The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-02-07
Thomas Mcf1enry, Awakened From
Sleep, Lured From His House
and Killed.
Going to Investigate a Noise
in the Barn he is Shot
Down in the
Darkness.

Thomas McHenry, prosperous
farmer and lumber dealer residing
near what is known as the Ikeler grist
mill a short distance this side of
Rohrsburg, was lured from his house
about one o'clock Sunday morning,
and assassinated. The circumstances
as We have been able to gather them
are as follows: Between twelve and
one o'clock Sunday morning, Mr..
McHenry was awakened from sleep
by noise in the barn. Fearing that
the disturbance was caused by an
animal in distress, he arose, lighted
lantern, and proceeded to the barn.
1t was quite dark. but from the house
he observed that the barn door stood
vide open. This gave rise to the
suspicion that something was wrong.
He had nearly reached the barn, when
a shot rang out and Mr. McHenry
fell to the ground. He managed to
regain his feet, and started toward the
house. The wound however was a
serious one, and becoming weak
from loss of blood he fell. The re-
port of the gun attracted the attention
Of Mrs. McHenry, who gong out
found her husband lying in the yard.
He was carried into the house, where
an examination was made.
The contents of the weapon had
taken effect beneath the heart. Mr..
McHepry was unconscious for several
hours. AT six o'clock he became
rational, and remained so until death
came one hour later
A staff correspondent OF the Phil.
adelphia inquirer was on the ground
on Tuesday and gives the following
report of the affair;
'.The griet of the aged father, Sam
uel McHenry, and of the family is
pi,iabe in the extreme. But, added
to this is a determination to avenge
the death of the son and brother.
Mcclellan McHenry, brother, who
had only that afternoon come from
Hazleton to visit his parents and
brother, is particularly relentless
With a true brothers love he proposes
10 see that the murderer is run to
ground, even should the county dc
nothing. The meeting of the two
brothers, the one in the throes
Of death and the other so recently
returned to the old homestead, was
sad and affecting one. When the
7-year-old son, Harold, clad only II
his night clothes and with bare feet
ran over the snow to his grandfathers
a quarter of mile away, and getting
into the house, cried out: "Oh, some
one has shot papa! Come and helF
us!" the brother, Mcclellan, rar
hastily to his brothers house. The
dying man, with the blood streaming
from the fatal wound, recognized th'
brother whom he had not seen tor Sc
long. Instinctlvely he held out hi
hand and then hoarsely whispered
"Clell, who do you think could have
done this?"
All this time Mrs, McHenry, claC
only in her night dress, supported th'
head of her husband and mlnlsteret
to his wants. 1t was not long aite
being taken to his house that ht
breathed his last"
Ii is one of the most hendish ant
cold blooded crimes that blacken
Columbia county's history, and tn
perpetrator had planned 1t well
Several sacks of flour and grain ha'
been removed from the barn to al
adjoining building for the purpose o
averting suspicion and to convey ,h'
impression that robbery was the IN
tention, and that the murder was onl.
committed to prevent detection. Ih'
assassin was followed by his tricks TO
a distance of nearly two miles
Thomas McHenry was the son O
Samuel McHenry, and for some tlm'
past had been operating saw mil
near Jamison City with Lafayette
Keeler. He had come home on Sa'
urday to spend Sunday with his family
He was about forty years OF age an'