The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-12-24
KILLED FAMILY AND SELF
The Deed of Roscoe w. Derby
in Cleveland, Ohio.
An Impoverished Purse and the Near
Approach Of Christmas Led TO the
Crime Wrote a Friend of
His lnteutions.

/ .as aah~hh'NoSe
Cleveland, o. Dec 20 Because oI
h. impoverished condition of the
'nm ly purse and the near approach
of Christmas, Roscoe W. Derby, n
machinist. extermintaed his family
to-day by shooting his wife, his three
children and then himself.
The crimes were extraordinary in
their thoroughness and there was,
evidently, no mishap in their enact
ment. The wife was killed first while
sleeping at her husbands 81 ie in bed
two OF the children we're killed al
they ran hither and thither through
the house in the darkness OF the ear.
ly morning, endeavoring to escape
their merciless parent. The third
child was killed in its bed after it's
elder brother and sister had been
killed.
Derby had been down town late at
IL o'clock last night ostensibly shop.
ping, but in all probability securing
ammunition for his revolver. When
he got home his wife and he talked
with a neighbor who had been cali
ing, over the approaching festival
Derby seemed pale and nervous
Shortly after his arrival home the
neighbor left and the Derby family
went to bed.
The crime is belived to have been
committed about 4 O'Clock this
morning. Mrs. Derby was shot to
death in bed. two bullets having been
fred into her forehead and a third,
presumably fred after the children
had been extermirated, in the back
OF the neck. Mrs Derby probably
was killed during sleep, the express.
ion on her face shown no sign OF a
struggle.
Two OF the children, however, prot :
ably had a struggle with their in.
iuriated parent because they had
been awakened by the noise of the
revolver being fired and sought to
escape him, but without avail. Har-
old's body was found lying in a pool
of blood in the kitchen and that OF
Alice ID the dining room with her
face to floor and a 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 loca
tion 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 struggle Oh
Alice's part. The last OF the children
to die was Thomas, aged 5. He had
remained in bed, probably still asleep
and also received bullets in bis head,
dying quickly. After the extraordin-
ary crimes had been committed, the
perpetrator Of them went into the
bedroom where his wife had been kill
ed aud, lying down at her side, fired
q bullet into bis own brain, and died
at his wiie's side.
Several poolroom race checks were
found about the house, showing that
Derby had been trying bis luck on
betting. The first knowledge Of the
crime was communicated in a letter
written by Derby yesterday to a
friend who lived not far away and
which was sent him by special de-
livery. The letter was to the effect
that when It had been received the
Derby family would be dead. When
the friend hurried to the house this
morning all that had been promised
was seen to have been fulfilled.