Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-07-02
SIX MURDERED; HOME BURNED
Skulls of Charred Bodies Found in
Ruins Crushed I'm.

IOunU III TUS SuOulu6TIuB SIllDSTS VI 1
burned house this morning gave in |
part the first intimation of what now |
appears to have been the murder of
John d. Jacobs, of Lexington county
his wife and their four children,
ranging in age from 23 to 10 years.
The skulls of three were crushed and
blood was found under their bodies.
The discovery of the tragedy was
made by a milk man who this morn
ing reported that the house had been
destroyed by fire and that the six in
mates had been burned to death. The
coroner's jury late to-day held an in
quest, finding that the six victims
had come to their death at the hands
of unknown men.
The dead are: John D. Jacobs,
aged 40; his wife, aged 40; Miss Ell
| lie Jacobs, aged 23: Leslie Jacobs,
aged 18; Hugh Jacobs, aged Ia, and
| Oren Jacobs, aged 10.
Jacobs, well-to-do farmer, lived
near Peak, in Lexington county. 1t
was known that he kept but little
money in the house, and any motive
for the crime, as 1t now appears to
be, is lacking.
Dogs Find No Trail.
Tie sheriff Of Lexington county
/
notified of the tragedy, but so far he
has been unable to find a clew to the
perpetrator. Dogs were unable to
find trail and the officials are com
pletely mystified,
-Four guns and an axe were found
in the ruins of the house. Their iden-
tity has not yet been established, and
there is little information of value
to be gathered from the discovery
At the coroner's inquest, which
brought out the first definite infor-
nation on many points, it was estab-
iished that the bodies of all the vic
Tins except one boy, were found ly-
ing In their beds, as If the supposed
murderer had found them asleep.
Shotgun by His Side.
The body of the eldest boy was
found lying In front of the fireplace,
with shotgun beside It, One of the
! barrels had been fired; the other
contained q loaded shell. A gun was
q laIsos fonnG hesi de tlie chaFred bed y of
Iahe father. Beside the body 7of one
of the. other boys the axe was
found.
l. Mrs. Jacobs was in her bed alone,
her skull crushed and her back and
shoulders lying in pool of blood
The youngest boy was found face
downward, on blood-soaked mat
| tress. The body of Miss Ellie Jacobs
! was in another room, the skull hor-
| ribly crushed
The tragedy was at first ascribed
to stroke of lightning, which was
supposed to have stunned the six in
mates and set the house on fire, the
! flames overtaking the unfortunates
before they recovered from their stu
por. This theory was exploded, how
ever, by the gruesome discoveries as
the bodies were taken from the half
burned house.
Tried TO Arouse Family.
Little Mountain, June 28.-This
morning at o'clock John d. Jacobs
house was discovered to be on fire
by Wade Boyd, negro, and by j. H.
| Fargle, near neighbor. The house
mad not fallen in when first discov-
cred and efforts were made to arouse
the family by making loud alarm,
but aone OF the family could be
aroused. When the fire cooled down
the charred bodies of the entire fam
lily were found among the ashes.
Still a Mystery.
Columbia, June 29.-To-day saw
no progress made in the attempt to
explain the death of John ID. Jacobs,
his wife and four children at their
nome near Peak, in Lexington coun-
ty, early Saturday morning. With
the entire family wiped out and their
house burned to the ground no clue
is offered for officers to employ In
solving the mystery.
The AFFAIR will probably remain
ever mystery. The crushed skulls
OF three of the victims show that
murder was committed, but any evil
dence left by the murderer has been
destroyed in the fire that consumed
the house and the bodies Of the VIC
tins.
Funeral services were held this af
ternoon at the Jacobs family burying
ground on the plantation. The fam
lily was inferred in two collins I'm one |
grave.
The services and interment attract
ed large crowd, probably the larg-
est to attend funeral services in this |
section Of the State
Was John ID. Jacobs Crazy {?
Lexington, June 3O.--The Jacobs |
tragedy seems to have opened and |
closed in a single night 1t came |
AZ d surprise and a shock, then dis /
appeared, leaving dismay and mys-
terry.
There is a rumor aHoat to-day that
the hand which dealt the murderous
blow turned upoa its own and added /
suicide to the general destruction. 1T
is regarded by some as feasible ex-
planation, however terrible Ii may
appear. This correspondent Has been
informed that Jacobs, the father, was
heard to say not more than week
1Rn that hn would Yflit tS To |
1t were not for leaving his family
ThiS nia.x ,ha aipnifinnnt M rnannra i