Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-23
Details of Murder and Suicide
as Related by Son Who
Escaped
GUARDIAN OF HIS MOTHER
Following the Separation of His Par
ents. the Murdered William Laird
championed His Mothers Cause and
In Divsrtina Fathers Wrath from
Her Himself Fell Victim to it.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to T1meS-Republlcan.
Knoxville, July 23.-Details of the
tragedy at Attica, in which William
Laird killed his son and then committed
suicide, as given briefly in these dis
patches Yesterday, are learned from
younger son, who had marrow escape
from death at the hands of the father.
According to the story of the little boy,
his father called himself and brother
at an early hour Wednesday. They
failed to awaken and get out oil pea
they should and he entered the room
with a revolver in his hand, and walk
remarked: IN fix you" and fired at
him. The bullet entered his head kill
ing him instantly. The terror stricken
brother jumped from his bed and ran
out Of doors and towards neighbor's
house. pursued by his father. He man.
aged to reach the house, and then be-
fore the neighbors could interfere the
father had returned to his home and
sent a bullet into his own brair.
The boy says he knows no reason for
the crime, except that his father be-
came ,enraged because his brother did
not get up when called, and thinks his
anger made him temporarily insane.
Laird is known here as Il man who
drank a great deal, and was shiftless
and careless. He had been separated
from his wife, she taking three of the
children and the two boys remaining
with their father. Mrs. Laird is living
in town, and when told of the murder
of the boy and the suicide of her for
mer husband she fell in a faint. She
has been in paroxysms of grief ever
since, and it is feared she will lose her
reason.
Laird was man sixty years DID and
had been before the commissioners for
insanity upon three different occasions
but had never been adjudged insane.
The trouble which eliminated in the
deadly tragedy at o'clock in the morn
ing, dates from a period about three
years ago when Laird began to grow
jealous of a man in the neighborhood
whom he alleged stood more highly in
Mrs. Lairds good opinion than himself
About that time the incessant warfare
between the husband and wife resulted
in proceeding for divorce on the part
of the wife which was successful. She
not only received a writ of divorce but
also an order of the court was issued
Laird from visiting or lott
ering about the premises on which she
resided.
Since that time the former husband
and wife have lived apart, though Laird
has at frequent intervals visited Mrs.
Laird's abode surreptitiously.
To Mr.. and Mrs. Laird had been born
six children. and the son William who
was killed by the liberated father was
next to the Oldest child.
Since the troubles of the father and
mother were first noted, this son has
taken the part of his mother. and fol-
lowing the divorce, when some of the
children were awarded to the custody
Of the father and others to the mother,
the boy William had chosen to live
with andu champion the cause of his
mother.
The ground upon which Mrs. Laird
instituted and secured her divorce
was that of malicious threats on the
part OF the husband. with the END in
view to COMPEL her to do certain acts
against her will. Laird continued to
make so much trouble that he was in
in the county Jail, from
which he was but recently released.
The tragedy occurred at o'clock In
the morning. There is but little doubt
but that Laird had resolved to murder
the whole family, and that the son,
the guardian Of his mother,
OWNED the intentions of the irate
father, and in the effort to protect his
mother was the himself the first victim
Of the fathers wrath and passion.