Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-01-05
Rochester Farmer Kills Wife, Son and
Daughter With Ak.
THEN SHOOTS SELF WITH GUN
Neighbor Discovers Bloody Tragedy
In Home Of Clarence A. Barnum-
Financial Losses Are Believed to
Have Led to the Crime.

Rochester, Mich, Jan. 3.-Clarence
A. Barnum, a farmer, living 1-2 miles
southeast OF this place, was found
dead at o'clock last evening in his
dining room, with discharged single
barreled shotgun lying across his legs.
he had blown the entire top of his
head off and death had been instantan-
eous.
Near him, weltering In the same
pool of blood, was his daughter,
Louisa, dead from a deep ak cut in
the back of her neck. Fear her lay
the keen instrument with which she
had been slain.
Slain In Woodshed.
In the woodshed, the wife and
mother, Mary, reposed face downward,
dead from a gaping ak wound which
lad nearly severed her head, and with
which she had been struck from be-
hind.
In the kitchen, face downward on
the floor, his son, Chester A., aged
IS, was lifeless, a deep wound in his
back telling how he perished.
Mrs. Park Sibley, neighbor Of the
Barnums, made the ghastly discovery,
when, not having seen any of the
Barnum family about the house dur
ing the day, she looked through the
wodshed window and saw the form
Of the woman lying on the earthen
floor
Broke Into the House.
Justice J. S. Peters was immediate
iy notified and he, with several vii
layers, broke in a rear door and en-
tered the house, TO find that terri
! .e tragedy had been enacted.
From the mute evidence to be had
within the home and additional cir
cumstances brought to light later, it
is the concensus of opinion that Bar
mum slew his family and then blew
out his own brains.
The deed had evidentaly taken place
Just as the family were about TO eat
breakfast Tuesday morning, as the
table was set, and in the center burn
ed a kerosene lamp, which leads to
the belief that it was not yet daylight
when the family prepared to eat.
All doors were locked. The author
tiles have rs yet failed to determine
first. One peculiarity of the crime lies
in the fact that the wounds of the
three victims of the AK were in almost
the same identical places in the back
OF the neck.
The walls OF the rooms are spattered
with blood. but there is no evidence
that a struggle occurred.
Came From Homer.
Barnum originally came from New
York state and settled at Homer. Mich.
He owned house and small farm
there, and last spring he traded this
for the property near Rochester, where
the tragedy occurred. Neighbors say
he was a cheerful man and that ho
was well liked His wife was very
Intelligent woman and had made many
tliends during her stay here.
Barnum got on TO his farm late and
crops were not a success. II is thought
that worry over his financial affairs
led to the crime.
letter was found in his pocket
addressed to his brother at Waterloo
n. Y, in which he stated that he was
respondent over financial affairs
A son, George William, who is a
student at Ann Arbor, was home with
his wife Christmas and his father,
deeply grieved. told him that he wa.
sorry that he could not give him a
better reception, but that he had but
little money.
Justice Peters has empaneled a Jury
and will hold an inquest today.