Saturday, December 26, 2015

Shot His Father.

Little Murders
(From National Police Gazette, January 29, 1888)

Shot His Father.


William Howell, of Ashland, Ky., 17 years old, shot and killed his father, John Howell, on Saturday. John Howell served a term of years in the penitentiary, and returned home last August. Since then he has frequently beaten his wife and daughters. Thursday night he drove his entire family from home, and threatened their lives. Saturday morning his son procured a warrant for his arrest for abusing his family, and requiring him to give bond to keep peace. After the trial Howell returned home, swearing vengeance on his son, who met him at the door and shot him.


Saturday, December 12, 2015

Murder of a School Mate by Two Girls.

Little Murders
(From Sun,  Baltimore, Maryland, December 25, 1879)
Murder of a School Mate by Two Girls.

Cincinnati, Dec. 24. –A dispatch to the Enquirer, from Hogerstown, Ind., states that a murder, which occurred near a country schoolhouse between Centreville and Williamsburg, two weeks since, had just come to light. Two school-girls, about fifteen years old, daughters of wealthy parents, were expelled from the school for bad treatment of a school-mate of the same age, named Miss Kates. While the latter was on her way home, after school, they assaulted her—one knocking her down with a base ball bat and the other jumping on her and breaking four of her ribs—Miss Kates managed to crawl home, and died soon after communicating the facts to her mother. According to reports the parents of the assailants went to the murdered girl’s mother and persuaded her by a bribe of $3,000 to keep the affair secret. The facts, however, leaked out through school children who witnessed the assault, and have created much excitement.


Saturday, December 5, 2015

The Hawkins Matricide.

Little Murders


Islip was a quiet little town on the southern shore of Long Island, populated by the families of seafaring men and summer visitors from New York, escaping the noise and bustle of the city. The town had no saloons and had did not have enough crime to justify building a jail. So the discovery, in October 1887, of woman’s body, shot and beaten, off the Brentwood road in the woods just outside of Islip, threw the town into a state of high excitement.

The body might have been missed completely, but it was wrapped in a bright red shawl. The wagon driver who spotted it got down to take a look and found a middle-aged woman, shot three times in the head, her face bruised and disfigured beyond recognition.

From her clothing, she was identified as Mrs. Cynthiana Hawkins, widow of Captain Fredrick Hawkins, who had made a fortune as a sea captain and later in the lumber business. Her maiden name was Clock, one of the most prominent families in Long Island society. Her brothers immediately initiated an investigation of her murder. Robbery was ruled out as a motive; she had not been assaulted, it looked more like a revenge killing.