The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-21
BOY SLAYER OF FOUR MEMBERS
 OF HIS FAMILY
Trying To Expiate Sin Of Blasphemy, Is His
 Explanation
ADMITS KILLING PARENTS
 AND BURNING 2 SISTERS
Shoots Father And Mother To Death On Anniversary Of
 Former Killing In Georgia

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, Feb. 20.-- Charged with wiping out the four mem bers-o his family, two by two, on dates exactly one year apart, Frank McDow tell, 19 years old, tonight was confined in the. Pinellas county jail at Clear water to await trial in one of the most amazing murder cases in southern crim inal records.
 The youth signed confession late today admitting that he shot and killed MT. and Mrs. J. NJ. McDowell, his par. ents, last night and that he caused the fire in which Marion, IS, and Willie magee, 16, his two sisters, perished al Decatur, Ga., February 19, 1923.
 In the story which he repeated three times to Chief of Police George M. Cos. lick and Chief of Detectives John Trot ter, Frank said his mind became "hazy' at times and that during these spells he was obsessed with the hallucination that the members of his family were followers of the anti-Christ.
 Trying To Expiate Sin
 Tracing the origin of these "hazy'' spells, Frank said that when he was F years old he blasphemed the Holy Ghost and that since that time he has been trying to expiate his sin, but he did not explain of what this "blas- phemy' considered. 1'This blasphemy' occurred February 19, he said. Every year since when the anniversary of this ''blasphemy' approached, Frank said his mind becaDe cratic and he believed his family to be allied with the anti Christ. These delusions continued an nually until one year ago he felt that he must kill his sisters in order to atone for his "blasphemous" sin.
 After he had started the fire in which his sisters perished, Frank said, his mind returned to nationality and he was appalled, at the crime he had committed, but did not reveal it to any one. When February 19 of this year came near, he felt that the death of his parents was sacrifice demanded as penance for the killing of his sisters, he said.
 Fired Bed, Locked Exits <
 Explaining the Decatur, Ga., fire, Frank said that he crept into the room occupied by his sisters, saturated the bed clothing with gasoline, fired the in flammable mass with coals carried from the family hearth and fled from the house when the blaze flared up, locking all exits behind him.
 Although the house did not burn to the ground, the room in which the two s;irls slept was destroyed. /
 Frank said he went to sleep 0M his ouch in a room adjoining tbatjo hi, pafsnts last night without any Jaefin7t, bought of violence to Mr.. and Mrs. Nc lowell. He dreamed, he said, that ht -. a a,,Ha 4n Js.L ruction of his father and mother. He sid the dream was so compelling that " iten he awoke he arose from his bed won't into the next room and fired five SAots at Mir. and Mrs. Mcdowell.
 Shot Father First
 The first shot struck Mir. Mcdowell. The bullet penetrated the left temple and passed out on the right side of the head. Mrs. Mcdowell also was shot through the left temple and the bullet emerged in the same manner, imbed- ding itself in the pillow, where it was found later. Apparently neither had been aroused.
 Between the bodies of his parents Frank said he laid a note typewriter on paper which had been cut out in heart form. The note contained the Lords Prayer and garbled wording of familiar Bible phrases, written in lower case letters without spacing between words.
 Frank said he wrote the note Monday on a typewriter in his fathers office. It was intended, he said, to refer to his three sins. "Sin shall be washed away in the blood of the lamb as it gusheth from the body of thine slain enemy" and T offer up this prayer to the spirit. written upon the likeness of mine heart were typical phrase.
 Mortified by his crime, Frank said he attempted to make it appear as a murder by some one else by hiding his .32 calibre revolver in the bottom of a trunk, flashing the screen door entrance to the home and pumping his head against door to support his first story that he had heard commotion in his parents room, had opened the door leading into it, and had been knocked senseless for 15 minutes by an unknown assailant.
 While under police guard, Frank ap- peared highly intelligent for youth of his age. He said he had left high school in his junior year and passed SS~-S SS tfSAoAuAhdtAUuSs IOllCe lOuuQ Tn the home many books on religious topics, on the fly leaves of which was written Franks name. The Mcdowell family was known to be deeply religious. The Rev. E. T. Pulson, pastor of the First Baptist church, which the elder Me Dowells' attended, said Frank in the past few months has scoffed at the Christian religion and refused to ac- eede to his parents request that he join and attend their church. Frank con- firmed this, adding that he had been torn between conflicting ideas on re- hgion, at one time believing in God, at another rejecting Christianity.
 A jury called by Coroner E. NJ. Burke returned a verdict this evenifr-s iindlng that Mir. and Mrs. Mcdowell had come to their death from bullet wounds and that the bullet wounds were lnfllPtn1 hy Ero,L ral,o s,,..