The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1902-05-22
THE HASTINGS TRAGEDY.
WILTON Austin. WlIIe FiGRd, Murders
-Four Persons. Beds 10 In
SenSibIIiIy Two Helpless
Children.
Then Puts a Bullet IN His Own Head.
Passion and Revenge the Cause.

INDz raN q RI
HasSioh anu A'o'0iiS0 Vn0 0''uS0'
Mo noonIe wbo inbabit tho little
pIDP .H,t.,
TOWN OIL hasoilss' elshu nllles e"sC vi
Palatka on the f. f. 9. Ry., woke up
on Monday morning to find that one
Of +bo most fordisb tr,oadios of
nlouerI tlllles hau peeh colllllllCteu
in their midst just before sun up, and
that in the cabin where the murders
wara comn,ittad law tha fva victims
10y
Oh the awful cflllle'
VIM. Austin a jacksonville car
penter had shot William Wilkinson,
Mrs. VIM. Wilkinson, Amanda Will
kinson, Williams sister, Bitha Nc
Cullough, his scarcely IL year old
sweetheart, and after striking over
the heads with the butt of his pistol
two little girls of the Wilkinson fam
lily, aged 6 and 2 years. had laid
down beside the body of his sweet
heart and put u bullet in his own
head. Had the fiend had enough
bullets it is probable that he would
have murdered the little babes also.
Robert Prevatt, IA neighbOr, was
evidently the first to know of the
wholesale killing. He was passing
in front of the cabin when Rosadale,
the litUle six year old girl, with blood
streaming down her hOrror-stricken
face, ran out and told him that VIII
liam Austin had killed all the falni-
ly except herself and little sister.
Mr.. Prevail hesitated "a moment, and
then ran off for some witnesses. The
child's story was soon verified.
The cabin in which the crime was
committed is of meager proportions,
being of but one room ABOUT fifteen
by fifteen feet, with not even the
customary lean-tO. 1t is doubtful if
50 small a space ever before held 50
much of horror. The entrance to the
cabin was almost blocked by the body
of the young girl, Bitha, and lying on
her left and close beside her was the
stalwart form of her lover. The con-
trast was marked as they lay upon
. pallet or sbake-down upon the floor.
The girl was partially dressed only.
Austin had removed his shoes and
his coat. He was stout and plump.
His six feet three inches of bone and
muscle seemed to measure twice the
length of the girl beside him.
Austin's right arm lay crooked at
his side; part of it rested upon the
breast OF the girl. In his
right hand, index finger on the trig-
ger, was the insignificant weapon
that had caused so much havoc with
human lives. In the southeast cor
ner of the room stood II double bed,
upon which lay the dead body OF
William Wilkinson. 1t is supposed
that rho two rIilnTpn glpnt with ilH
father, for the eldest testified that
Austin shot her father first. In the
southwest corner of the room was
another double bed, on which lay
Mrs. Wilkinson and Miss Wilkinson.
Just inside the door, to the left,
stood the cooking stove, and on the
opposite side was the table. There
Was¬hIng to indicate amy division
in the room. and the whole family OF
six evidently, slept, cooked; ate ana
lived in the one apartment.
Austin arrived in Hastings on
Wednesday OF last week. lie nad
known BlCha Mccullough III that
city and had formed a passion for
her, though she was little under ID
years of age. She had recently lost
her parents and came to William
"llhIiISpii iiNI Dlp'ii'l- -i'' " 90 "
her guardian. After AuStin's arrival
in Hastings he began making violent
love to the girl. On Saturday morn
ing early he went to ST Augustine,
where he procured a license to marry
her.
In the evening of that day he cali
ed on Mr.. j. J. Harvey, notary pub
lie, to come over to the Wilkinson
home and perform the ceremony.
Mr.. Harvey and two friends went
Llle mousse Lncy ledIu cISlIS lhSluV