The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-10-18
A BoY's AWFUL CRIME.
Driven Insane By Over-study, He
Tries to Murder His Entire FAM
ily-Two Are Dead.


ing under mental alteration, the re-
suit Of the strain of perfecting an APP
pliance for patents on an air-brake
which are pending in Washington, ID.
c., Charles Cawley, a 17-year-old boy OF
Homestead, Pa, early Friday killed his
mother and two sisters and fatally In
jured three other children. He also
tried to kill his two older brothers, but
was detected, overpowered and turned
over to the police.
The weapon used was an Ak, with
which he crushed and hacked his VIC
Tins beyond recognition.
The dead: Mrs. Hannah Cawley,
aged about 40 years, head and upper
portion of the body pounded almost to
jelly; Belle Cawley, aged IL, who
slept with her mother; head frightful-
ly crushed; Anna Cawley, aged4.
The injured are: Joseph, the baby
of the family, aged Is months, head and
chest battered. will not live; at South
side hospital; Raymond, aged 6, twin Of
fractured, at Southside hospital: will
not recover; Raymond, aged 8, twin of
Adeline, head horribly injured and will
not live, at Southside hospital; Agnes,
aged 10, head crushed, will not live, at
Southside hospital.
The Cawleys live in a neat six-room
house on Second avenue, Homestead,
and Thursday night all the members
retired about ten o'clock. Mrs. Caw-
ley and Belle occupied one bed, while
the other, Josephine Anna, Ray
mond and Agnes, occupied other beds
and cribs inthe same room, which is
on the second floor, rear. Charles, the
murderer, his brothers, James, aged
20, and Harry, aged IA, occupied the
front room, second floor, adjoining
their mothers room.
! Some time about three o'clock Fri.
day morning, Charles quietly arose and
dressing himself, but not putting on
his shoes, crept down to the cellar and
secured an ax. Coming upstairs he
went into his mothers room where
the victims were all sleeping. After
turning up the light the maniac ap
preached his mothers bedside, swung
the ak high in the air and brought II
down with such force that the skull
was crushed. The mother evidently
never knew what struck her, but the
crazed son, thinking that his first blow
lid not do its work, pounded the deal
mothers head almost to jelly.
Belle, the oldest daughter, slep
throughout this time. The dull sount
of the ak on her mothers head die
not arouse her. Charles hurried to hel
side of the bed and struck her with thu
Ak. 1t is thought that the first blow
slipped and awoke the girl, but only fol
second. She did not have time t.
scream, for the next blow killed her
The fiend then turned to the smalle,
children and struck each one over tn
head with the bloody weapon.
Believing that he had dispatched
them all, he started for his brother
room, but James, the eldest, had beel
awakened by the groans in his moth
er's room, and, as Charles entered, h
seized a heavy rocking chair, AM
after a fierce struggle overpowere'
him and turned him over to the police
On the way to the station he fought fe
rociously, but after being placed in
cell he Gained down and did not seer
to realize what he had uDne.
When physicians reached the hous
Mrs. Cawley and Belle were dead. Tn
Others were still living, but the doctor
announced that they could not live.
Young Cawley, who is now cor
fined in the county Jail, denies en-
phatically that he committed tn
deed. He tells fairly connecte
story, in which he reiterates his II
nocence. He says he was awakene
: at an early hour by sounds on tn
first floor and went down stairs to II
, vestigate. Returning upstairs b
states he found his sister lying acros
the bed covered with blood, and fe
: to give the alarm. The five othe
members of the family injured are r.
ported at a late hour as having IA
chance of recovery.
: After a thorough examination b
the coroner it was reported that I'll
!. young mans story of robbery hi
been disproven and that Cswley d.
tee deed in fit of insanity.
oo0u or. 1S0C uYYpuc rnyINy