The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-11
MANAGES TERRIBLE DEED
KILLED MOTHER AND SISTER, AND
FATALLY INJURED OTHERS.
Arrested and Placed I'm Jail, but Pro-
tests that He LIS Innocent and Tells
Plausible story.

PITTSBURG, Oct 10.-While laboring un-
der mental alteration, the result of the
strain of perfecting an appliance for pat
ents on an brake which are pending in
Washington, Charles Cawley. seventeen
year-old boy. of Homestead, Pa. early to-
day killed his mother and one sister and
fatally injured four other children. He also
tried to kill his two older brothers. but he
was detected. overpowered and turned over
to the police. The weapon used was an
ak, with which he crushed and hacked his
victims beyond recognition. The dead:
MRS. HANNAH CAwLEY, aged about
forty. head and upper part or her body al
most pounded to jelly.
BELLE CAWLEY, aged twelve, who
slept with her mother, head frightfully
crushed.
The fatally injured, who are at the South
Side Hospital, are:
Josephine, the baby of the family. aged
fifteen months, head and chest battered;
Adeline, aged six, skull fractured; Ray
mond, aged six, twin of Adeline, head hor-
ribly injured; Agnes. aged ten, head
crushed.
The Cawleys live In a neat six-room
house on Second street, Homestead. and
last evening all the members retired about
10 o'clock. Mrs. Cawley and Belle occupied
one bed while the others, Josephine, AIDE
line, Raymond and Agnes occupied other
beds and cribs in the same room, which is
on the second floor rear. Charles. the muir
derer, his brothers James, aged twenty,
and Harry, aged fourteen, occupied the
front room, second floor, adjoining their
mothers room.
Some time about o'clock this morning
Charles quietly arose, and, dressing him.
self, but not putting on his shoes, crept
down to the cellar and secured an ak Com
ing upstairs, he went to his mothers room.
where the victims were all sleeping. After
turning up the light the maniac approached
his mothers bedside, swung the AK high in
the air and brought 1t 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
did not do its work, pounded the dead
mothers head almost to jelly.
Bell the eldest daughter, slept through
out the time of the tragedy. The dull
sound 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 for the next
smaller 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 mothers room, and as
Charles entered he seized a heavy rocking
powered him and turned him over to the
police On the way to the station he fought
ferociously, but after being placed in a cell
he Gained down and did not seem to real
ize what he had done.
When persons reached the house Mrs
Cawley and Belle were dead. The others
were still living. but the doctors announced
that they could not live through the day.
Charles was lodged in the county Jail
here at 10 o'clock. He failed to recognize
his brother James, and when questioned
two years he has been working on a device
for a combined air and power brake 1t is
said to be a wonderful invention, and that
men who have seen il marveled at the me-
chanical ability of the inventor, in view of
his years. He was Of a kindly disposition
and was said to have been very fond of his
mother and brothers and sisters. Recently
he has been unusually quiet, and while his
actions were trifie queer no attention was
paid to him.
Charles Cawley. who it is alleged killed
his mother and sister and seriously injured
five other members of the family at Home
stead, Pa, early to-day, and who is now
confined In the county jail, denies emphati-
cally that he committed the deed. He tells
a fairly connected story, in which he re-
iterates his innocence. He says he was
awakened at an early hour by sounds on
the first floor and went down stairs to
investigate. Returning up stairs ne states
he found his sister lying across the bed
covered with blood, and fed to give the
alarm.
The five others members of the family in
jured are reported tonight as having a
fair chance of recovery.