Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-09-21
CRIMEDISCOVEREDYESTERDAY
BODIES OF VICTIMS LEFT LYING
IN THEIR BLOOD SINCE
SUNDAY NIGHT.
RELATIVE is SUSPECTED
A. J. BURNHAM, HUSBAND OF
DEAD WOMAN, is DETAINED
FOR INVESTIGATION.

Colorado Springs, Colo, Sept. 21.--
Murdered in their own homes by
some unknown person who used an
axe, the bodies of six persons, three
iE each of two neighboring houses,
were found here at 2 o'clock yester-
day afternoon. The heads of all the
victims had been smashed in and
the appearance of the bodies indi-
Gated that they had been dead sew
eral days, and that death came while
they slept A widely circulated re-
port says that the murderer has been
caught and that he has confessed, but
this is denied by the police officials,
who, it is intimated, fear a lynchins
might follow such an announcement,
The dead
MRS. ALICE MAY BURNHAM,
wife of A. J. Burnham, cook at the
Modern Woodmen sanitarium.
ALICE BURNHAM, aged 6 years.
JOHN BURNHAM, aged 3 years.
HENRY F. WAYNE. consump-
tive, until recently a patient at the
Woodmen sanitarium.
MRS. WAYNE, and their one-year-
old baby girl.
The Burnham home stands on the
corner of Dale and Harrison Place,
and the two houses next to it on Dale
are vacant. Directly in the rear is
the Wayne home and close to 1t is
that of ]. r. Evans, who loaned Mrs.
Wayne an axe last week and whose
wife found the blood-stained axe
Monday near the back door of the
Wayne home and thought the family
had been killing chickens.
The night did not help to unravel
the mystery surrounding the murder
of Mrs. Alice Burnham, and her two
children and Henry F., and Blanch
Wayne, and their one-year-old babe,
whose bodies were found hacked with
an axe yesterday afternoon and who
probably met death late Sunday
night or early Monday morning. Ar
thur J. Burnham, husband of the
murdered Mrs. Burnham, who has
been employed at the Modern Wood
men sanitarium, is still in custody
He maintains his innocence and de-
clares that he was at the sanitarium
at the time the crime was committed
Oficers at the sanitarium where
Burnham is employed, persist in
stating that they can account for his
movements during the period in
which the murders must have been
committed The sanitarium is 12
miles from the city and is reached
only by private conveyances. The
management of the home say that
none of it's rigs were out during the
night and they declare that Burnham
is too feeble man to walk any such
distance. He was heard coughing in
his room during the night.
A feature which mystifies the po-
lice is the fact that the murderer
made his exit from both houses by
a window. He entered the Burn
ham home BY opening rear window,
as shown by bottle Of Ink which he
knocked In entering the Wayne
home he unlocked the rear door
with skeleton key.
A chemical and miscroscopic exam
ination OF spots on Burnham's shoes
and clothing, which resemble dfied
human blood will be made today by
the city chemist. A rag with which
the murderer wiped his hands and
the handle OF the axe with which he
slew his vic ms has been found sat
urated with lood.
The Burr ans came originally
from Medarysville, Ind, where the
bodies will q sent tonight.
Not known in Kansas.
Leavenwolth, Kan. Sept. 21.-
= Nothing is Known here of Mrs. Alice
May Burn an, found murdered in