The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-08-20
KILLS CHILDREN WITH AXE
RELIGIOUS MANIA CAUSES HOR-
RIBLE CRIME AT LOS ANGELES.
H. j. Duffy, Crazed by Religious En-
thusiasm, Stays his son and
Married Daughter.

Los Angeles, CAL, August 13.-
Driven insane by religious mania,
H. J. Duffy, sixty years of age, to-
day attacked and killed his son and
daughter with an axe and then cut
his own throat with razor, inflict-
ing fatal injuries. The tragedy oc-
Cured in the extreme northwestern
part of the city. Duffy lived at the
home of his son, Fred Duffy. He
had been on the verge of violent in
sanity, it is said, for weeks as re-
suit of religious enthusiasm. Last
night he attended a religious meet
ing and worked himself into fren-
Zy.
When he arose this morning he
was suddenly seized with desire
to kill. Securing a sharp-bladed
axe he stealthily entered the bed
room of his son while the latter lay
asleep. He crept close to the side
Fof the bed and, raising the axe aloft
brought it down with terrific force
across the neck of the son. The
blow was delivered with such tre-
mendous force that the head of the
victim was severed completely from
the body. With a maniacial shout
Duffy rushed from the house and
down the street waving his bloody
weapon. Reaching the house at 451
Northwest Lake Avenue, where his
wife and daughter resided, he open
ed the front door and entered. Mrs.
Ada Lacom, the daughter, with her
mother, was in the rear room. Pro-
ceeding cautiously to this room the
murderer opened the connecting
doors. Mrs. Lacom stood with her
back to him. Without word of
warning he swung the axe high
in the air and cleft his daughters
skull. Her whole head was crush
ed in from the blow.
Mrs. Duffy fled through rear door,
closely pursued by the maniac, strlk-
ing at her with the axe.
The woman succeeded in eluding
him, but not before she had received
a severe cash on the elbow from the
axe swung by Duffy as he chased
her. y
Mrs. Dufty's cries finally attracted
the attention of neighbors who came
to her aid.
Duffy then walked to the street,
where he drew razor from his
pocket and slashed his own throat,
inflicting frightful injuries, from
which, however, he is likely to re-
cover.
Several weeks ago Duffy went to
the Evergreen cemetery and pur-
chased a lot, explaining that he
wanted it for himself, son and
daughter. Three days ago he pur-
chased a coffin for himself.
Fred Duffy, the son, was "a years
of age and unmarried. He was an
automobile machinist.
The daughter lived with her hus-
band, Ferdinand Lacom, painter
and their six-year-old daughter. Mrs.
Duffy and her husband had been d1-
yorced, and she had gone to the
home of her daughter to nurse her
through approaching confinement.
Before entering the Lacom home
Duffy concealed his axe in a sack
which he carried. The old man sat,
nervously lingering the sack while
the women proceeded to prepare
breakfast. Suddenly he got up,
drew the axe from the sack and at
tackled them. ,.
Duffy had not only purchased
lot in the cemetery for the burial OF
his victims, but had headstones
erected for three graves. Three
plain tombstones were put in place
on the lot at his order, bearing the
names Henry J. Duffy" Fred A.
Duffy" and "Zaidaih Lacom."'
The grave stones for his children
were placed on each side of the one
erected for himself. Duffy paid $50
for the headstones and told the
salesman that he was in no great
hurry to have them erected.
Drowned Trying to Save Boy.