The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-06-13
MURDERED WHILE ASLEEP
HORRIBLE BUTCHERY OF EN-
TIRE FAMILY IN IOWA.
Father, Mother, Children and Guests
Slain in Bed-HeadS Were
Crushed i'm by Axe.

Crushed in by Axe.
Villisca, Iowa, June 10.-Eight
bodies-all mutiliated almost beyond
recognition-were found murdered
in the home to-day of James B
Moore, a prominent business man OF
this place. The dead: James B
Moore and wife; Herman Moore
aged IL; Catherine Moore, aged 9;
Boyd Moore, aged Z; Paul Moore
aged 6; Misses Lena and Ina Spill
niger, aged Is and 10, respectively
The bodies of all, with their heads
terribly mashed with an axe, were
found in their beds. There is no
definite clue to the murderer, although
the parties are searching for sus-
pect. The desire for revenge is be-
lieved to have prompted the murde-
rer.
Only one of the bodies showed in
dications of struggle. One of the
Spillinger girls lay with one arm
thrown out, as though she had
awakened and tried to ward off the
murderer's blow. A lighted kerosene
lamp was found on the floor in the
middle of the room occupied by Mr..
and Mrs. Moore.
Finger Prints Only Clue
The only clue so far found are
bloody finger prints in different parts
of the house. The house stands
among a number of residents, but
none of the neighbors heard an out
cry last night.
The murder Sunday night of the
entire family of James Moore and
two girl guests, eight persons in all,
is tonight battling the authorities
who have been unable to secure a
trace of the murderer and have little
or no clue to his identity. The MUIR
derer killed every person in the house
and escaped. 1t is apparent he had a
key to the door of the home, because
all doors and windows. were found
locked.
The first intimation of the crime
came when a clerk at the implement
house of Mr.. Moore went to Moore's
home to find what delayed Moore in
reaching his place of business to-
day. Finding the house locked, the
window shades all down and no one
about, he notified the neighbors and
with assistance forced an entrance.
' Bloody Axe Found.
The dead, with one exception, were
found on their beds, apparently sleep
ing and until the wounds on their
heads and blood on the pillows was
discovered, the searchers could not
believe anything was wrong in the
house. A bloody axe with hair and
pieces of brain clinging to it, obvious
ly the implement used in the whole
sale murder, was later found in an
upstairs room.
Mr.. and Mrs. Moore were in one
bed, in another were two Of the boys.
The sister occupied the third and
the youngest boy was alone in a
small bed. The bedding had nowhere
been 'disarrangcd.
The Spillinger girls, who were
overnight guests, occupied a room
in another part of the house.
Absence of clue as to the slayer's
identity and difficulty of imputing a
motive for the slaughter of an en-
tire household have left the authori-
ties dazed.
Will Use Bloodhounds.
Blood stains, including finger
prints on the front door knob and on
the woodwork, are the only clues
the officers have to work on. A mill
tia company is patrolling the section
of the city near the Moore home
until bloodhouds have been put upon
the trail. The bodies will not be re-
moved until a coroner's jury has ex-
amined them.
News of the crime travelled fast
and hundreds of people came t. the
village to-day and tonight. The
murderer apparently went about his
work deliberately. All indications
are that he entered the house by
the front door, and with a key, that
he left the same way and locked the
door behind him.
After pulling down all the blinds, a
thing which the Moores never did,
the murderer hung up dress skirts.
which he secured from closet, over
each Of the doors leading to the out
side and also over windows where a
flash of light might have penetrated
from the outside.