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HORRIBLE DOUBLE TRAGEDY NEAR JACKSONVILLEJoiin Milton Neal And His Wife Found Dead at Weir Home by TAeir Son Harry an Christmas Night.THE MOTHER SITTING IN HER CHAIR WITH HER HEAD BLOWN OFF.Her Husband, with Whom Ska Had Always Lived in Harmony, Found Lying Stiff and Gold at Her Foot—Tlio Relatives Believe a Double Murder Was Committed.PUBLIC OPINION THINKS THE HUSBAND TOOK TWO LIVES WHILE INSANEThe remains of John Milton Neal and his wife were buried in one grave out at Oakland cemetery yesterday afternoon, their deaths having been the result of a Christmas Day tragedy which horrified the people of this county and the sickening details of which have already been printed in every corner of this state.Sometime during the forenoon ol Christmas Day Mr. Neal and his wife, aged. 68 and 55 years respectively, were shot to death in tbo cosy sitting room of their home on their farm near Jacksonville.The awful discovery was made by Harry Neal their son between 8 and 9 o'clock Christmas night. He called to see his parents early in the evening. ‘Finding the door locked and one home gone from, the barn, he surmised that his parents were making Christmas calls. With the old couple lived Roy Knee, aged 20 years, whom they had raised, and a grandchild, Brace Neal, aged 13 years.The son went to Jacksonville and, not finding his parents there, he returned to the hom^s toad, fearing something had befallen the old folks. He was unable to gain an entrance ox-cepts through the cellar. A sickening sight met his gaze. His mother sat upright in a rocking chair in the center of the sitting room, her head from Iho mouth up having been shot off. A thimble was on her finger and her shears and sewing lay by her side, I-Iis father lay on the floor near the fireplace. His head, too, had been badly shot, an ugly wound near the mouth and in the top of the head showing where the fatal shot had gone, A breech-loading, double-barreled gun was lying on the floor near him anu oloae by were two empty shells. The carpet had been literally soaked with blood, and pieces of skin and brains were scattered about in sickening profusion. . Tne ceiling and wails hud also been spattered with blood, and there was scarcely an article in the room that had not been marked by the tragedy.The fire in the grace had died out, showing that the old folks had been dead some hours. The mother's churn stood near the kitchen atove untouched. The two boys were not to be found.Mr. Neal was almost crazed with the shook, but raised an alarm. Coroner Davis of this place was notified and.the Knee and Neal boys were sought. Knee arrived about midnight with a orowd of exoited neighbors. He had left in the morning to spend Christmas with friends, and old Mr. Neal and his wife were in good health when he leit. The former had accompanied him to the gate, giving him some money to have the horse shod. Knee said that young Neal had had a dispute in the morning with his grandfather. The boy had started for Jacksonville early to skate and his grandfather had brought him back to finish his chorea and whipped him. The boy was angry at this, did his work and about 9 o’clocklett again Young Neal was found at midnight in Jacksonville, where he was spending the night with a friend. He told a straightforward story of his absence.It was not long before a great crowd had gathered around the stricken home and on all sides oould be heard utter anoes telling of the high eateem in which the dead husband and wife were held by their neighbors.Diligent search was made for evidence of mnrder. The bodies were numb and stiff when found, the tragedy presumably having occurred daringthe forenoon.The most searching effort failed to reveal why or by whose hand death came to the victims. The shotgun was a double-barreled weapon, and with it on the floor were found two emoty shells, also an empty and a loaded shell in the gun-Coroner M. M. Davis empaneled a jury on Sunday whioh received the testimony of witnesses and investigated the tragedy. The jury was com* posed of John Forsythe, John Gilmore, Clark Lowman, Reuben Brady,Thomas Iseraan and Alexander Stewart.Harry Neal stated that when he found the shotgun one barrel was empty and the other contained an unused shell, showing that some third party had done the shooting. The gun had stood in the corner near the kitchen door adjoining the sitting room. The old couple had not been sick, always were happy and bad no quarrels. The son w«s positive they had been cruelly murdered.A boy named Rager said that he called at 11 o’clock and that all were away. Maokie and By ale Ray had noticed do signs of life in the house at noon. No testimony was produced by mends of young Neal to show that he had been seen in Jacksonville before 2 o’cloofe. Many neighbors told of the beautiful character oi the old oouple, #n4 the jurymen could not consent toa verdict of suicide before further testimony waa taken. They thoroughly examined the house, and decided to postpone a bearing until Tnureday, when more witnesses could