Americus times-recorder., 1902-10-11


tally Injured Four Other Members
of Family-Tried Also to Kill Two
Older Brothers.
Pittsburg. Oct. 10.-While laboring
under metal alteration, the result OF
strain of perfecting an appliance to'
an airbIake, which is pending III
Washington, d. c., Charles Cawley
a 17-year-old boy of Homestead, Pa.
early today killed his mother and one
sister and fatally injured four other
children. He tried also to kill his two
older brothers, but was detected, over
powered and turned over to the police
The weapon used was an axe with
which he crushed and hacked his vic
tins beyond recognition.
List of the Victims.
The dead are:
Mrs, Hannah Cawley, aged about az
years; head and upper portion of her
body almost pounded to a jelly.
Belle Cawley, aged IL years, who
slept with her mother; head frightfui'
ly crushed.
The fatally injured, who are al
South Side hospital, are:
Josephine, the baby of the family,
aged Is months, head and chest bat
tered.
Adeline, aged 5 years; skull frac.
tured.
Raymond, aged 6 years, head badly
crushed.
Agnes. aged 10 years, head crushed.
The Cawleys live in a new Groom
house on Sixth avenue in Homestead,
and last night all the members re-
tired about 10 o'clock. Mrs. Cawley
and Belle occupied one bed, while
the Others, Josephine, Adeline, Ray
mond and Agnes, occupied other beds
and cribs in the same room, which IS
second floor in the rear. Charles, the
murderer, his brothers James, aged 20,
and Harry, aged IA, occupied the front
room second floor, adjoining the room
of their mother.
Pounded Her Head to a Jelly.
Some time about O'Clock this morn
ing Charles quietly arose, and dress
ing himself. all but putting on his
shoes. crept down to the cellar and
secured an AK Coming upstairs ne
went into his mothers room, where
the victims we're all sleeping. After
turning up the light the maniac ap-
preached his mothers bedside, swung
the ak high in the air and brought il
down with such force that the skull
was crushed The mother evidently
never knew what struck here, but the
crazed son, thinking that his first blow
did not do it's work, pounded the dead
mothers head almost to a jelly.
Belle. the oldest daughter slept
through the ordeal The third swing
of the ak on her mothers head did
not arouse her. Charles hurried to
her side of the bed and struck her
with the ak. 1t is thought that the
first blow slipped and awoke the girl,
but only for a second. She did not
have time to scream for the next blow
killed her
Fiend Attacks Smaller Children.
The fend then turned to the small
er children and struck each one over
the head with the bloody weapon.
Believing that he had dispatched
them all. he started for his brothers
room. but James. the eldest, had been
awakened by the groans in his moth
er's room and as Charles entered he
seized a heavy rocking chair and al
ter a fierce struggle overpowercd
him and turned him oyer to the police.
On the way to the station house he
fought farociously, but after being
placed in a cell, he calmed down and
aid not seem to realize what he had
done.
When physicians reached the house
Mrs Cawley and Belle were dead. The
others are still living, but the doctors
announced that they could not live
thrOuph tho day