The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-08-22
SONS SLAYER LAYS
BLAME ON OTHER
CHILDREN
Sam and George Put Mark Up to
Annoy Me About Money Mat
ters," Says Old Mark How
croft in His Cell.
Hamtramck Farmer Blows Favorite
Child's Head Off With Gun,
Following Quarrel.

81 blame my sons. Sam and George,
for all this trouble" said Mark How
croft, ST., In talking to a Times re-
porter In the Wayne county Jail.
Monday morning, about his killing
Mark Howcroft, Jr., his youngest son,
% years old, with shotgun, shortly
before 10 o'clock Sunday night. Il
am certain that Sam and George have
been putting Mark up to annoyed me
about money matters. They have been
trying every way to get what little
money have. / also know that liquor
had something to do with making
Mark so quarrelsome on Sunday. He
was away all Saturday night at
dance. and was drinking all day sun
day. When he came home about
o'clock Sunday night, after being
away couple OF hours, he began to
abuse his wife. Finally told him to
leave her alone and he turned on me.
! was in MY bedroom at the time and
he came in after me. | got down the
shotgun and warned him not to come
near me. He did come, however, and
as he approached me the gun went
off. | didn't have hold OF the trigger
at the time and think it must have
been pulled by my shirt catching on
II. | was dumbfounded when IL went
off and l didn't know had shot Mark
until the smoke cleared away. Mark
was my favorite son and | wouldn't
have harmed hair In his head for
anything Had he been sober | don't
think he would have acted the way he
did. OF late he kept telling me that
Sam and George were at him TO get
my property, and on Sunday he kept
at me all day about selling this thing
and that thing.
Everybody knows the trouble /
have had with those boys. It's only a
short time ago that had Sam and
George and their brothers-in-law ar
rested on n charge of stealing over
$4,000 which ] had concealed in the
cellar OF my home. About $1,000 or
the money was returned and /
dropped the prosecution. l never got
the balance OF the missing money, but
I never went any farther In the courts
with the case.
Eyes. those boys have made heap
OF trouble for me. Only few years
ago Sam and Herbert were shot by
Mike Heinz when he ordered them out
OF his saloon. The wounds were bad,
but didn't prove fatal. 1t was just the
conduct of the boys that caused my
wife to commit suicide. One OF the
boys spoke in a most disgraceful way
to his poor mother and she went and
swallowed poison"
The murderer. just past 70, Is a
quiet, mild-mannered man, apparently
harboring no ill-will against any per-
son. His hands bear traces OF hard
labor and his countenance reflects the
troubled life of his later years.
The Jail officials sympathize with
him and II Is their firm belief that he
will never be convicted OF any charge
IN connection with the shooting. They
feel that he was simply defending him
self from the attack OF Mark when the
tragedy occurred. The father says
Mark gave him a bad beating only a
few weeks ago.
Immediately after the killing the
murderer fed from the homestead,
che scene of the shooting, armed with
two loaded revolvers, saying he
planned to do away with himself. He
CONTINUED Page Nine.)