Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-16
WEALTHY COAL OPERATOR,
WIFE AND CHILD ARE SLAIN
Mysterious Attack on Them at De-
sorted Fair Grounds Near
Carrolltown, Pa.
HAD STOPPED TO FIX PUNCTURE
George c. Tompkins, Jr., Former
Well-Known Auto Racer, but Moro
Recently Partner OF Dead Man. Is
Held by Police as Material Witness.

CARROLLTOwN, PA. July lS.-Ed-
mund 1. HUMPHREYS. wealthy coal op-
orator of Carrolltown. his wife and
fifteen-year- old son were killed early
this morning in a mysterious attack
made on them when the party, en- route
to Philadelphia by automobile, stopped
to fix punctured tire on the deserted
fair grounds. three miles outside of
Carrolltown.
George c. Tompkins, Jr.. of Phi!a-
delphia. former wcll-known automo-
bile racer. but recently a partner of
MFR. HUMPHREYS in the Newborn Coal
Company. who was a member of the
party. has been held by the police as
material witness.
Tompkins was arrested tonight az
ter the coroner's inquest which de-
veloped several discrepancies in the
story Tompkins told tho police after
the shooting Of his three companions.
In the Cambria County Jail tonight
According to Tompkins. he barely
escaped. after three masked robbers
had leaped from the woods and shot
down the three members of tho Hum.
phries family. while they were busy
on the disabled automobile. But the
coroner ordered his detention after the
discovery of powder burns on the cloth
ing of tho bodies, and in the light of
the fact that large sum OF money
on Humphries's body and valuable
jewels on that of his wife were not
moleSted
After the robbers mad killed Humph-
ries and disappeared in the woods, ac-
cordinE TO Tompkins. he placed the
body Of Mrs. HUMPHREYS and that of
Der son in the automobile. and drove
to the home OF DR.. T.. F.. Able, in Car
roiltown, where he related his story
about tho shooting
POSSE SCORING CONTRY
FOR ALLEGED MURDERERs
posse of moro than 100 armed
citizens tonight is securing the coun-
try for the alleged murderers. Tomp-
kins told the police that. with Mr..
Humphries and his family, he had left
with the HUMPHREYS in their automo-
pile for Philadelphia. When they
reached the lonely fair grounds they
mad blowout. and stopped the ma.
chine, and he and HUMPHREYS got out
TO repair the tire. While they were
bending over the wheel. three men
jumped out of the brush about sisty
rect away. Tompkins said. and ordered
them to get out of the machine, and
as soon as they stepped to the ground
the men began firing. The woman and
boy tell to the ground dead
i dropped the tool I was using and
started to run across the fair grounds,
with HUMPHREYS following me- / had
gone less than nifty feet when l tripped
over stone and fell. but quickly
gained my feet again, and made the
other side OF the fair grounds"
Iompkins's story leaves unexplained
the powder burns on the bodies. He
says the shooting was done at a dis
lance of at least fifty feet He was
unable to throw any light on a num-
Der OF cuts on Humphries's head and
chest He declared the robbers con-
tinued their pursuit of him after they
had shot HUMPHREYS down.
John Malin, OF Barnsboro, told Coro-
ner Fitzgerald late this evening that
he had passed the scene OF the shooting
shortly after o'clock this morning.
While was looking at the license
plate" Malin stated. "a man leaped
from behind some bushes nearby and
told me to get the hi out of there
He had a revolver. and left In a
hurry"
Maltn said that ne was 80 excited
at the time that he could not identify
| the man.