The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-09-20
KILLS WIFE, DAUGH-
TER SELF
SECOND GIRL FEARED DYING IN
TRIPLE TRAGEDY AT ALEX
ANDRIA WEDNESDAY
ACT CAREFULLY PLANNED
CRIES OF VICTIM LEAD TO THE
DISCOVERY OF CRIME BY.
NEIGHBORS

After beating his wife and one
daughter to death with an axe and
infiicting probable fatal injuries on
another daughter, j. Willis Knox of
Alexandria hanged himself in his
home early Wednesday morning.
Dorothy, who was 10 years old,
died in a hospital shortly before Loo
D. m. but late today the younger
daughter, Virginia, aged 3, was still
alive, although physicians said she
could not live more than an hour or
two. -.
The crime was discovered shortly
after noon, when neighbors heard
groans and forced entrance to the
home. The two children were found
in their beds still living and the wife
lay dead in her bed in an adjoining
room. A...,-
Apparently Mrs. Knox, had been
instantly killed by single blow from
small hand AK, but the children, suf-
fering from several glancing blows,
still were alive, although in intense
agony.
Knox was office manager of the
North American Creamery company
here. Phil j. Noonan, president of
the company, declared this afternoon
that he could find nothing in connec-
ton with his work that might be con-
strued as motive for his deed.
1t was apparent from the observa-
tons of neighbors that Knox had
planned his act, for last night at 10
o'clock a passerby saw him standing
in the room where his body was
found, and at 8 am. another neighbor
noticed light in a downstairs room.
When neighbor went to the Knox
home at>noon today, no one answered
her knocks. As she turned to go, she
heard a groan and. listening at the
door heard weak cries and groans.
Calling to other neighbors, includ-
ing DR.. A. j. Kierland, who lives
across the street from the Knox home,
entrance was forced to the house.
First the room occupied by Mrs.
Knox as a bedroom was entered and
her body discovered. She apparent
ly had not moved after one terrific
blow had been dealt her, splitting her
head.
In the next room, in their beds,
were found the two girls, one of them
still writing in agony, but apparent
ly not conscious.
Both were hurried to a hospital
but it was found that the blows their
father had inflicted would prove fatal
and the only thing that could be done
was to alleviate their suffering.
Authorities who examined the scene
of the crime believe the girls must
have struggled before consciousness
left them, for several blows had been
only glancing and probably would not
have proved fatal in themselves had
they been direct.
1t is believed that Knox left the
girls for dead, although the condition
of the bed shows they struggled to
resist him or tossed about in agony
after he had. left them.
At first the authorities were at
loss to explain the murder of the
wife and children, but Mr.. Noonan
then came upon the scene in search
of Mr.. Knox, and at his suggestion,
search was made upstairs.
There, suspended from a rope, at
tached to beam of an unfinished
room was the body. Apparently he
had been dead for several hours. He
had used baby's highchair to jump
from in killing himself.
Like his wife and children, Knox
was in night clothes.
In searching the house, the small
ak used in crushing the skulls Of his
victims was found in the basement.
Apparently Knox had wiped it care-
fully, set it in one corner, and thrown
the rag used to clean it into another
corner Minneapolis Tribune.