Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-12-01
WOMAN AND Five
CHILDREN MURDERED

independence, Nov. 25.--Mrs. VIII
liam McWilliams and her Ave child
rem were yesterday afternoon found
murdered in the kitchen of their
farm home six miles south of indie
pendence. Their skulls had all been
crushed with a carpenters hammer,
while their bodies were literally
butchered with large knife. The
husband and father. William McWil
liams was arrested here last night
and there is every evidence that ne
was the perpetrator of the horrible
crime. Opinion is divided as te
whether he is insane, or whether ne
killed his family out of murderous
malice. Late last night he was beng
put through sweat box" inquisi
ton in the hope of being forced to
confess to his deed.
Never before have the criminal an.
mails of this section Of the state borne
the record of so brutal murder. The
victims had evidently been called in
one at time into the kitchen, where
the bodies were round in row, and
struck with a hammer, not once, bul
many times. until dead Then the
murderer hacked and stabbed at each
lifelass body until it was horribly
mutilated. The mother apparently
had been at work preparing dinner
when she met her fate, for when tne
murder was discovered a meal was
still on the stove cooking, and there
were. other evidences Of the inter
rupted preparation of meal. The
Oldest child, a son IS years OF age
had evidently been called from corn
field near by, for, as he lay on the
floor, he had on pair of huskine
gloves and he was otherwise attlrec
for work. The babe of the family
a little tot not more than two OF
three years old. had been called If
from it's play, for it wore its cap ant
mittens and it had in its lifeless
hands piece of bread and butter,
one blow had suff1ced for it, and Their
the inhuman fiend placed its lifeless
body in the arms of it's mother. The
only evidence of a struggle was found
in the death OF the Oldest daughter
of the household, a young girl Of 16;
her hands were badly cut, as though
she had grasped the murderer's knife
in her fight for life: The other two
children were about 10 and 8 years
old respectively.
The crime was first discovered by
a milkman. named Saunders. who
regularly visits the McWilliams every
other day. He called at about
o'clock yesterday to get his usua
amount of milk, but found no one
about the premises. He walked to
the kitchen, looked in and there saw
the six bodies in row. He has
tened away to give the alarm and Off
GERS at once started for the scene
of the crime. They found McWil
liams nowhere about the house OF
premises, but they discovered az
abandoned suit of clothes of his which
was badly besmeared with human
blood. They extended their search
for him AMI last evening located min
in independence, when he was takeI
into custody.
McWilliams has for some years
been considered a peculiar man, es
pecially since he suffered a sunstroke
about two years ago. He has been
sullen and reticent, having little to dc
with his neighbors. and at times dis
playing an ugly disposition.
independence, Nov. 2S.-The cor
oner's jury last night returned a yer
dict holding that Mrs. McWliliams
and five children, who were found
murdered at the home near here, met
their death at the hands of William
the husband and father,
who is now in Jail here.
The evidence before the coroner's
jury simply substantiated the proceed.
ing stories of the crime. Relatives
apparently feel that McWil1iams is
guilty and testified that he has had
insane spells for the past four years