The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-12-02
WOMAN, ADOPTED CHILD
AND MAN FOUND KILLED
Triple Tragedy Linked With Mys.
FERROUS Death a Year Before.
MOTHERS VENGEANCE THEORY
It is Suggested She Used Razor, Be.
lieving Her Son.in-Law Slew Her
MISUNDERSTANDING Police Puz'
zled by Cases Strange Features.

East Pittsburgh triple crime.
the inner history of which probably
never can be known, was discovered
here by William Casey when he re.
turned to his home, in Fifth avenue,
shortly after midnight. On the bed.
her throat cut, lay his wife; beside
her, her head almost severed from
the body, lay Irene, six years old.
whom Mrs. Casey had adopted after
the tragic death of her daughter a
year before. At first sight George
Hartzell, Mrs. Casey's so~n-in-law, ap,
peared to be missing. But the fumes
of chloroform led Casey to a trunk Id
a corner Of the room. Raising the
lid he found the body of Hartzell!
Like. the others, Hartzell's throat was
cut. A cloth that had been soaked IN
chloroform was wrapped about tho
head. ~.
That little Irene had been an innot
cent victim was plain, but there was
little to show which Of the two others
was the murderer. A blood-statned
razor that evidently: had been used In
the killing lay on the bed beside Mrs.
Casey's body, and from that fact the
police built a theory closely connected
with the death Of the woman's daugh-
ter. They believe Mrs. Casey killed
Hartzell because she believed he, a
year before. had killed her child,
who, at the time Of her death, had
been a bride only a few weeks.
Young Mrs. Hartzell was killed in
her. home by a pistol shot. Hartzell
was arrested, but told a story how his
wife had kissed him goodbye as he
was leaving the house to go to work
and then, running into another room,
had shot herself before he closed the
outer door. Mrs. Casey openly ac-
cused Hartzell of the murder of his
bride, but she was unable to produce
proof, and when the Coroner's jury
brought in a verdict of suicide Hart
zell was released. 49, 81.
The widower went to live with the
Caseys, and, If the story told by the
police is true, Mrs. Casey from the
first hour he entered the house set
all her woman's craft to the task OF
fastening the death of his wife upon
Hill. DIG was I'LL Iy-oCfCh JCoiS oiel
and Hartzell twenty-five, and the two
came to spend so much time together
that Casey became jealous and fire.
quently quarreled with his wife on
the score of her friendship for her
son-in-law. Mrs. Casey, it is said,
soothed her husband by telling him
she was seeking to trap Hartzell into
e confession that he had killed their
daughter, and the strange seeming
friendship continued and grew closer:
'If I ever can really satisfy myself
that George shot my, child I will kill
him in cold blood with my own
hands" the woman Is said to have
told her husband a few days ago.
Whether she actually learned any
thing from the young mans lips prob
ably never will be known. The police
believe that, in her W words, she
satisfied herself" Of his guilt, and,
after first trying to s%uffocate HartzeI
with %chloroform, cut his throat with
the razor as he lay unconscious.
Then, crazed with the sight of the
blood and with the realization OF
what she had done. 1t is believed she
killed the little girl and herself.