The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-05-15

One Of the most horrible crimes In
the history of the state of Florida, il
not in the history of the south, was
committed near the settlement Of A.
lentown, in Santa Rosa county, about
ten miles north Of Milton, early yes
terday morning when w. G.. Ac-
reman, his wife and seven chill
dren were murdered in cold blood, the
house fired and the bodies burned.
Only the dismembered trunks Of the
victims remained when a party from
Milton reached the scene at about II
o'clock. No motive for the crime has
been discovered.
The Bodies Discovered.
At an early hour yesterday morn
ing a man living about a quarter Of a
mile from the home of the Acreman
family discovered that the building
was no longer standing and, accord
ing to his story. notified other fami-
lies living in the vicinity before going
to investigate. A party was soon
made up and visited the scene Of the
fire. discovering the ChaTred and dis
membered bodies Of the family among
the ruins. A telephone message was
at once sent to Milton from a nearby
turpentine camp and Judge RhOda,
Sheriff Mitchell DR.. II. Z. EIdridge and
several others at once left for the
scene. Upon their arrival the sills OF
the buildings were still building.
The Acreman Home.
The building was a two room house
with an IL" at the rear and faced the
north. There were two doors at the
front, one leading into each room,
and doors opposite the front doors
leading out to a porch in the rear.
The house had numerous windows
and it is hardly possible that the en-
tire family would have lost their lives
had they not been either killed OF rem
dered unconscious previous TO the fr-
ing Of the house.
Acreman with one Of his sons slept
in a bed in the southeast corner Of the
east room and his wife. with her in
FAINT, which was born on Friday last,
occupied a bed directly opposite.
Three boys slept together in the
southeast corner of the west room,
and directly opposite them in the same
room was a bed occupied by the Old
est girl. between thirteen and four
teen years of age, and her sister.
Skull was Crushed.
The body Of Acreman was fOunt
lying near the sill Of the door leading
to the rear porch from the room in
which he slept. the skull crushed in
and the body 50 badly burned that
only the trunk remained By the side
of the remains was a gun. seeming to
indicate that the murdered man knew
that his life and the lives Of the men,
bers of his family were in danger.
and that he was making an attempt
TO defend himself when stricken down.
An examination Of the skull revealed
A large blood clot at the base OF the
brain which was conclusive evidence.
according to the cOTOner's physician,
that death came before the fire occur
red.
Mother and Babe.
The body Of Mrs Acreman AID her
three days old infant were found out
side Of the sill at the front OF the
house. indicating that she was muir
dered on the porch. The bodies were
also dlsmembered, and the skull Of
Mrs. Acreman indicated that she had
been killed before the building was
set on fire.
The bodies Of the boys who slept in
the west room were found in positions
indicating that they had either been
killed while in bed or that they had
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