The sun., 1907-08-21
ARSON TOCOYER TWO MURDERS
WOMEN KILLED WHILE 4 EARN
WAS BURNING.
Mrs. Edward HOrner and servant Girl
Drained with an Axe while the Others
on tho Place we're Fighting Fire
Negro Farmland Under Arrest.

Drained with an Axe while the Others
on tho Place were Fighting Fire
Negro Farmland Under Arrest.
PHILADELPHIA. Aug. 20.-While the at
tentiou OF Edward Horner. farmer be-
tween Collingswood and Merchsntville.
near Camden. was diverted by a fire started
in his barn at 4 o'clock this morning an as
sassn entered his house and with an axe
murdered Mrs. Horner and the hired girl,
an Italian named Vittoria Natoli Mrs
Horner was SO years old.
The Italian woman. vittoria. was work.
ing on the farm with her husband. Tornaso.
to whom she had been married a year ago.
The detectives suspected a negro farm
two weeks before. His name 10 Charles
Gibson. and he il now in custody in Camden
charged with the murder.
It was found that the fend who killed
the woman had also robbed the Horner
home, carrying away two revolvers. some
money and two gold watches. When
Gibson was arrested one Of the revolvers
was in his basket and so were two pawn
tickets. each for a gold watch. The tickets
we're taken to the pawnbroker, Joseph
Rieder of 1873 Market street. Philadelphia,
and the watches were recovered.
Rieder was taken to Camden. where he
picked Gibson out OF a long line Of prisoners
and identified him positively as the per-
son who had pledged the watches. When
Gibson's pockets were searched sl4 was
found in them.
Stephen Dorsey, chum OF Gibson.
was arrested and admitted that he was
with Gibson when the watches were pawned.
His story was that Gibson met him and
asked him TO go with him to Philadelphia
to deposit them as security for the loan OF
$ls Dorsey said all he got was 81.
Both negroes told OF going to various
places in Camden. Gibson's story covering
the time OF the murder was an abb. The
statements were fully investigated and
disproved.
II is the expectation Of the detectives
that Gibson will confess.
When the details of the evidence against
Gibson became known in the district where
the murder was done there was the usual
wild talk about lynching. but it came to
nothing.
IL was about o'clock in the morning
when Horner and his wife were awakened
by the violent barking OF the small dog
Tim. Horner got up. and not being
able to see anything thought that the fox
terrier had been worried by a cat.
Half an hour later the dog was barking
again. Horner got up and discovered
his barn. not more than 200 feet from the
house. was on fire.
With Noah Tillotson, a negro farm hand.
Horner ran to the barn. They could not
check the flames, but got out some Of the
live stock and wagons. Fearing that the
fire might be carried by the wind to his
home Horner left the barn TO its fate and
hurried back TO the house intending to
arouse his wife and servant
Upon entering the house he heard groans
and going into the kitchen and lighting q
lamp he saw the servant lying on the floor
in a pool OF blood. Her head was fright
fully gashed and her garments torn a.
though she had fiercely struggled TO ward
OF an attack.
In an adjoining TO ON he found the body
Of his wife. Mrs. Horner's throat had
been cut through to the skin at tho back
Of her neck. The axe had crushed through
the spinal column. The woman's face
was beaten and gashed almost beyond recog-
milton and her skull was shattered. Not
far from where the body lay Horner found
an axe covered with blood. The condition
OF the room Indicated that the murderer
had met with strong resistance.
Mrs. Horner. 1t is thought. was awakened
by her husband leaving the house to 60 to
tho burning barn. She evidently dressed
and went down stairs. and In passing
through the dining room must have met the
murderer. There she fought desperately
against the attack. IL is thought. and de-
Tended herself until blow from the axe
felled her. Then. 1t 10 thought. the other
wounds were inflicted.
The condition OF the kitchen as well as
Of the dining room shows that both women
fought when attacked. Walls. floors and
furniture. and even the ceiling In the dining
room, were spattered with blood.
Horner. upon making sure that his wife
was dead. ran TO his nearest neighbor
and reported the crime. Tho news OF
the murder spread to other farms and by
daylight a score of farmers were at the
Horner home.
The servant girl was unconscious, but
not dead. She was sent to a hospital h ere
and while she lay in the institution eflorts
were made TO get from her a statement
which might lead to the capture Of her
assailant. This was found impossible
She died at 0 o'clock this morning
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