The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-07-11
TRIPLE TRAGEDY
IN GENTRY COUNTY.
Insane Man Lures Two Victims
From Home at Night.
SLAYER a Suicide After the Bloody work
is Completed Motive of Crime
Unknown.
| Unknown.


!, Albany. Mo. July 1.-THE most
atrocious dual murder and suicide in
T the history OF Gentry country occur
red four miles from Albany about +
o'clock this morning.
A young farmer OF the name OF W.
f. McConkey murdered Louis Briant
and his son, Paul Briant, with a piece
OF a rail, and then killed himself. All
of the parties concerned We're OF ex-
ceIlent standing as citizens and worth
considerab bic property. On account
of the total absence OF a motive it l.
generally assumed that the murderer
was demented.
| About half-past , in the morning
McConkey arose from his bed. and
when his wife asked him where he
was going, he told her he heard
something bothering the chickens
He had on only "A night shirt and did
not stop to put on anything more.
| This WAS the last seen of him until he
appeared at the home of Louis Bri-
ant, a half-miIe distant.
He knocked at the door, and when
it was opened by the elder Briant.
McConkey said that he wanted Paul.
the son, to go with him to kill pole |
cat under a culvert n short distance
from the house.
The old man remarked that Paul |
had been out celebrating the Fourth |
and had gone to bed late. and he had |
better not call him, Offering to 90
with McConkey himself McConkey
said that he preferred Paul. because
he could see better than his father
BOTH GO TO THEIR DEATH
Mr.. Briant then called his son and
they both went with McConkey to
the culvert What took place there
Ony the two murdered men and the
suicide could tell.
Paul Briant seemed to have his
arms in the culvert when struck with
a heavy stick, probably piece of an
oak rail, across the back OF the head.
His father was found at the other
end OF the culvert in about the same
position and with a similar wound.
Soon after her husband had left
the house Mrs. McConkey heard a
pistol shot. The man failing to re-
turn within reasonable time she
had Il sister to go and investigate
the cause of his long absence. She
found the two murdered men in the
position described and about one |
hundred feet away in the barn yard
she saw the stark form of ". Z. Ne
Conkey sitting in a buggy
On the seat beside him was a revol-
yer with five loads and some cart !,
ridges arranged in a row He had
shot himself through the mouth, the
ball coming ont at the top of his I
head and going through the buggy
top.
Coroner l. H. Peerv held an in
quest early this morning and lthe
verdict returned was that the muir
1ered men had met death at the
lands of the suicide. ". +. McCon-
Key.
The best of feeling had existed be
-ween the two families and on the
lay before the murder McConkey was
blowing near the Briant house. At
about noon OF that day old Mr. Bri-
lut asked him to eat. He preferred
o sit on the we'll curb 50 Mr.. Briant
brought him lunch. This strong ev-
dence OF hospitality and good feeling
'nly thickens tie mystery that en-
hrouds the crime.
1t is said that McConkev labored
-ery hard during the recent hot
weather. and that it might have al
acted his mental condition. a rather .
eccentric one at best. He was J
strongly built man and about 33 +
rears OF age. +
About two weeks ago he assaulted +
COUSIN by the name of John Spes- .
'ard with a piece OF rail His trial
or this act would have taken place
oday had lie lived Il i supposed
hat the weather and worry over this
rial unbalanced his mind.
Tie murdered boy. mother, Mrs
-ouise Briaut, said that McConkey
wanted her son to swear 10 certain
matters in connection with his a.
ault on John Spe>>ard. bur that
IAN. said ha could .--...,- y,--g--