Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1908-01-25
MURDEY MYS-
Terry SOLVED

The above confession written ant
signed on her death bed by Flora
Tennyson will. II Is believed. clear up
the mystery which has surrounded
the murder OF her father. David r.
Tennyson. which occurred on Feb
ruary "a. 1906. near the. town OF
Frankfort. In Marshall county. about
sixty miles northwest OF this city.
For nearly two years the authorities
have yainly endeavored to unrayel
the mystery and obtain the neces-
sary evidence against the guilty par
ties.
Murder on Farm
The murder occurred ON the Ten.
nyson farm. one mile east of Frank.
fort. On the night OF the crime Mr..
Tennyson and his wife, who were
elderly people and well.to-do. were sit.
ting In the living room OF their home.
A daughter. Mrs. Flora Brock. who
had. however. been Separated from her
husband and who went under the name
OF Flora Tennyson. was In the sitting
room with her parents. One other
child who lived with parents, George
Tennyson. a son OF 2l years. George
went TO town that night. A little
before eight o'clock Flora went TO her
room which was upstairs.
ThJnderous Explosion.
Mr.. Tennyson sat near the center
OF the room with his back to Mrs. Ten.
nyson. and was reading a paper. Sud.
denly there was a thunderous explos.
ion accompanied by a crash OF glass,
The concusslon extinguished the
lamps IN the house and stunned Mrs.
Tennyson, who believed that lamp
had exploded When she recovered
from the shock she groped her way to
her husband. but could not arouse
him. She then hurried TO Flora's
room and found her daughter about
half undrcssed just getting ready to
retire for the night. The daughter
was unmov&d by the explosion. She
afterwards stated that she thought II
was a shot gun fired by a neighbor "a
scare the coyotes from his sheep.
Hole In His Head.
Mrs. Tepnyson and her daughter
hurried down stairs. where they found
the father dead. laying limp In his
chair. A hole In the back OF his
head near the base OF the brain told
the story OF the shooting.
A Woman's Track.
The authorities learned OF the crime
f, that night and at once tok up the
search for the murderer or murderers.
Bloodhounds were put on the case
and special detectives employed. but
never was sufficient evidence brought
to light to justify an arrest. A print
OF woman's shoe was found right In
line with the probable path taken by
the murderer. II measured exactly
with Flora's foot. The Sheriff located
an old shotgun belonging to the fami.
ly In storehouse near the house
which contained an empty shell.
This shell smelled OF having been
freshly discharged and the detectives
were OF the opinion that this was the
weapon used In the killing.
ouarreled With Her Father.
Within few weeks after the mur.
der OF her father Flora Tennyson was
taken sick and died. II was known
that before the tragedy she had quar-.
relied violently with father on several
occasions because OF the objections OF
the father 10 the visits OF young
man TO Flora. But George Tennyson.
the son. had also quarreled with his
father many times over money mat
ters. so that so far as a motive was
concerned the authorities were unable
to make n decision. Soon after
Flora's death the son George left Mar.
shall county and bought n farm In
Ottawa county. II was the general
opinion when he left Frankfort that
he knew more Of the tragedy than he
cared TO tell. But nothing was ever
done In the mater and no arrests
were made.
Confession Produced.
Two weeks ago. however. interest
in the famous case was revived by the
action of some OF the relatives OF the
murdered man. Accompanied by
Marshall county officers they went to
the home OF George Tennyson and for.
mally charged him with knowledge OF
the crime. He was taken TO town and
severely cross-examined for several
hours For a time he steadfastly de.
EieG that he knew any more concern.
Ing the tragedy than he haa already
told. Under the sweating process.
he finally broke down and sobbingly
confessed to the secret that he said
be hai kept since his sister Flora's
death. He said that on the day before
his sister died he was sitting by her
bed tanning her. She had not been