The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-06-14
AN EARLY MORNING TRAGEDY
The III Omen of Friday Holds Good in
the McCracken FamiIy-Negro Man
Murders His Wife, Shoots Mother
in-laW, and Then Commits Suicide

tic WCITdCken Fdmliy-Ne9ro man
Murders His Wife, Shoots Mother
in-Law, and Then Commits Suicide
Shortly after daylight Friday a
number of shots rang out in rapid
succession in a house on South Or
ange street, west, among we'll
known negro residential section. A
number of persons rushed at once to
the scene, and found that Hughes Nc
Cracker had shot and killed his wife,
Ada McCracken, had shot and wound
ed his mother-in-law, Louise Lindsey,
and had then turned his weapon On
himself, one bullet entering the left
breast, passing entirely through him,
and the other through his mouth, the
bullet coming out through the back
of his head
The sight of the three lying in pools
of their own blood, caused by the
ruthless hate of the Infatuated mon
ster, was most gruesome one to be-
hold, and curdled the blood of the
most hard-hearted person.
The unfortunate woman, Ada Nc
Cracker, was shot four times, and she
probably died instantly. The Lindsey
woman was shot through the shout
der, and may recover. The author of
the tragedy, though still living when
this piece was written, cannot posi-
bly, survive very long.
There are a number of conflicting
stories told as to the NUMBER of
times the man shot, and also as to
the cause of the tragedy. There was
so much excitement among The rela-
tives and friends of the murG rer and
suicide that it was almost impossible
to get the facts exactly correct How
ever, it seems that McCrackcn and
his wife, who were well known ne
groes of the Shady Grove section, had
been wrangling and quarreling for
some time. After they were married
returned to Jacksonville While there
Ada McCracken accused her husband
of bigamy, and said she was going to
swear out warrant for his arrest
He threatened her life, and she fed
to Ocala. On Thursday she learned
that McCracken was in town and was
hunting for her. She sought the aid
of the police, but they could not find
the man. Thursday night Ada Nc
Cracker had her mother remain over
night with her, and the night police
man was at the house off and on all
during the night Just after daylight,
after the policeman had left the
house, having neither heard nor seen
anything suspicious, McCracken (who
had evidently been hidden some
where nearby all night battered
down the back door, entered the
house, and without warning, began
his wholesale shooting up of his fam
lily, with the results as stated above.
The negroes were we'll known, and
the affair created great excitement
among white as we'll as the colored
population, and the house was visited
by large crowds from the moment OF
the tragedy until the dead body was
removed to the undertaker's, and the
wounded negroes to the hospital.
The house where the tragedy was
enacted is next door to the one where,
two years ago, Jonas Gadson shot
and very nearly killed his wife, Rosa
Gadson, and then, turning the weap-
on upon himself, killed himself in
stantly.
Hughes McCracken's father, Har-
vey McCracken, was found murdered
some years ago at his home near Sha-
dy Grove, and the friends of the for
mer say that he has always had his
fathers murder on his mind, and
longed to wreak vengeance on some
body. He had been married four
times.