Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-10-18
TRAIL OF DEATH
BEHIND A MANIAC
Same Man Charged With IA
Killings in Colorado, ILL
nois and Kansas.
MURDER OF FOUR FAMILIES
Crimes Take Place Two Weeks Apart
and Same EIunt Instrument
Is Used.

Chicago, Oct. 18.-Frautic appeals
by the authorities Of three cities wee
made TO the Chicago police last night
to assist in the Capture Of d maniac
who within the last four weeks has
taken q rEUrderous Toll of 4 Ives.
The mysterious tran Of dealt be-
gan in Colorado Springs. SEPT. II.
From there it led to Monmouth IL,
on oct. I, and last Sunday night TIC
murderer visited the town of Elis-
worth, Kan, satisfied his craving Tor
human lives and disappeared
KILLS THO WEEKS APART.
The murders were all committed
on Sunday night and two weeks
apart. Oct. %, 4 the murderer main
tains his schedule, will witness a rer-
etitiCn OF the murders and the polio
in the central and western cities have
been notified 10 keep a strict watch
for the criminal
The murders asc-ibed TO the man
lac are:
Sept. II, Colorado Sprin~s-H-s.
A. J. Burnham and two children and
J. c. Wayne. his wife and child. Fam
lilies murdered in their homes, their
skulls crushed by a blunt instrument.
Oct ], Monmouth, lE.-W. l..
Dawson. vile and 13-year ole daugh-
ter, Clara. The Dawson family we're
murdered in the house Is they slept.
Their skulls were crushed as though
an ak or lead PIPE had been the in
strument of death.
Oct. Is. Ellsworth, Kal.-Wiu
Snowman, wife and three children,
Lester, agea :; Fern, aged +, ana
Fenton, aged ,. They were all muir
dcred in bod and as in the previous
C-imes their skulls were crushed by
blunt weapon.
Not a clew has been Obtained by
the police of the three cities the
maniac visited. The similarity Of the
crimes, their accomplishment on sun
day night and the two weeks inter
vening between each murdcrous Wis
it, alone give the authorities a tan.
gible working basis for solving the
mystery.
FIND BLOODY GAS PIPE.
A bloody gas pipe and a small flash
light We're found yesterday near the
scene of the Dawson murder in Mou-
mouth. An inscription on the search .
light read Colorado Springs, .
sept
This date may mark the time of a 1
crime as yet undiscovered. as it is
two weeks prior to the first known .
murder by the maniac in Colorado .
Springs on Sept. II.
1t is believed the man is insane and .
that he may have escaped recently /.
from an asylum. It IS thought that
the peculiar method Of killing his
victims, the choice Of the Sabbath as
the time and The solemn hour OF mid
night may bear directly upon the or
iginal cause Of the mans iucarcera-
ton in an asylum.
Insane asylums in the central and
western part OF the country have
been notified and descriptions OF ali
escaped persons are TO be requested
and sent to the police OF all cities,
towns and villages.
FEAR CRIME; on OCT. 10.
Sunday night, oct. %, especially
will he watch night as the regular
chain of the maniac's killings would
lead him TO commit on that night an
other Of his dark deeds.
The Burnham and Wayne families
slain in Colorado Springs were not
known 10 have any enemies, nor have
the police been able TO form any sort
Of a reasonable theory for the COM
mission OF the crime.
The same conditions exist in Mon
mouth, where the police and private