Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-12-24
DESPONDENT Man
MURDERS FAMILY.
Machinist in Cleveland sho,
and Killed Wife, Children
and Himself.
IN GRASP OF POVERTY
Approach of Christmas and the I'm.
poverished Condition of His Fam
lily Discouraged the Man and
Encouraged the Deed.

Cleveland, o.. Dec 22.--Roscoe w.
Derby, a machir.ist, about 40 years old.
exterminated his family early yester-
day by shooting his wife. his three chill
dren and then himself. The crime is
believed to have been due to despond-
ency over the impoverished condition of
the family purse, and the near APP
proach Of Christmas.
The crimes We're extraordinary in
their thoroughness, and there was, evil
IDENTIFY, no mishap in their enactment.
The wife was killed first, while sleep
ing at her husbands side in bed two
of the children were killed as they ran
hither and thither through the house
in the darkness of early morning, en-
deavoring to escape their merciless
parent. The third child was killed in
it's bed after its elder brother and sis,
ter had been killed.
The dead are:
ROSCOE w. DERBY.
HIS WIFE DELLA.
HAROLD, aged s.
ALICE, aged Z, and
THOMAS, aged 5.
Derby had been down town late, os
tensibly shopping, but in all probability
securing ammunition for his revolver.
When he got home his wife and he
talked with a neighbor who had been
calling over the approaching festival.
Derby seemed pale and nervous. Short
ly after his arrival at home the neigh
Dor left and the Derby family went to
bed.
Mrs. Derby was shot to death in bed,
two bullets having been fired into her
forehead and q third in the back of
the neck. Mrs. Derby probably was
killed during sleep, the expression on
her face showing no sign of a struggle.
Two of the children probably had a
struggle with their Infatuated parent
because they had been awakened by the
noise Of the revolver being fired and
sought to escape him. but without
avail.
Harold's body was found lying in a
pool OF blood in the kitchen, and that of
Alice in the dining room with her face
to the floor and IL bullet in her breast.
Harold may have been chased by his
father, as there was evidence of flight
in the manner in which the furnishings
of the kitchen We're thrown about
From the location of the bullets in his
head the boy evidently was caught by
his father in a strong grasp and held
while the weapon was placed against
the little fellows forehead and the
bullets sent into his brain.
There was also evidence of a strug-
gle on Affects part. The last of the
children to die was Thomas, aged s..
He remained in bed, probably still
asleep, and also received bullets into
his head, dying instantly. After the
extraordinary crimes had been COM
mitted the perpetrator of them went
into the bedroom where his wife had
been killed, and lying down by her side,
fired a bullet into his own brain, and
died at his wife's side.
A number of poolroom race checks
We're found about the house, showing
that Derby had been trying his luck on
betting.
The first knowledge of the crime was
communicated in letter written by
Derby yesterday to a friend who lived
not far away, and which was sent him
by special delivery. The letter was to
the effect that when it had been re-
ceived the Derby family would be dead.
When the friend hurried to the house
this morning all that had been prom
'sed was seen to have been fulfilled.