The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-06
Foul Crime Near Monte
 va1lo. DAUGHTER N IAH'
 CHARGED WITH CRIME New Made and Untitled Grave Dis
 covered. Child Returning from School Finds the Body of His Grandparent in Room. Where it Had
 Been Thrown.

Montevallo. March 5.-(Special. )- tButally murdered in her own home. af- ,ter a grave had been dug for her in the rear of the house by the murderer or murderess, the body of Mrs. King, iaged 70 years, Was found yesterday by a school boy. Charged with the crime, Mrs. Pope. aged 30 years daughter, has been arrested and taken to Clanton for safe keeping. The wo- man stoutly denies her guilt.
 l. This entire community Is shocked by the horrible feature of the crime. At first 1t was believed to have been the work of a negro fend. but an in- vestigatior soon showed that the crime was the doing or some person more closely connected with the household. The head of the aged woman was beaten in with flat iron. gory spec tacle greeting those first to visit the scene of the crime.
 Mrs. King lived seven miles from Montevallo. The family was not a prominent one in the neighborhood, but the aged woman was respected. She occasionally had spells of insanity. but not of violent nature, ana nao never given the family or any of the neighbors any trouble. In worldly goods the family was sadly lacking. Mrs. Pope. the daughter. accused or the murder, had separated from her husband. and upon returning to live with her mother brought more mouths to feed. This daughter had to seek work outside of the family and for some time has been cooking for neighbor family.
 A second daughter of the murdered woman Is now confined to the Insane asylum at Tuscaloosa, and 1t was grief for the plight of this daughter, which it is said was the cause or the occa- soinally gts of insanity on the part or Mrs. King The relations between Mrs. King and her daughter. Mrs. Pope. we're not of the best. 1t being common gossip in the nefghborhood that there had been quarrels Of some kind.
 Faund by Child. | 4.=- [ Yesterday a grandchild of the nur- 6ered woman went to school at noon. Returning at 2:30 o'clock the murder was discovered, the blood smeared pooy being found in the middle Of the room. and blood stains on the window sill showed that the body had been dragged into the room through the window.
 The alarm quickly spread. and many neople gathered at the scene. The noroner quickly empanelled jury and sci about to discover the perpetrator of the crime. An investigation dis covered evidence of a struggle in the yard in the rear or the mousse; anu TUT ther investigation discovered new made grave in the yard, grave which had not yet been filled in. About this grave were footsteps and upon inves- tigation it was found that the tracks of the shoes were similar, In every detail, to some shoes In the house. which later proved to be those of the daughter.
 Word was sent to the house where the daughter was working and upon her arrival she showed great agita- tion and tainted at the sight of the body The shoes she had on, fitted to the footprints about the grave, and the coroner's jury after consider ing other details caused the arrest of the daughter. She protested her in- nocence, but because of the circum- stantiaI evidence was taken to jail.
 The supposition here. according to the coroner is that the person who murdered the aged woman, had a fight with her in the yard. where the evil During the fight, the victim was struck over the head by an iron and her skull crushed in. The body evi- dently fell there. From all indica- tions the body was then picked up and deliberately thrown into the window of the room. where later the body was discovered. In passing through the window. the sill was covered with blood
 It Is believed that before the com mission of the crime the murderer or murderess thought of a plan to dispose of the body and then dug the grave. It evidently had been a work of great haste as the grave was very shallow. The early return of the children from school. evidently spoiled the plan to make the burial
 Friends Of the family state that there is a possibility that the old woman. while insane. attacked the daughter and that she was Killed in l self defense, and that the daughter fearing for the consequences, hesitatas in making a confession.