The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-02-23
TRAGEDY At high POINT.
Noses Speaks. Murders His
Wife and Fatally Wounds
Son-in-Law.

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Dissr1es Attorney HoIfon-No Rna~
son Assigned for Crime Exceps
Tha. He II Mentally UnbaiAnced--
Murderer Made, His Escape.
High Point. n. c.. Feb. is.--Mose
Speaks, . resident Of cloyerdale, .
suburb south OF this city. committed
this morning what is considered the
most dastardly crime IN the history
OF High Point About ) o'clock he
arose, went TO the home OF his SON
in-law. viii Miller. about three
blocks away, awoke him and told
him that he. Speaks. had q letter for
Miller. While Miller was dressing
and In the position of putting on his
shoes, Speaks sprang upon him with
q large butcher knife and stabbed
him q number OF times. once between
the eighth rib, once on the right hip
and once on the right arm. The flrst
stab severed the left half OF the lung
and will probably cause his death.
From Miller's home Speaks went
directly to his own house. entered
the same. where his wife and one SON
were eating breakfast, sprang upon
his wife and stabbed her three times
in the right breast, killing her al
most instantly. The son. who was
in the room with his mother at the
time, was so completely shocked at
the crime that he made no attempt
to overpower his father, who made
good his escape.
Leaving the house, he was heard
to say he was going over to the silk
mill, where one OF his daughters was
at work. to kill her. 1t is said Speaks
went to the silk mill and called for
his daughter, but was not permitted
to see her. By the time the officers
could be notified and get to the scene,
| Speaks had made good his escape and
has not yet been located.
| No reason is advanced for the deed
Of this desperate man other than
| that his life has been one Of mystery
/ to all who knew him. For num-
| Der of years he has been considered
unbalanced mentally and has been
/ of rowing disposition, never staying
at home with his family. About two
years ago he wandered up into the
! State of Massachusetts,, where he was
committed to an insane asylum near
Boston, but after keeping him there
| for some time, the institution got in
/ touch with his family and agreed to
release him il they would take care
i of him. Thi they agreed to 30, but
!, 10 gave the family more OR fess-trsa-
BILE all the time. His actions around
| this city for the past few years were
those Of person who would be con-
sidered weak-minded hut harmless.
At one time he did get rather desper-
ate and the officers here had him
committed to the county jail at
Greensboro. He was later released
with the promise that the family
would take care of him. The Speaks
family came here about six years ago
from Wilkes County, and with the
exception of the father, they are con-
sidered good, honest, hard-working
class of people.
Had Threatened to Kill District At.
torney Holton.
The Winston-SaIem Journal in
writing Of the High Point tragedy
says:
There is little doubt but that
Speaks is crazy, he having been in
the asylum once, and it seems a mere
within on the part Of the man tina,
he chose High Point instead of Win.
ston-Salem as the place of perform.
ing the awful deed, desire for which
seemed constantly to be running 4
his demented mind.
Went to Mr.. Holton's Home.
:. "Some three weeks ago Speak.
came to Winston-Salem and all the
way on his journey from High Poin
to this city he was vowing to hi.
companions on the train that he wa,
coming here for the sole purpose o.
killing District Attorney Holton
When he arrived at the home Of Mr.
Holton the District Attorney wa
away at Greensboro attending court
Mrs. Holton was, very much brighten
ed at the brusk and strange name
OF the man, who entered the hous
! and declared that he was going t,
spend the night there. The neigh
bors were called in and succeeded fl
, getting him out OF the house, but 70
several days he stayed in the vicinity
finally leaving when the officers wer
: called.
al "A little more than a week az
3 Speaks returned to the District All
. torney's home and this time foun
his intended victim there. Mr.. Hol
ton, being satisfied that the man wa
crazy. locked him room, where h
spent the night. The next mornin
Speaks left before breakfast, havin
apparently changed his mind nc +