Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-12
MAN KILLS HIS
FAMILY with
CLUB IN HOME

mediately ran 10 the Hoskins home,
found HosiSins in front Of the kitch-
en- door with a razor in his hand,
and said to him: my God, what
have you done" Hoskins' answer
was that he had killed them all and
would now proceed to finish the job
BY killing himself. The neighbor
begged of him 10 think what he was
doing aud not take his own life, but
Hoskins Immediately went into the
house, closed the door and when
neighbors entered he had slashed his
throat and both wrists with the
razor. He failed, however, to hit the
vital point in either case, but suffer-
ed badly from loss of blood. His
wounds were bound up by physi-
clans from Prescott, who had been
notified and who had rushed to the
scene Of the murder, Coroner Ralph
Rowland and County Attorney A.
Ray Maxwell and the sheriff were
notified and they, too, Immediately
arrived on the scene.
Had Made Threats.
Statements from the neighbors
and the two remaining members of
the family were taken, which
showed that at a previous time he
had threatened the crime which
he did today, but he was not taken
seriously at the time. AS one APP
preached the kitchen, which was
the scene of the murder, one had to
step carefully to keep out of the
pools of blood, which ran from the
porch and the kitchen, the scene
resembling a slaughter house at
butchering time. The kitchen walls,
ceiling, table at which they were
eating, chairs and other furniture
in the room we're simply covered
with blood.
After careful investigation by the
coroner and his assistant, the bodies
of the three murdered members Of
the family were gathered up and
taken to the front room of the
home and prepared for burial.
Hoskins, badly wounded by his
own efforts, occupied the adjoining
room where hesat propped up in
chair, swathed in bandages, and
unable to make a statement because
Of the wound in his throat.
When the news of the, murder be-
came known people came from all
parts of the country in all kinds Of
conveyances.
Murderer Uses Club.
The club used by the murderer
was a hard wood stick about three
feet long and at least two inches
in diameter, sharpened at one end,
and the force with which it was
used showed plainly upon the vic
Tins, who had bruises upon their
bodies as well as having their heads
crushed.
Miss Irene, the member of the
family who gave the alarm, is being
cared for at the home of a neigh
Dor, but is suffering severely from
the shock.
Family Widely Known.
Hoskins formerly resided on a
rented farm in the vicinity Of Me-
vinville, IL miles north, but about
year ago bought the farm where the
murder took place, and if one could |
attempt to go into this community
to pick a more prominent man he
wou..i have some difficulty. Hos
kins, heretofore, has always borne
the very best of a reputation and
was known as hard working pros
porous man. ..a... i
Neighbors state that although do
nestle troubles took place, yet they
never dreamed that they were so
serious as would prompt the man to
commit murder. The murderer is a
son of Wallace Hoskins, president |
of the Nevinville bank, and the fam
ily is widely knownin that district.
From a standpoint of brutality this
murder is second to none that has
ever taken place in this section Of
the country.