Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-29
MOTHER AND SON
WORRIED OVER DEBTS
Purchase Of an Automobile.
With Other Obligations,
Preyed Upon Minds Of
Mother and Son.

r. & = 4. Al
Someone will have to take care
OF things here, the cows are down
IN the pasture on the south aide
OF tho road across bIu creek
bridge and the calves are In the
hog lot"
Just these two short sentences were
left to explain the awful triple
tragedy that wiped out the Cramblit
family at their home four and one
half miles southeast Of Eddyville yes
terday afternoon. It is the general be-
lief that death compact between tho
son. Eliza, age 10, and the mother.
Sarah. brought death to them and
their nine year old daughter and sis
ter, Gladys, and started a mystery
that probably never will be brought
| to light. The three died from bullet
wounds in the head inflicted by means
OF revolver. The mother died about
1:30 yesterday afternoon, the SON last
evening at 8 o'clock and the daughter
this morning at 2:30 o'clock. Worry
over the purchase Of an automobile BY
the son is believed to have lead to
the terrible tragedy that entirely ex-
terminated the Cramblit family, three
years ago last May the father
and another son having passed
away within one hour Of each
other OF pneumonia. Supposi-
tion and conclusory explanation Of tho
deed alone tells the story. 1t Is not
known with certainty at whose hands
the three came to their death, except
that It was either the mother or tho
SON. It is thought that the son killed
himself and his little sister and tho
mother at her own instigation. There
was not witness. and no ono was
near enough to hear the shots or the
screams.
| Just how the son shot himself ID not
known but that he put the bullet into
his own head Is almost certainty.
His face showed heavy powder marks
around the bullet hole and the wounds
of the mother and daughter were
clean, indicating that they had been
shot. from a distance, The son lay
parallel with his mother, and
| the gun between them, was on her
dress His right hand was nearest It,
AS though he dropped the gun after he
pulled the trigger.
A Death Compact.
It is the Arm conviction Of Coroner
A. w. Slaught, the coroner's Jury and
some of the neighbors for miles around
that the tragedy was the result Of =
death compact between the mother
and the son. About o'clock In the
afternoon Mrs. Cramblit called her
fathers residence over the telephone. T
Her mother, Mrs. Elias Canheld.
answered. Mrs. Cramblit stated In .
quiet voice, marked with not the least
sign Of agitation or alarm, that she
wanted her father, Elias Canfeld, and
her sister, Miss Anna, to come over
to the Cramblit home at once. Tho,
daughter, Miss Anna, then went to the
phone and inquired the reason why,
adding that her father wanted to wait
until morning as he did not like to
leave right at that time
Mrs. Cramblit urged them to como
Immediately as 1t was something very
important. Miss Anna did not
stop to inquire the cause over
| the phone but casually asked
mrs Cramblit how they" were
getting along over there. Still without
! the least agitation Mrs. Cramblit
replied that they were all right and
| the same as ever. These were the
Hast words that Mrs. Cramblit was
heard to speak to any outside OF her
own household. Without further de-
lay Mr.. Garfield and his daughter
Anna left their home. two and one
half miles west of Chillicothe and
went to the Cramblit home, arriving
shortly after 1880 o'clock. Everything
was quiet and Mr.. Garfield tied his
horse as usual in front of the house.
The daughter made her way to the
house and her father followed. The
daughter was the first to enter. She
stepped into the hall and all was quiet.
| A few steps farther and she was
brought opposite the door which led
/ into the room at her left hand There .
terrible sight met her gaze. Her sister.
Mrs. Cramblit, and the son, Eliza, wero
lying on the floor at the foot OF the
! bed. side by side, the revolver be-
tween them and blood in a pool about
d - n )