening, aftt
the close Of coroner's inquest, Moor
was arrested upon the charge OF mul
dering the children and is now in iai
At two o'clock yesterday morning th
house on East Tenth street, wher
Moore and his family lived. was partl
destroyed by fire. When the fire wa
gotten under control and the fremel
entered, Moore's five children wer
found dead upon bed on the floor
Their bodies lay side by side, just a
they would be when sleeping, Tn,
lower parts OF their bodies were badl,
burned.
During the day the belief spread
that the children had been murdered
before the house was burned. At first
the only evidence of this was the fac,
that the children had not moved In
their bed and the presence of blood
upon parts Of the bed. An inquest
was held in the afternoon which de.
veloped the fact almost beyond a doubt
that the children were murdered by
the father Before the inquest physi.
Clans made an examination Of the
bodies. In the skull OF each was found
fracture made by heavy blow by
some blunt instrument. With one ex.
ception, each child also had a cut In
the neck, evidently made by knife.
This evidence was produced by the
physicians at the inquest.
The fathers story told before the
coroner 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 exploded. Moore talked
indifferently abont the affair lie
said he was awakened by the smoke
and rushed outdoors. He was about
10 minutes recovering from the effects
Of the smoke and gas He then awak.
ened 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 mr.. |
Fived he could not tell where the chill. |
tren were sleeping No one else was
1t the house, the mother having gone !
out to nurse sick woman.
Moore's testimony was given before
ne had an intimation that it was
known that the children had been
murdered. lie said that when he saw
me children could not be saved he
vent to his wife's fathers aud STAYED
Until morning. When the doctors tes-
'ified that the children had been muir.
Tered, Moore gave close attention, but
lis countenance did not change. Once
" twice he sneered at the evidence.
although not under arrest, he was
loosely watched during the trial. lie
made no,attempt to get away. When
he verdict of the coroner's jury was
'rought in, charging him with the
rime, he acted as Indifferent as be.
ore. He refused to talk after the
rial. He was taken to the Reno
ounty jail for the night and will be
ried at the district court hero next
lonth.
John Moore has no relatives in Kan.
As and his native state is not known.
70 is medium-sized, dark.complex.
med man. Those who know him say
is man who talks very little, and
nat his main ambition has always
cen to educate his children, having
nd little or no education himself. He
lme here from Emporia three weeks
70 and has brooded much over being
II OF work He spent last summer
'rming in Oklahoma, but formerly
we'd at Emporia and returned there :
St fall. He has no appearance of !
ling insane and has never shown any ,
ch symptoms. SO far as can be {
armed. The affair has raised great ,
dignatlon here and the Jail will be ,
'pt under a heavy guard, though it
believed that there will be no at. =
mpt at lynching. :
Chance TO Get In the Navy
Nax Ia d.