Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-04-04
John CULICK'S
TERRIBLE CRIME
Kills His Mother and His Brother is Still
A Fugitive.

brother, reached this city Tuesday
morning. The scene of the double mur-
der was farm lying among the hills one
mile west of KlinesgroVe, Northumber-
land county, owned and occupied by
Samuel Gulick. The victims of the
tragedy were Mrs. Amy Gulick, moth
er of the family, aged 20 years, and
Philip Gulick, son, aged 27 years. The
murderer was John Gulick, an elder
brother, whose age is 80 years.
The murderer and his two victims are
well known in this city. Mrs. John H.
Bower, 603 Bloom street, is daughter
of the murdered woman and sister of
John and Philip Gulick. Mrs. Myra
Mettler who resides with Mrs. Bower is
the mother of the woman murdered.
The best account of the tragedy and
the circumstances leading up to it can
be gathered from the testimony of Sam
uel Gulick, husband and father of the
victims, as presented at the coroner's in
quest, which took place shortly before
noon.
"After partaking of the morning meal
between $50 and O'clock" Mr.. Gulick
said, 81 asked John to go along to Sum-
bury to do some work. He said he would
not go,and went out to the barn where
Philip had preceded me. When | re-
turned to the house mother was trying
to get John to 60 along, ard told him
that he should 60 to work, or if not he
would have to find another place to
board.
81 told him the same thing and he did
not reply, but the next instant heard
the crack of revolver and mother fell
to the floor without uttering a word. l
said to him, John, you have shot your
mother He then went for me and
pointed the gun directly at me. man
aged to get by him and going out on the
porch held the door shut fearing for my
life. He made no effort to come after
me but went to the front of the house
and left by the front door, and going to
the barn yard fired another shot and
then walked down the lane. Going to
the barn yard l found Philip shot
through the heart lying OH the ground,
dead. then called for assistance"
H. F. Moore, who resides near the
Gulick farm, saw the murderer escape.
He said: II was at the barn getting out
the team preparing to do some plowing;
suddenly heard two pistol shots, there
being not much time between the first
and second shot. Looking towards
Gulick's, where it seemed the shooting
had taken place, heard Mr.. Gulick
call. While crossing the intervening
field, noticed John Gulick walking lei
surely down the lane as if nothing out
of the ordinary had happened. When
| reached where Mr.. Gulick was stand
ing he pointed to Philip and said John
had shot Phil. The body lay inside the
barn yard and | carried it outside the
gate Mr.. Gulick then took me to the
house and pointing to Mrs. Gulick said
John shot mother also"
John Gulick, the murderer, is SO years
of age. While it is difficult to reconcile
a crime of such Nervousness with sane
mind there is nothing to indicate that
the man was mentally irresponsible at
the time of the shooting. He suffered
with grip during the winter, but ap.
parently had recovered. He frequently
accused his parents of doing more for
the rest of the children than for him,
especially for Philip, the victim of the
shooting, who was subject to fits. At
times John would act very meanly, leav-
ing home for day or longer at a time
and returning refuse to tell where he had
been. He was not anxious to work, al
though strong and in good health. On
the evening preceding the murder he
circulated about the store and telegraph
office at klinesgrove, appearing per-
fectly rational and collected. Some two
weeks ago he was in this city calling up
on his sister. During the afternoon of
that day he spent two or three hours
with Edward German at the latter
store, Market and Pine streets. Mr.. Cor
man says he was the last man in the
world with whom one would associate a
foul murder.
There was no quarrel at the time of
shooting. Mrs. Gulick was engaged in
removing the breakfast dishes when she
was shot down. The most perplexing
feature of the affair is the utter absence
of apparent motive.
The murderer's foot steps were traced
to the railroad. Thence, it is supposed,
he tramped toward Riverside, as he
could not have gone down the track
without being discovered. Acting upon
this theory Chief f-of-Police Mincemoyer
and the relatives in this city were noti-
fed Tuesday morning. The murderer
failed to put in an appearance here, or
elsewhere, however, and up to a late
hour last night he had not been captur-
ed. His revolver, Tuesday, he still
had with him and it is quite probable
that over come with remorse he may
have sought relief in suicide.
Chief of Police Mettler of Sunbury, with
searching party had not given up the
hunt at a late hour yesterday. They
had scarcely reached Sunbury Tuesday
when a report reached there that the
murderer had been captured at South
Danville. The story created intense ex-
element about town until proven untrue
The police of all the neighboring towns
have been notified and are on the alert.
Meanwhile the aged husband and
father SO woefully bereaved and strck-
en- has the sympathy of the public
wherever the story of the tragedy has
been heard.