Smyrna times., 1910-08-24
DOUBLE MURDER AT cLAYMoNT
Robert Casey and Wife Murdered in
Their Bed Friday Night.


Their Bed Friday Night.
Robert Casey, Jr., the keeper of
the general store on the Philadelphia
and Wilmington turnpike at Clay
mont and his wife were murdered in
their beds. in the house over the
store some time during Friday night,
evidently while they slept. The
murder was committed by thieves
who afterward plundered the house
and store, breaking open the safe
and carrying off all of the contents
of the value. Just what was stolen
has not been learned and may never
be known, as Mr.. and Mrs. Casey
were the only occupants of the house
and none but them knew what valu-
ables were about the premises. The
murder was committed with a wild
cherry club, about an inch thick and
about foot lopg. With this the
heads of the victims were battered
in, after which the club was thrown
down beside the bed, where it was
found the next morning. The CHASTITY
discovery was made about 6. 40
o'clock Saturday morning by Whar-
ton B. Neal, of 1O2 North Scott
street, Wilmington, a driver for
George H. Huber, a Wilmington
baker, who had gone to Mr.. Casey's
store to deliver bread as had been
his custom. Going to the store he
saw everything upside down, but no
person about. He next walked about
the lower floor, the doors being open
or so that he could open them, and
went about calling, but got no re-
sponse and heard nothing. Mr.. Neal
next went upstairs and after visiting
several roms he reached the bedroom
E of MIR. and Mrs. Casey which was on
the side of the house next to the turn
pike. The blinds were down and the
room was very dark. Neal struck a
match and was Mortified to see the
battered heads of the aged couple
protruding from the bedclothing,
which had been pulled up to their
faces and along side the bed was the
bloody wild cherry club, which was
mute evidence of the fact that il was
the weapon wit h which the tragedy
I had been committed. Satisfying
himself as to the facts. Mr.. Neal
hastened dowsntairs and went to the
: residence of W. H. Danzenbaker,
: about $50 yards from the Casey store,
where he notified Mr.. Danzenw-
= baker, and the latter Immediately
=, sent word to the State and the police
authorities in Wilmington and to
s Coroner Gaynors office, and these
e officials started at once to work on
the case. An interesting feature in
8 the case was the arrival in Whining
ton Monday night of Deputy Attorney
;, General Josiah o. WOlcott. He i'm
mediately assumed full charge of the
IS case and the investigation that is
d now being made and from now OF
he will be the directing head of the
IS of the biggest murder cases the at.
: torney generals office of this State
has had to deal with for many year:
:, Developments came thick and fast
o in the double murder of MIR. and Mrs
:. Robert Casey, the aged couple whC
d conducted the general store at Clay
a mont. One of the most startling
was the appearance in the much be
in fuddled case of the inevitable woman
and it was reported that the frs
e person to be taken into CUSTODY
would be a woman. Another devel
opment was the startling discover!
that Mr.. and Mrs. Casey were killet
D early Friday night, and that the,
might have been poisoned or givel
x knockout drops by the person VIII
E committed the foul deed or by som
accomplice. Another feature wa
le the action of Deputy Attorney Gen
- eral Josiah O.Wolcott in ordering al
y autopsy to be held when Deputy Cor
o. onor James T. Chandler had failed t
D. do so because he claimed he did no
y think it was necessary. Still an
ie other development and one to whic
10 much interest is attached was tn
Il, filing of the wills of the murdere
7u couple in the Office of the Registe
III of Wills in the Court House b
George Lodge, an attorney, who re
presented the Caseys. State DeteC
~ tive Harry l. Gillis and former Stat
Detective James P. Ratledge, wer
busily engaged in the search for tn
he murderer all day but up to a lat
ur hour Tuesday night they had mad
no no arrests.