The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1879-09-26 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

TERRIBLE CRAM E. A telegram from Cincinnati, dated Sept. 3, in the New York papers just received, says:—" The particulars of the killing of three women at Waynesvile. Ohio, with a hatchet, were briefly telegraphed last night. The suicide of Willie Anderson, son of Mrs. Hatte, one of the victims, news of which has just been received, completes one of the most remarkable eases of crime in the history of the State. The inve.tigations *f the coroner and of detectives have developed the following fact* :—Mrs. Matte lived in Waynesville—a small quaker village in Warren County with Wilde Anderson, her son by a divoree4 husband, a lad Is years of age. With her were staying, teinporarily, her sister, Mrs. Clemetine Meeks, of Cincinnati, and a twelve-yearold daughter of the latter. A week ago last night, neighbours of the family heard screams issuing front the house, but little attention was paid io the fact. On Sunday morning the boy Willie left Whynesville for Cincinnati. The same day persons passing the house noticed an offensive smell coining therefrom. Yesterday afternoon it became so bad that the marshal ventured to open one of the windows, when the stench became horrible. On entering he found the room in confusion, and two dead bodies, one on a bed and the other under it. A further search re, ealed a third lady in the lack loom, and all were in an advanced stage of decomposition, while the head of one in the front room hail been eaten by rats until the hair- and scalp were all gone. The bodies were unrecognisable except by the garment* The mother and child lay in the room, and Mrs. Hatte in the baekroom, near a lounge. The latter was covered with a tick, and the head was bad y mutilated. The victims had evidently retired, the lit le girl's pallet lying on the door near the window-board, stained and tumbled, while the child lay on the bed partially covered with clothe* The. poor mother had crawled under her bed to die. Her arm was gashed with blows from a hatchet, as if it hail been put up to protect her head. Suspicion was at once attached to the boy, whose peculiar conduct toward the close of the week had been noticed. It appeared by testimony before the coroner that he had left the house on Tuesday night, and spent the rest of the week at an hotel. He was seen, however, several tines going back to the Place, and the discovery of a dime novel which had been lent to him on Saturday night, lying by his mother's side, shows that he must have spent some time in the house as late as Saturday night. It appears that after leaving Waynesville on Sunday morning he came to Cincinatti, where his father, Daniel R. Anderson, is living. He stopped at an hotel here over night, and visited his father. Last night he resolved to go ha-k to the scene of the tragedy, whether with the intention of confessing the deed or of putting a bold faco on the matter is not known. Ile hail no money, and being unable to pay hia fare, was put off the train at Plainville, a few miles from I Incinatti. He went to an hotel, but was refused ailiniasion, not having money to pay for his lodging. Nothing WM seen of hint until one o'clock to-day, when he was found on a coal-heap near the station, with a bullet through his head, and his right hand grasping a small :32.cali tire pistol. He had been lead several hours. The motive of the lad in committing the terrible crime can only be surmised. He was living, apparently , on good terms with ha mother and aunt, and was regarded in the village and in the printing_ otiee where he worked as a peaceable boy. Ihe only theory which affords a chic to the mystery is that he acted for or with his father. Mrs. Hatte was married to Anderson when she was Pi years idil. She was a pretty girl, and in her later 3 ears was regarded as a 11311.60111 e woman. After the birth of the son ditheulties arose, and a divorce followed. The woman was married to a Mr. Matte, who died not long ago in an insane asylum. The theory of the detectives is that Anderson is in some way implieated in the murder, and that Mrs. Meeks and her daughter were killed because they were witnesses of the deed."