The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-01-09
CRUELTY SLAIN
Methodist Minister Murdered IN
His Own Church
HE HAD NO ENEMIES

The Crime Discovered by Man
Who Sought Refuge in the Church
From o Cold Wind-The Dismen-
bered Body Found Partially
Burnt in the Church Stoves.
Detroit, Mich, Jan. 6.-The dis
membered body Of the Rev. John j.
Carmichael, a Methodist minister,
was found today partially consumed
near Columbus in the southwestern
part of st. Clair County.
Investigation was begun at once
to clear away temporary uncertain
ty as to the identity OF the victim,
and to obtain clues regarding the
murder, and the motive for the
crime. Identification of the dead
clergyman was soon effected by Or
vile Lindsay, who was sent through
the county for that purpose by Mrs.
Carmichael, who had been in great
distress since her husband failed to
return home es expected last even
ing, and who surmised that the min-
lister was the victim as soon as sne
heard the report that some one had
been murdered in the Columbus
church.
But clues Of the murderer and his
motive we're more difficult to OBJ
.ain There was rumor that a
strange man had left train at
Hickey let in the afternoon, and
had been directed to the Columbus
church, and there were other ru-
morse indicating that two men were
implicated in the crime. The fact
that several coins were found in
the clothing of the dead man and Ia
the ashes in the stoves precluded
the theory Of robbery and at the
time of his death it was not known
that the murdered minister had an
enemy in the world.
The Rev. Carmichael had been in
Michigan about ten years, and for
two years had been pastor of three
churches at Columbus, Adair and
China. With his wife and three
children, he resided at Adair. Leav-
ing home yesterday morning ne tod
Mrs. Carmichael that he was going
to Columbus to arrange for a series
Of revival meetings there. He waved
his hand affectionately to a group
of children as he drove out of the
village of Adair and from that mo-
ment all trace of him is lost.
Myron Brown, who lives near the
scene of the tragedy, was the first
to discover the crime today. While
he was waiting at the crossroads to
keep an appointment the cold wind
drove him to seek shelter in the
church. He was surprised to find
the church doors unlocked and upon
opening them, was terrified to see
the church floor, the pews and even
the Communion table daubed with
blood and fragments of bloody cloth
ing scattered all around. Evidently
the clergyman, who was Sc years old
and of athletic build, had made Il
terrific struggle for his life.
Without inveatingsti mfwflobery
Without investigating further,
Brown fed to his home where he hal
a key to the church. He returned
and locked the doors and hurried
to the village Of Hickey, from which
place he notified the sheriffs Office
at Port Huron.
The authorities on their arrival
at the church found parts Of the dis
membered body in the two stoves
located respectively at the front and
rear, and discovered apparently q
new hatched, the handle of which
had been burned Off A dirk was
also found in the church, and it
is believed that the dirk served for
the murder, while the hatchet was
used to cut the body to pieces.
The minister's horse was found to-
day tied to a tree in the village Of
Pine River, the dead mans overcoat
being discovered in the buggy. Pine
River Is small village near Thorn
ton, on the main line of the Grand
Trunk Railroad, and fully twenty
miles from the scene of the murder