The Oskaloosa herald., 1911-06-29
H|DEOUS TRAGEDY
NEAR EODYv|LLE
Mother, Son and Daughter All Lie
Dead.
UNDOUBTEDLY PREM EDlATED
Thought That Mother Killed Daughter
But Whether She Shot Son and
Then Suicided or Vice Versa
Will Never be Known.

Eddyville, June 28.-Special: The
most horrible tragedy that has hap
pened in this section of the country
for years occurred Tuesday shortly
after noon on the S. L. CrambIit
farm south of town, just off the OF.
tumwa road. Mrs. Cramblit, her son,
Eliza, aged 81, and a little daughter,
Gladys, aged about nine years, all
lie dead as the result of bullet wounds
in the head. 1t is case of murder
and suicide, caused by temporary in
sanity on the part of the mother, or
ner's jury was indefinite in it's deci5-
ion and the world will never know
just how it was done, none of the
parties regaining consciousness to tell
the story. About one o'clock Mrs.
Cramblit called her father, Elias Can.
field, by phone and requested him to
come over, saying that it was import.
ant. She had 'phoned previously ask
ing them to come, on Sunday they
having promised to come the first of
the week. The father and sister, Miss
Anna Garfield, arrived about 2:30
and the sister entered the house,
which was not locked, and found the
three dead bodies on the floor as they
had fallen. She called to the father
and he Immediately ran down the
road where some road men We're
working, who came to his assistance.
Drs. Shahan and Vance were called
and together with other Eddyville
citizens arrived on the scene in a
few minutes. The mother was dead,
the boy died soon after and the little
girl lived until two o'clock this morn
ing. A note was found directing as
to the disposal of various stock pro.
perty, ETC., the farm Of three hundred
acres aid all stccx belonging TO Mrs,
Cramblit. The boy had purchased an
automobile and a man, Foster, from
Oskaloosa, had been there Monday
teaching him how to run the ma
chine. 1t is thought that the trouble
was caused over the automobile. The
road men were at the house for water
about two o'clock and their knock
ing failed to raise anyone. Between
one and two some neighbor boys,
Elmer and Homer Sinnif, had called
and the young man showed him his
new car, cranked it up and told them
all about it, offering to take them a
ride. They left later and when part
ly across the field looked back and
saw the boy run quickly to the house,
1t is thought that he heard the shot
that killed the little girl and as there
was blood all over the house and eyi.
dence of the guns having been load
ed again after the shot, it is thought
the mother was all over the house
and probably wrote the note after
she had shot herself once. Whether
she fired the second shot into her
own temporarily crazed brain, or
whether the boy shot her and HIM
self on discovering what had happen
ed, will never be known. Nurses
were summoned from Ottumwa for
the little girl, but she died without
regaining consciousness and could
have told no story if she had, as she
was shot from the back.
Less than three years ago the hus-
band and all older son died the same
day, the boy a victim of typhoid and
the father from heart failure on hear.
ing of his sons death. 1t is thought
that grief and worry over this and
The affairs of the farm caused the
mothers mind to be unbalanced.
Mrs. Cramblt was forty years OF
age, and it was at this same age that
her mother lost her mind and COM
mitted suicide.
1t is the opinion of medical men
that the triple tragedy was undoubt'
eddy premeditated and the result OF
temporary insanity.
The family is an old and respected
one, in good financial standing and
the affair is a terrible shock to rela'
tives and friends in the community
where they have lived so long.
The funerals will probably occur
Thursday afternoon from the coun'
try residence of the deceased and the
relatives have the sympathy of the
entire community.