be heard.There is great diversity of opinion as to the responsibility for the tragedy.There are those who hiiiu. that Bruce Neal, the grandson, might have done the deed out of a spirit of revenge for the whipping he is said to have gotten in the mornir.g of the fateful day.Harry Neal is positive it would have taken two men to kill his father, and that no boy of Bruce's age could commit the act. Two men had been seen going toward the house in the morning by Knoe.bnt the neighborsdid hot see them near the Neal homestead. Few people passed that way Christmas. Harry Neal said that his father had about §50 in the bouneonly §30 of which could he found. He couUl not imagine who would have committed such an awful crime. His father was prosperous, not rich, and had no enemies. He could not pierce the mystery.The members of tho Neal family grow indignant at the mention of suicide in connection with she case. They assert positively that this oould not be, not only because of tbo peaceful character of the old couple, but because of the provenco of tho empty barrel, from which the used shell bad been withdrawn. Harry Neal said his father could not possibly have done this as the shot that killed him was instantaneous in its effect. He could not give any reason for robbery or murder. He said if his father intended to kill his wife he would scarcely have taken the precaution to lock all the doors of the bouse. He a til I is firm in his conviction that someone came in the kitchen door reached in the corner for the gun and fired through tho door of the sitting room, the victims being in plain view of tho gun corner.The i arm era around Jacksonville are coming to believe NeaL killed his wife, although they cannot recall a single instance of domestic unhappiness. They hope to have ib proved otherwise, and have the fiend brought to justice.Frank Douglas, of Jndiana,son-in-law of the dead couple, scouts the idea that Mr. Neal killed hia wife and himself. He points out that they were in the best of circumstances, deeply attached to each other ana ail their family relations pleasant. He continued: “In the opinion of ua all, and sIbo in the opinion of the leading citizens of Jacksonville, Mr. and Mrs, Neal were murdered in cold blood,and future developments, we fully believe, will bear oat this statement.”Until the coroner’s jury brings In its verdict no steps will be taken to bring any one to justice, as there is no clue to point out the murderer if someone else than tho dead man committed the deed.The funeral yesterday was largely attended. It is Baid never before were so many buggies gathered In the vicinity of Jacksonville.The funeral services were held at 10 yesterday forenoon by the Rev. R, B. McClure, of Blairsville. At 10:30 the long funeral cortege started on its way to Indiana and early hi the afternoon, the mortal romaius of Milton Neal and his beloved wile were placed aide by side in the bosom of the earth at Oakland cemetery.AMONG THE OHtfECJHES.There was no preaching in the Presbyterian chnroh lastSunday owing to Dr. Hall’s being nnable to be present. He fell on the ice while going to a lecture at Library Hat), on Monday of last week and severely injured his shoulder, He is now able to be about again, out carrieB his arm in a sling. The Christmas services which were to have been observed last Sunday will be held next Sunday.Preaching services will be held in the Homer OUy Baptist church next Sabbath by the pastor, liev. A. B. Runyan, Tho subject for the morniog service Is a Happy Now Year.” An election Of ohuroh and Sabbath school officers for the comtupf year will be held on Saturday night at 7 o'clock sharp.Services will be held in the Greenville Presbyterian church every night during the week of prayer closing with communion services on Haiiday .January 8,A Watch Meeting will be held in the local M. 13. oburch on Friday night. Devotional services begin at 11 p. m-, bat will be proceeded by a-social,Watch-Night services will be held at the Baptist church on Friday night. A sermon will be given at 10 o’clock. All are invited.It Is expected that Rev. Welsh, the new pastor of the Second U. P. ohurch will take charge of the congregation on Sunday. __Rev. Reynolds pastor of the M. E. church, who has been ill for the paet month, expects to J1U his pulpit on Sunday.ludlonin ti atto: bein ftboi Ti prea ville Hect Uiar plac lowl dire ora’: Hia “Ar Ooa Teai topi Sfcrli men Bull AreThtheCUBSed fHorThoDithel mar Of H(andttmlt;thefoft!of ct ohm enccFCCCBlJam unit' Whi brot sled brea ankl the 1 nice W. anot Whi FiveA.injfliJaillitraninjmplanshouStep wori nead the susta was 1 acclc not iWEMi both onT ed b: Salts numMiMieaunltlt;uoorMooPresM. Miss Cen tfee 1 macLeoeWedPresMiMis 3wer«itev.ludl,Mi K. F unlu MonMjship, rnori on VMi R Vi unlh wee!aSit ooua and gone flow 60 ifc
Newspaper Details
Indiana County Gazette
Indiana, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Dec 29, 1897
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Doretta L.
PA, USA 05 Mar 2025
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