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A VerituM© Slaughter Iten.Yiroquu, Win., May 28.—Further pnr-LienlfiM ot the quadruple murder in Vernon Co., Mian,, servo bnt to increase R horrors imd place Lt on the calendar of crimes as one of tho mo t dreadful crimen over committed in tbie country* It is now known thfct the motive was to seciire$.I,400 which itrt. Drake was to receive from an estate in Fennaylvania and which, it was commonly reported through the neighbor* hood, had already passed into hor bands. The location of tbs crime is in a rather lonely and thinly settled neighborhood, where the majority of people are poor. Rea ben Drake who whs probably the most prosperous farmer in the neighborhood, bol he lived in a small house of three rooms—sitting room, bedroom and kitchen. The old people were living alone, bnt tho two grand' children from an adjoining connty had come thatd«y to visit them. Witnesses first on toe scenfl describe it as a veritable sbmghter pen, The body of Mrs, Drake Uy near the door with a baltet hole through each breast, She had evidently gone to the door to open it in response to a knock and been shot- from the threshold.; It ifl probnblu Lhat ooe shot wiw fired I nl her which did not tak« effect bb h i bullet wmS found in tho door pun op-i poeito. Her honband Isy in the miter of I the room on his f»n«j with one ballet hale I through tue rijht tyo and bnur, and an-| other through the body near the b-ea-i.I fn the bod room waa a rno-u fearful st^h*. j Ouon« bed lay two children; the girl lay I in front oq one wide rr if sleeping. The I head wan nearly severed from tbe body by ono powerful knife stroko. The boy had Ht.-uggled nil over the bed. His thronl was partially cut and his heart penetrated by a terrib’e knife stab. Apparently I Ida right hand had been raised to ward off j the knife and it was cat through | the^palm to the bone, rp though he had i grasped tho knife nod it had been drftwn 1 through hie hand. Blood was spattered nil over tho room, on the floor, walls and bedding. After the deed was completed the murderer made u systematic search ofthe entire houot, but it iti thought thrro was not over $15 in the house* Bullets show thu weapon wn« ft thirty-two caliber revolver and the knife tella its own story. Tho cricde wft* committed rb early rb 9 o’clock in the evening, aft the nearest neighbors heard ahold at that time. It ie the universal opinion that the deed wrb done by some one in the neighborhood who wae acquainted with the oirenmstaooee of the family. Gov. ItaBk hR9 telegaaphed on tho part of ihe ; state $500 and the county will add tibernl-i ly to t-bie. So far the officers have no clue-| People of this viomrsily are in a terrible fttate of excitement and would make abort work of the murderer if in their baa da
Newspaper Details
The Evening Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US
Mon, May 28, 1888
Page 1
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 22 Jul 2020
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