Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-08-20
KILLS HIS CHILDREN.
RELIGIOUS MANIA CAUSES HOR.
RIBLE CRIME.
Stays His Son and Married Daughter.
Tried to- Kill His Divorced Wife
And Cuts His Own Tbront

And Cuts His Own Throat.
| AT Los Angeles, Cal, driven insans
by religious mania. Fl. J. Duftv civ.
ty years of age. Friday attacked and
Killed his son and daughter with an
axe and then cut his own throat with
razor, infiicting fatal injuries The
tragedy occurred in the extreme
northwestern part of the city Duffy
| lived at the home of his son. Fred
Dufty. He had been on the verge
or violent instantly. it is said. for
weeks as result of religious enthu-
siasm. The night before he attend
ed a religious meeting and worked
himself into a frenzy.
When he arose that 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
of the bed and. raising the axe aloft.
brought Ii down with terrific force
across the neck of the son. The blow
was delivered with such tremendous
force that the head of the victim
was severed completely from the
body. With a manical shout Duffy
rushed from the house and down
the street waving his bloody weapon.
Reaching the house at 451 North
west Lake avenue, where his wife
and daughter resided. he opened the
front door and entered. Mrs. Ada
I
er. was in rear room. Proceeding
cautiously TO this room the murder
er 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
head was crushed in from the blow
Mrs. Duffy fed through a rear
door, closely pursued by the maniac
striking 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.
Mrs. Dufty's cries finally attract
ed the attention of neighhors who
came to her aid.
Duffy then walked to the street.
where he drew razor from his pock-
ct and slashed his own throat. in
flicting 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 want
ed II for himself, son and daughter.
tt ee days ago he purchased cof-
fin for himself
red Duffy, the son, was "a years
of age and unmarried. He was an
machinist.
The daughter lived with her hus-
band. Ferdind Lacom. a painter. and
their six-year-old daughter. Mrs.
Duffy and her husband had been
divorced. and she had gone TO the
home o. her daughter to nurse her
thIo2gh approaching confinement.
Before entering the Lacom home
Duffy concealed his axe in a sack
which hc carried. The old man sat
rrrvousiy lingering the sack whilr
the woman proceeded to prepare
breakfast. Suddenly he got up
drew the axe from the sack and
attacked them.
Duffy not only purchased lot in
the cemetery for the burial of his
victims. but had headstones erected
for three graves. Thre plain tomb
stones were put in place on the lot
at his order. bearing tn names
Henry j. Duffy" Fred A. Duffy"
and "Zaidaih Lacom.'
The grave stones for his children
we're placed on each side of the one
erected for himself. Duffy paid $50
for the headstones and told the sales
man that he was in no great hurry
to have them erected.