The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-19
BURIED in
ONE GRAVE
VICTIMS OF BARTON TRAGEDY
WERE BURIED ON FRIDAY
! Z AFTERNOON.

WHEELING, Jan. 19!-The fnner-
/ ais Of the three victims Of the horrible
tragedy ut Barton, Belmont county,
Thursday were held FriJsy afternoon
and the interment was made in LIN
wood cemetery, four miles west OF
Bridgeport. The three bodies were
buried at the same time IN one exca-
walton.
The three dead persons were mem
bers of the Catholic church. but the
church did not take charge Of the bur.
ial for reasons that will be explained
later.
Practically all of the population Of
Barton surrounded the house wherein
lay the dead bodies about the time the
funeral was to take place. Some were
there out Of idle curiosity, but many
we're attracted out Of sympathy for one
or other OF the dead.
Wanted to Return. n
1t is pretty certain that Pearl, the
murdered girl. had arranged to go
back to the Convent of the Good
Shepherd at. Columbus, o., where she
was sent Ave years ago by Rev. Faith.
er Roderick McEachan, Of Barton, to
be educated In music, art and general
topics. She was very bright pupil
and greatly beloved by the girls and
others connected with the convent,
1t was learned that Pearl had writ.
ten to girls at the convent saying she
intended to come back at the first OPP
portunity and finish her education. In
a little sack hanging around the dead
girls neck was found about ten dollars
in cash.
It's presumed she was saving this
to pay her way back to the school and
II is the opinion of her friends that
she had planned to slip away from
home in very few days and go back
tc Columbus. Her mother opposed her
going because she wanted to have her
around the house. The girls delay in
starting on her trip was fatal.
soroner Diven's Investigation Of
the double murder and suicide at Bar
ton Thursday proved beyond doubt
that Alex. Balliant had deliberately
planned to murder his wife and prob
abfy kill himself, but there is mute
evidence that he had not at first de.
ciied to Stay thu innocent 10 year old
daughter, Pearl.
The girl probably met her death be.
cause she tried to prevent the murder
of her mother. Coroner Diven be.
iieves that when Balliant stabbed his
wife the first time, the girl fought to
protect her and in doing so had two
fingers cut Off one hand and one of
the other. Probably fearing the girl
would give the alarm and prevent him
carrying out his purpose. he must
have attacked her, using the ugly
butcher knife to slash her face and
breast. ..s-
Even then the girl was able to
crawl from the room, for her bloody
hand prints were found on the floor
from the back room to the front.
With her lacerated hands and fright.
full stab wounds. she tried to open the
door and the window as Is evidenced
by the bloody prints. Possibly while
engaged in this the .frenzied stepfath.
er may have given the death blow, a
stab wound in the back which pene.
tratsd her heart.
In all the girl had abount twenty
stab wounds on her head and body,
in fact she was literally butchered.
There are big cuts on the calf Of the
leg and the ankle, probably made
while she was dragging herself across
the floor in an effort to escape her
horrible fate.
Mrs. Balliant was stabbed no less
than seven times, but the wound that
caused her death was a slashing, cut
extending from the neck down
through the heart, lungs mad stomach
which let the entrails fall out on the
floor. It was butchery of most hor.
rible character and all who saw the
work of the mailman were amazed
that human being could have been
so brutal.
There are signs Of struggle all
over the house. probably by the girl
and her stepfather, for Mrs. Baffiant
was evidently killed in bed. splotches
o. blood are on everything. The
walls, the ceiling, the floors, doors,
windows, furniture, in fact everything
Is bloody. The floor and everything
on it was literally soaked with the
blood OF the victims.