The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-01-18
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY AT JOHNSTOWN.
Wife and Mother-in-law Murdered In Still
ness OF Night. Sister-in.Iaw Attacked.

S60uS us II leJUeT lTOLu Ills sui,
Mr.. S. L. Mellott, who resides at
Johnston, Pa, giving the details
of horrible tragedy that occur
red in that city recently. The
victims of the murder lived in
Mr.. Mellott's house last winter,
and are well known by Rachel, a
daughte~ of DR.. Mellott, who Wis
tied her brother at Johnstown.
The mbers of the murdered
family are Mr.. and Mrs. George
Barrlnger, the latter AZ years OF
age; Irene, aged 20, a daueht OF
Mrs. Barringer, by former mar
riage, and who was married to
Jacob Houser, the murderer, but
who, on account of the cruel treat
ment she received from him, had
returned to her mothers home;
and Anna McGonigle, aged II
years, lister Of Mrs. Houser,
who also lived in the Barringer
home.
Houser had frequently tried to
persuade his wife to return to his
home and live with him, but re-
membering her former expert
ence with him, she steadily de-
cllned. The evening before the
murder, he met her on the street,
end when she again refused to go
with HIM, he told her that he
would kill her.
About 9 o'clock the next morn
ing he went to The Barrlnger
home, listened carefully by the
side of window downstairs for
the sound of some one about.
The house was in darkness and
all the inmates were asleep. The
> man carefully raised the window,
brushed aside some of the now
and without making a sound got
In, stepping over table on the
interior. AS yet no one made a
sound. The desperate man re-
moved his coat, hat and shoes.
Then he met the first obstruc-
tion. A small dog owned by Mr..
8arriuger snapped at his heels
as he was walking upstairs. His
wife, hearing the noise, awoke, as
did the little McGonigle girl.
Neither knew what was coming.
Then a dark form appeared by
the side of the bed and a pair of
hands clasped Mrs. Houser. She
screamed. The hands were re-
lentless. A knife was plunged
deep into the woman's throat. In
the rear room of the house were
sleeping George Barringer and
his wife. They heard the dis
turbance on the FIRST floor of the
house. The barking of the dog
first aroused them, but thinking
that the animal was merely bark
ing at outsiders, they paid little
attention to it. Then they heard
a man walking up the steps and
the little dog trying his best to
prevent what was to come follow
ing afterward. George | be-
heve that's Jake coming after
Irene. Go end see." Mrs. Bar
ringer called out these words to
her husband. Both leaped out of
bed. Mrs. Barringer was first
to see what had occurred in the
other room. By the dim light
burning there she saw her dead
daughter lying on the floor. Her
other daughter was lying hud-
died in a heap. Houser was
standing looking at mis- deed. In
his hand was the big knife with
which he had accomplished such
terrible destruction.
Mrs. Barrlnger shrieked. A
woman of stronger nerves would
have done likewise. At that the
wife murderer turned. He
made a lunge at his mother-ln'
law. The long blade struck her
in the back and she staggered
against the door jamb for sup
port. The knife again plunged
through the woman's back. Hous
er seemed possessed of a manica
rage. Quickly burying the knife
to the hilt IN her back he turned
the woman over and stabbed hel
in the breast, as he had done the
daughter. The limp body of the
IaoH ,xyo,,,o N Ga, nlx to tho floor l>a