The Detroit times., 1908-05-16
Family OF THREE
AND SERVANT
MURDERED
CHASTITY ouADRuPlE TRAGEDY
ENACTED ON LONELY FARM IN
NEW JERsEY-PossE PURSUING
HIRED MAN SUSPECT.

MATAwAN. N. j.. May ia ter
rible quadruple tragedy was discov-
cred on the farm OF w. B. Shepherd.
near the village OF Wickatunk. today.
Shepherd, his wife. servant nam
cd Jennie Bondy. and the l0-months-
old child OF the Shepherds were found
dead In the farm mouse.
All had been literally riddled with
bullets.
The position OF the bodies and the
general circumstances point to brutal
murder.
| A farm hand who was employed on
the place and who was discharged a
week ago. Is missing and the entire
countryside is being hunted by hum
dreds OF farmers
| The entire family were shot down
In cold blood. The motive Is not yet
apparent. as II is not known whether
robbers had been invited to the place
by reports OF large sums of money
hidden on the premises.
| Baby Lived Short Time.
The baby was not wounded as badly
as the others and lived for some time
after the tragedy. but died as soon
as help arrived.
clue on which the authorities
have to work Is that furnished by
neighbors who declare that fortune
teller. 10 days ago, warned Shepherd
that. within fortnight. his entire
family would be wiped out by an In
sane murderer.
Another EmpIoye Detained.
| Another man employed by Shep-
herd and who Is being detained by
the police. told the villagers only yes
terday or the fortune teller's warn
| ing.
Shepherd was breeder Of poultry
and also conducted kitchen farm. He
always had a large amount OF money
around the house.
The tragedy was discovered by the
S-year-old son OF a neighbor who had
been sent TO the Shepherd
place TO milk a COW. He
knocked at the kitchen door
and. receiving no response, went
around to the front of the house. Both
windows and door were open and ar
ter he had tried several times to
arouse some one, he returned to the
kitchen door and went in.
A CHASTITY Sight
7 Near the stove on the foor lay the
servant She was dead with bullet
wound through her heart.
Immediately the frightened boy ran
to his home and told his father. who
called the police of Matawan on the
telephone Several constables secur.
ed carriage and rushed to the scene.
Shepherd. fully dressed, lay dead
beneath the table Ia the living room.
The officers rushed into the main hall
way and near a flight of stairs was
the body OF Mrs. Shepherd. Like her
husband and the servant she. too. had
been shot through the heart Near
the threshold was a repeating rife
which belonged 10 the dead man and
which he always kept fully loaded be-
cause OF the distance to the nearest
ueighbor.
A hasty trip was made around the
premises. Only an aged farmland
was found He was In barn and said
he had not been up to the house since
yesterday He was perfectly calm and
cool and although the police don't be-
lieve he is guilty OF the murders. he
was taken TO Matawan to be held as a
witness.
The constables Immediately tele-
phoned TO police headquarters at Mat
avian and Constable John Snadaker,
OF Atlantic Highlands. FASTENED to
led Bank, where he borrowed VIM.
BENEFITS famous pack OF bloodhounds.
The dogs were led through the
house and Immediately on reaching
me front porch struck scent. They
started in a direction leading toward
the little village.
Robbery Not Motive.
There was nothing TO indicate that
robbery was the motive OF the muir
jerer. In one OF the bureau drawers
was roll OF money intact. On top
of dresser lay some jewels which
Mrs. Shepherd had worn to the city
oily the day before. Nothing In the
house was disturbed. Everything
tended TO show that the serv.
ant girl was just preparing breakfast
len the assassin crept up from be-
hind and shot her.
no suspect for whom the authori
tics are searching with the blood
hounds is a Hungarian. Since his
discharge by Shepherd. neighbors
have seen him lettering In the road
way.
Shepherd was one OF the wealthiest
men In the county. Through his
chicken farm be had amassed a for
tune. He was still a young man and
was well known for many miles
around the village and had at times
played an important part In local pol
tiles there.