The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-15
CHILDRENARE MURDERED
BROTHER AND SISTER, ELEVEN
AND FIFTEEN, FOUND DEAD.
Governor Has offered Reward for
AssaiIants, Supposed to BE Negro
Miners, and One Has
Been Arrested.

DIES MONIES, Iowa, April 4.-While
returning from Highland Park Methodist
church, on the outskirts of the city last
evening, Mary Peterson, fifteen years of
age, and Thomas, aged eleven, children of
Peter j. Peterson, well-to-do dairyman
We're murdered by some unknown person.
believed to be negro. The boy, when
found at midnight, was alive, but ne died
within fifteen minutes, not being able to
give description of mis- assailant.
The bodies were discovered by farmer
who overheard the means of the lad. An
examination revealed that both had their
heads crushed in by what is believed to
have been a brick.
The police so far are without a clew
The body of the girl was found at the
foot of telephone pole in a ditch two
feet deep. she rad been assaulted
At the base of the head she had been
hit with some hard instrument, resulting
in fracturing the skull. On the crown of
her head there were four or five indenta-
tions, all Of which would have proved
serious, if not fatal.
Not a brick or an instrument can be
found within the region where the muir
GERS occurred. The boy, who was found
in the ditch on the opposite side Of the
road, had been most cruelty treated. Full
ly half a dozen indentations were made in
the skull and his face also showed evil
dence of being pounded.
The Peterson family consists of seven
children, four girls and three boys Two
Of tho girls now living declare that a
week ago they were chased at the same
spot by q man on their return during the
evening from Highland Park. They are
unable to give a description of the man.
Not far from the scene of the murder
are the Marquisville coal mines, in which
some 200 colored coal miners are en-
ployed. 1t is the impression of the police
that the murderer was a resident of
Marquisville. The tracks of two men have
been found leading from the scene and
were followed by the police, but they
soon led into a path where all trace was
lost.
Bloodhounds have been ordered and will
be put on the trail Of the murderers. Gov.
Cummins consented to offer reward Of
$500 for the capture of the criminals. The
police claim to have two colored men un-
Ger suspicion. Two colored men were OBJ
served to get on the Rock Island flyer
this morning at Marquisville, and the
chief of police has telegraphed for their
arrest.
James Hutchins, a negro, twenty-seven
years of age, was arrested this after
noon by the police as having some con-
nection with the murders. He had on the
back of his coat the imprint of a bloody
hand. He gave a rambling account Of
where he had been during the night. The
imprint is the only connection the police
claim there is to the case.
A crowd of several thousand people
gathered in front of the city Jail shortly
after the arrest of Hutchins, and while
considerable wild talk was INDUCED in,
no effort was made to take him from the
officers. Excitement is running high in
the city and talk Of lynching is common.
Several suspicious characters, white
and colored, have been arrested by the
police in connection with last nights
double tragedy, but so far no positive
clue has been obtained against any of
them. They will be held under surveil-
lance until they have satisfactorily ac-
counted for their wherea bouts at the time
of the assault.
The most suspicious character is James
Hutchins, negro miner. There is the
imprint of hand in blood upon the back
Of his coat and there is blood and a
great deal of dust on his shoes, as though
he might have been walking across
field of plowed ground. He tells very
rambling and contradictory story.