The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-07
THE AFTERMATH
OF MA1R|C|OE
Promised Wife of Cold Blood
ed Fiend Has Not Recover
ed From Shock

IOlCSVllle, fd., oepl. i-OmClal IN
quiry into the killing of his mother
and later himself by George Simons.
the young mining engineer, has been
suspended because of the collapse of
the young mans promised wife and
his father. George F. Simons.
The old man, bereft of his son and
wife by the tragedy, has been spared
for the present ordeal of the formal
inquest by the coroner. Miss Viola
Hartranft, the matricide's sweetheart,
is whose home he shot himself, is in
a serious condition, and her physician
refuses to permit any one to see her.
The murder has stirred Schuylkill
county from end to end. Young Sim
ons, because of his activity in relig-
iOus work, was known throughout the
county.
Engaged to Wed.
He and Miss Hartranft were engag-
ed to be married. The mother. it is
said, refused to sanction the proposed
wedding, and would not give her son
money for a honeymoon.
Crazed by her refusal, the son
struck her. She fell dead at his feet,
and then the son started to cover up
his act. For week he guarded his
secret.
He first carried the dead body Of
the mother who had loved and cared
for him to an attic. Frenzied by fear,
he tried to destroy the remains by
burying 1t in quicklime. He succeed
ed In destroying every trace OF the
features of his mother, but the decom-
posed remains could not be entirely
obliterated.
With ingenuity born of despair he
locked and screwed fast the door
Fading to the room. To prevent tic
odor from the decomposed body from
leaving the horrible death chamber
he closed the cracks with p4raffin.
Then the painted the wall and put lii
a placard on which Was written tie
word Paint"
For seven nights he slept in the
house. His father returning from a
trip was told that the wife and mother
was visiting friends in Mahanoy City.
AS the woman had planned the trip
the father thought nothing of it.
Daily he visited his sweetheart. He
sought the companionship of his faith
er and after attending Y M. C. A.
meeting returned to his father and
said he had something to confess.
The old man was tired and told his
boy that his confession would keep
until the next day. That was the last
time the young man spoke of the mat
ter to his father.
The elder Simons, wondering why
he had no news from his wife, sent
word to the Mahanoy City relatives.
She was not there. he learned, and
then he became alarmed and informed
the police. Chief of Police Davies
went to the house to talk to the old
man. Together they started to search
the house to find clue of the wom-
ans whereabouts. The sign paint"
seemed out of place to the official who
forced open the door, The lime had
partly done its work, but the mystery
was solved. The old man tainted and
was carried down stairs by Chief Da-
vies.
A murder had been committed, but
Chief Davies did not suspect the son
Of the crime. Hurrying to the Har-
tranft home to summon the son, the
chief called out:
Hears Call, Kills Self.
Il want to see young SimOns, be-
cause his mother has been murdered"
Simons heard the words, and fren-
zied by fear thought the police official
had come to arrest him.
Bowling to his sweetheart, he asked
to be excused for moment. Ths par
lor was crowded with a merry parry.
Simons, still smiling, closed tho door.
A shot was heard, and when Miss
Hartranft reached the young mans
side he was dying. He had fired q
bullet into his brain and never re-
gained consciousness. In his pocket
picture of his mother and curl of
her hairsWere found.
The young woman, who has been
Simons' sweetheart since they we're
children, tainted and has since been
in q serious condition. Until year
ago they had attended the Pottsville
high school. She is cashier in a
jewelry store and Simons, although
only % years old. has good position
as mining engineer.
Went to Fair.
Miss Tucv McCov and Iooanh;ra