Milford chronicle., 1920-06-18
MURDERS MAN
WHILE HE SLEPT
ISAACsHAMMOND, A PROMINENT FAR
MER LIVING NEAR FELTON,,
INSTANTLY KILLED.
LAST WEDNESDAY MORNING
NEGRO LAD FIRED GUN INTO BEDROOM
WIFE BY HAMMOND'S SIDE is
UNINJURED BOY CAUGHT

One of the most cold-blooded and
atrocious murders known in lower Del
aware in recent years, occurred about
3 o'clock Wednesday morning Mt the
home Of farmer Isaac Hammond. a
prominent white resident living two
miles west of FELTON,. when a colored
boy Clarence BrOaderd, a home boy
aged 1G years. who had been with the
HammOnd's four years, deliberately
arose from his bed in an adjoining
room to the HammOnd's and going to
the automobile shed in the yard Sc
CURED two shells. after which he went
to the garret of the house and secured
double barreled shot gun, placed the
shells in the gun and stealing down
the garret stairs went out on the
porch roof from his room. and over to
thew indOw where Mr.. and Mrs. Ham
mOnd were asleep and fired one shot
at Hammond, the full load hitting
Hammond about the head and breast
killing him instantly.
The most miraculous part of the
shooting was that Mrs Hammond, who
was lying by her husband escaped in
jury.
After the shooting the boy went to
the garret, where he tried to kill him
self a slight flesh wound on the fore
head being the only damage done him.
As soon as the murder of Mr.. Ham
mond was reported to neighbors, the
house was surrounded by nearly one
hundred men with shot guns, thinking
perhaps the negro would either shoot
from the garret window or make am
effort to get away.
Sheriff Cook was telephOned to and
with State Detective Wharton, Con-
stable Kingsbury and Chief Of Police
Z. L. Lane. Of Diver, made a record
breaking trip to the scene of the muir
der and after satisfying themselves
that the negro was in the attic, Sheriff
Cook notified him that if he did not
come down voluntarily, he would be
taken; the negro threw the gun out
the garret window and came down the |
stairs alone and surrendered himself. /
1t was only by the clear cool-head /
edness of the State and County officers /
that the negro was not mobbed as soon |
as he made his appearance from the /
attic as the hundred or more men arm
ed with shot guns were in a most (
threatening mood. The negro was
hustled into the sheriff's automobile
and hustled to Dover where he was
locked up in the county Jail.
The negro when interrOgated con-
cerning the murder, the cause, etc,
stated that while he had lived with
the HammOnds for four years and
liked them and they treated him al
right, that occasionally Mr.. Hammond
would fuss with him, the last time be-
ing on Monday night.
When asked why he did the shoot
ing, he stated that he awOke about
three o'clock Wednesday morning and :
guessed he was mad with himself that ;
he put on his Overalls and went down /
stairs and secured the shells and then
went back to the attic where he Sc
cured the gun. He then came back to !
his own room and taking the screen
out of the window, crept along the
porch roof to the window opening into /
the bedroom of Mr.. and Mrs. Ham |
mond and without waiting to see if 1
Mr.. Hammond was alone, fired the shot
which killed him. He then returned to |
he garret where he tried to kill him q
;elf by turning the gun to his forehead &
he load, however, missing him other a
han a wound in the middle of the Il
'Orehead. &
Broadred came to the Hammond's t
rom the COlored Orphans Asylum of .
Iew York of which a Mr.. Neal is the