Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-27
EARLE FAMILY TRAGEDY
Hired Man Who Is Supposed to
Have Committed the Crime
Arrested.
Body Of E. S. Earle, the Father
Found in Ditch and Body
Decomposed.
Six Members OF the Family Muir.
dered...0ne Son Lives in
Iowa.

iowa.
Lake Charles, La, Feb. PA. T..
Batson. the alleged murderer Of six
members of the Earle family, near
/ Welsh, La, has been arrested at Spick-
ard. Mo. The arrest was made in re-
Spouse to a telegram sent by Deputy
Shelf Richards yesterday. The body of
i r. S. Earle. the father of the slaught-
cred family, who has been missing
was found at daylight yesterday
/ in a ditch near what is known as the
other house., on the farm. mile away
! from the house in which the bodies of
the mother and sons were discovered.
/ The other house" was occupied by
| Batson, the alleged murderer. who was
employed by the family, and young
Ward Earle. The only member of the
! family left alive is Maud, a daughter.
residing in Welsh. and son in Eagle
Grove, Ia. Last evening telephone
message to Paul w. Daniels from a
| Lake Charles horse dealer said man
| representing himself to be Ward Earle
tried to sell him some horses and left
| them in the care of Daniels. He noti-
| fed the daughter. who recognized the
| description as that of the hired man on
| Earle's place. She secured a livery rig
and driver and went out to the farm.
| The house nearest the town was occu-
pied by Ward and the hired man. the
other by the rest of the family. Stop
ping at the first house, the daughter
tried to open the door. and failing, call
a ,J,t,.1
he saw the dead bodies on the floor, and
hurried the girl away to notify the
deputy sheriff. Forcing their way TO
the room. Ward Earle's body was found
on the bed. The bodies of the three
younger boys and mother were piled on
each other almost against the door. The
boys Threats had been cut and the
mothers face beaten and her throat cut
also. The four whose threats We're cut
had clothes tied around the wounds to
prevent the flow of blood. The officers
took possession, and a search disclosed
the body of r. s. Earle about $50 yards
from the other house in the ditch. He
had been shot and his throat cut The
bodies We're partly decomposed, show
ing that the murder was committed
some days ago. Ward Earle was last
seen a week ago on Saturday The
Earles had just sold rice and were sup
posed to have monew in the house. The
money is missing. The way the bodies
We're lying when they were found indi-
Gated that the murders We're committed
in daylight. Ward Earle the oldest son
was probably the first victim. He was
sick in bed and was probably murdered
ufh hn clo II he Gill "a T.
tie boys We're sent over one by one from
the ftrmily home. The murderer lay IN
wait and killed them as they came,
shooting or crushing their heads then
cutting their Threats and laying their
bodies on the floor. The old lady came
next. and was beaten to death. The
murderer then went to the other house.
mile away, and killed the old man.
Before leaving. the murderer wrote Il
note out on asheet of paper and posted
it on the door. 1t read
One will be back Sunday.
WARD EARLE"
Two men stopped at the house on
Saturday. They read the sign on the
door and left without trying to get in.
Two weeks ago Batson left team and
wagon at barn here. and a number of
articles besides letter were left in the
wagon. These are now in possession
of the sheriff. The yare: Two pack
ages of tobacco an alarm clock, three
keys, a bottle of ink, q penholder, spool
of black thread, pocket lamp gray
vest, part of letter from his mother,
who resides at Spickard, Mo-, and the
following:
P. ID. Plantation, Welsh, La, Dec. 10,
19o1.--To any one it may concern.
thereof one Edwin Batson hereby give !
signature to this date give my where
abouts to the public or to any one who
finds this slip of paper. My name is
chisin county, Mo-, April s, 1881: my
father and mother, John and Mrs. Bat
son, live in said place. j., my father,
lives In Nodaway county, Mo-: my
mother, now Mrs. Jot Payne, lives in
Spickard Mercer county, and my sis
ter, Mrs. C. Nj. Vredenburs, lives in |
Princeton, Mercer county, Mo-; my
brother. j. N. Batson. l do not know
where he is but he that finds will do |
the dead justice by sending my moth
er or my sister word of my death and
how ii occurred. This is all / request
of the friend, long and happy life do l
wish to you all! X. Y. i.
Farewell A. e. Batson, friend to all.
Ha! ha. Bye-bye; I'm gone.
1t was discovered that Batson sent a
small tin box by express to his mother
when he left Lake Charles.
Murder of the Earle Family.
Welsh, La, Feb. 27.-Business has
been practically suspended in this lit
tie town owing to the murder of the /
six members of the Earle Family. The |
body Of l.. s. Earle, father of the muir
dered boys, has been found in a ditch |
near his home, with the throat cut and /
the body far gone in putrefaction,
,Cl4ar1 tla.at tho