The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1913-02-14
MRS. TOWNSEND
MURDERED.
sTEPFATHER COMMITS DEED,
THEN CUTS OWN THROAT.
Mrs. Townsend Once Lived in Nash.
viIIe-Was Widow of the Late 7.
]. Townsend-IrVin Keith Muir
derers Name-Was Es-
transed from Wife
Bodies Burned.

Special to the Globe.
Chattanooga, Tenn, Feb. 11.-Tne
motive and revolving details of the
murder and houseburning early yes
terday morning at the corner OF VIII
low and Clio streets, in Churchvllle,
were brought out in an inquest held
Yesterday by Coroner Gillespie over
the charred bodies found after the
fire.
The murdered woman was Mrs.
MARY Townsend, the widow of the
late Rev. T. ]. Townsend, who was
for several years pastor of the old
historic Spruce Street Baptist Church
lat Nashville, and her murderer, who
was her step-father, Irwin Keith, who,
after chopping her head open with a
lhandax, drew a razor across his own
throat and perished in the flames he
had started to destroy the house and
to incinerate both his own body
and those of his intended vic
tins. Evidence adduced at the
coroner's inquest indicated that Keith
wanted to kill every occupant Of the
house, but failed on account OF the
agility of his former wife and board
Ier in escaping.
The suicide Of the murderer, accord
ling to the statements made before the
crime to relatives and neighbors, was
to prevent his punishment by "the
white man" The burning of the
house and killing Of its occupants
was planned as retaliation for the
comforts he had been deprived Of and
which had gone to his enemies after
family ties of quarter-century were
broken by a quarrel with his aged
wife several months ago.
The murdered woman was about A
years old, and the murderer was over
G5 years old, having served as a slave
in his younger days. His wife, Mrs
Fannie Keith, the principal witness
before the coroner, is about 60 year:
of age. Both were born in slavery
and Keith's decision to remove to 6
"free mans country" about one yeal
ago was met with OPPOSITION by hi'
aged wife, who said yesterday that sht
preferred to live in the south, as
she had been accustomed all her life
Keith wanted to go to Washington OIL
st. Louis, but Mrs. Keith declared
she would stay here, for she wanted
to live until death in the little house
she had earned the money to pay fol
in Churchville.
Keith declared himself separated
from his first wife, and married ;
Young woman in Birmingham and set
tied just across the field from his olC
home.
Before he sent his new wife t,
st. Louis to select a new home in
free country, he let me know that h,
was going to kill me and burn up m!
house." He put this new wife Vi
to coming to my house and insulting
me every time she went to church
Not long ago we had some words ant
she tried to kill me with long hat
pin, then she said he was going t.
; shoot me.
'T have eben expecting irwin Il
burn me out, poison my hogs or some
thing for some time, but got my hog
fattened and one of his boys cam
and helped me kill them. They go
burned up last night"
Then Mrs. Keith told Of how sh
was frightened out of her bed abou
1870 yesterday morning by blazin
torches at the window Of her home
the breaking in of the front door AM
spreading of the flames through tn
house. She recognized her forme
husband, but before he could reacl
her she had leaped through windov
or door, she couldn't remembe
which, and, old as she Is, jumpe
ever a high picket fence.
Will Ford, boy Mrs. Keith wa
raising and kept about her house +
wait on her, was awakened by tn
burning Of the house, recognizin
f Irwin Keith, saw him "chop Mis-
, Mary down while she was attemptin
to get out through the back door,
and, panic stricken, fed to a neigh
, boris house without stopping to ge
, his clothes. Young Ford said tn
. strokes from the murders banda
, came so fast that he could not coun
, them.
The charred bodies Of the two cor
, stituted one of the grewsome exhibit
= at Sharp's undertaking establishmen
during the inquest. The body q
Keith was burned beyond recognition
. in fact, it was so light that a ma
, could raise it with three fingers
Mrs. Mary Townsend's skull was bar
: ly split and her brains we're burs
ing through the open places.
; Keith had left a note in his trun
4 4 telling one of his sons where hi
!, watch could be found, which he wan
l ed his last wife to have, and willin
other personal property to them Th
note said he was soon to die. Whe
j. seen leaving his boarding place o
: Collins street last Sunday night Keit
Q was seen carrying two sacks, bot
0 with something like kindling in tn
(Nonfinuad oTt DoUa AN