Evening journal., 1910-08-20

Confronted by possibly two bur
glars sometime during the night, !
Robert Casey, Jr., aged 20 years, and
his wife Ann Casey, aged 60 years,
were beaten to death as they lay in
their bed in their home. at Claymont.
The aged couple had been murdered
with a club which had been twisted
from a wild cherry tree Of which
there are several in the neighborhood,
and the bodies were found this morn
ing. both in bed, covered with a quilt
Just as they had gone to bed last
night. The heads Of the victims were
badly battered and blood saturated
the bed clothing.
After killing the aged couple the
murderers went to the floor below
and robbed the house at their leisure.
The murdered couple were we'll
known throughout Brandywine hum
dred, having conducted a grocery store
at Claymont for nearly forty years.
They lived alone and the authorities
believe that the murderers were ac-
quainted with the couple and their
habits.
Mr.. Casey had an account with the
Equitable Guarantee and Trust Com
pany and it was his custom to de-
posit the weekly receipts on Satur-
days That the murderer knew this is
evident After killing their victims the
murderers went to the store part OF
the. house aad with bolt taken from
a shutter cut the hinges and eombi-
nation knob Off Of the safe and robbed
it Of its contents.
UsSd Ladder to Enter.
A box and ladder leaning against
the rear wall of the house and
broken screen which had been torn
from a back window on the second
floor showed how the murderers had
gained entrance, and a bowed shut
ter on the first floor, on the south side
of the house, in the rear Of the store,
showed how they left the building.
Probably they quailed at the thought
of the blood covered bodies on the
floor above and fear possibly kept
them from going back to the room
where the couple la. nd they made
escape from a window on the lower
floor
The little bedroom which the couple
occupied is unpretentious and only
needed furniture was in it. Along
ffside of the bed was a slipper holder
on the wall and in it were the house
shoes of the aged couple. Mr.. Casey
could almost reach from the bed and
take his shoes from the holder He
and his wife lay on their right sides
and It was on the right side Of the
head that both were beaten The club
lay against a screen which had been
removed from the bedroom window
before the couple retired. Mr.. Casey
had been beaten about the right ear
and his skull was fractured. Mrs.
Casey's face was still black and blue
and blood oozed from her nose and
mouth as a result Of the blows sh6
received.
Police Probe Crime
Chief of Police Black and State De-
tective Harry /. Gillis who went to the
scene of the double murder were un-
able to say whether the couple had
been murdered while they slept or had
been awakened by the noise made by
the burglars and. killed afterward. II
might have been that Mr.. Casey was
aroused by the intruder but before he
could get out of bed the murderer was
upon him and with one blow probably
silenced him. The next blow landed
on Mrs. Casey's head and she too was
probably made unconscious Th'
murder then struck his victims sew
eral times in order to make sure of hil
work.
Taking lantern which they had, tn,
murderers then went TO the floor be
low and began operations there. The,
had 10 devote sometime, however t
the task and II is probable that lonl
before they succeeded in opening tn
safe their victims were dead.
May Have Gotten 800.
yust how much money there was II
the safe Is not known but It is though
that there was at least 500, and som
checks, The murderers took every
thing, with the exception of a small
box filled with one dollar in cents
nickles and some old silver dolla
pieces. Two money drawers in tn
store had been investigated but it
not thought that they contained an
money, Mr.. Casey being In the habit G
placing his money in the safe ever
night. Nothing else in the house wa
disturbed.
Just at what hour the double murde
was committed is not known, but
must have been about midnight 10
from the condition OF bodies and tn
CONCEALED blood the couple had bee
dead for several hours.
Bakers Driver Discovers Crime.
The crime crime was discovered b
Wharton ID. Neal of No. 102 SEQ
street, a driver for George H. Hube
Wilmington baker, who served th
Caseys with bre'@ every morninl
When Neal arrived at $40 o'clock TIL
morning. his usual time, he was SUI
prised to find the store closed. Thinl
Ing that the aged couple had oyerslel
themselves Neal called several ums