The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-07-04
Whole Family of Six Slain at Home in the
Dutch Fork Section.
NeighbOrs Find House in Flame, and After Fire the
Bodies Of Father, Mother and Four Children are
Found With Skulls Crushed---Veil of Fire and
Blood Not Lifted ON Brutal Tragedy.

uiSSoNSiy VI SIN DOuleS III nal1
burned farm house Two miles from
Peak discloses what seems to have
been wholesale murder committed
late last night or early this morning.
The family of John d. Jacobs, well
known farmer, has been wiped out.
The husband, wife and four children
lost their lives. The dead are: John
D. Jacobs, 40; Mrs. John d. Jacobs,
40; Miss Ellen Jacobs, %; Leslie
Jacobs, 49,, Hugh Jacobs, 15; Grin
Jacobs, IL.
At 4:3O o'clock this morning neigh
bors saw the Jacobs home, in the
Dutch Fork section of Lexington
county, in flames and hurrying to
the scene found the home burning but
no evidence of the family. When the
fire had spent itself the six charred
bodies were found in the ashes and
debris.
Examination of the bodies disclos-
ed that the skulls of three were
crushed and in moving the bodies
blood was found under and upon the
murdered persons. Mr.. and Mrs.
Jacobs, Miss Jacobs and the young
est son were found on the spring
mattresses of their beds, indicating
that they were murdered as they
slept and that the house was subse-
quently fired. One of the boys was
found beside his mattress and the
other in the dining room which ad-
joins the boys room.
Four guns and an axe were found
in the house. One of the guns had
shells in both barrels. One shell had
been fired while the other was load
ed.
Magistrate Frick held an inquest
at noon. A jury, of which w. M.
Wilson of Peak was foreman, could
reach no conclusion other than that:
"The deceased came to their death at
the hands of parties unknown to this
jury"
Sheriff Miller of Lexington county,
was early on the scene and with the
assistance of bloodhounds brought
with him from the county seat ex-
erted exhausting but unavailing ef-
forts to secure clue to identity of
the murderer. Sheriff Blease came
from Newberry to assist in the -in-
vestigation. No tracks were found
ahd there is nothing thus far to
guide the officers in their search.
Mr.. Jacobs was highly respected
farmer who had succeeded in his life's
work. Mrs. Jacobs before marriage
was Miss Elizabeth Counts. The eld-
est child, Miss Ellen Jacobs, was
graduated from Winthrop college in
the class Of 1910 and for two years
had been assistant at the Little
Mountain high school. Leslie Jacobs,
the 18-year-old son, was student in
the Little Mountain high school, as
were. the two younger lads.
The home was situated in the
Dutch Fork section of Lexington
county, three miles from Peak and
seven miles from Little Mountain.
The funeral and interment will
take place tomorrow afternoon at a
o'clock at the family burying ground
on the Jacobs plantation.
Traveller Passed Scene of Tragedy.
Newberry, June 2S.-The news Of
the horrible death of Mr.. and Mrs.
John Jacobs and their children near
Peak this morning shocked and sad
dened the people here. Mr.. Jacobs
has brother living here, G. Walter
Jacobs, and-a sister, Mrs. Mary Hoof,
and the family have many relatives
and friends in the county. Mrs.
Jacobs was daughter Of the late
Charley Counts and granddaughter
of George w. Chapman. The daugh-
ter, Miss Ellie, spent several years in
Newberry, staying with her aunt and
attending the city schools. She was
very bright and attractive girl and
grew up to be fine woman, going
from the school here to Winthrop
college, where she graduated two
years ago. For the past two years
she has been a teacher in the Little
Mountain school.
w. A. Brown, veterinarian, who
makes his home at Newberry, saw
the fire that burned the jacobs home
but did not know what it was till he
reached Newberry this morning. He
had been to Augusta and was return
ing home by way Of Columbia, leav-
ing that city about 8 o'clock last
night, travelling at night because it
was so much cooler than the day. He
was riding, in his buggy and had ais
saddle horse and two or three other