Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1887 — BLOOD-STAINED BURGLARS. [ARTICLE]

BLOOD-STAINED BURGLARS.

Mother and Daughter Brutally Murdered by Rustic Robbers in West Virginia. An Aged Woman at New Haven Bound and Strangled by Unknown Marauders. Mother and Daughter Foully Murdered. [Steubenville (O.) speciaL] A shocking double murder was perpetrated at Halliday’s Cave, Hancock County, W. Va., on the Pan Handle Road. When Mr. Van Baker, who left home Monday at 4 p. m. and spent the night at his father’s, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, returned Tuesday morning, he found his wife, Eliza Baker, and her mother Suzelle McWha, lying dead in the sitting-room with their heads beaten brutally by a car pin. An ax was also lying beside them. Mr. Baker says the only thing missing is $350 belonging to him. Evidences of search are plainly to be seen. The theory at first given for the murder is that it was for robbeiy. Mr. McWha had a few days ago received several thousand dollars, and Monday he went to Pittsburgh to deposit it. His son-in-law, Mr. Baker, also being absent that night, it is thought some one familiar with the situation, but not knowing that the money was gone, attempted robbery, and being discovered and identified by the women, killed them to conceal their crime. Mrs. McWha was 70 years old, her daughter about 40. The belief is general that the murderer is some one familiar with the family. Au Aged Woman Strangled. [New Haven (Conn.) telegram.] Mrs. Margaret Ernst, a German lady, aged 74 years, was found early Tuesday morning by the milkman in the front room of her house, No. 34 Spruce street, with her hand and feet bound with ropes and a rope around her neck. She had been choked to death during the night and robbed. She was supposed to have had on her person at least S4OO in bills, but when the Coroner arrived Tuesday morning only $1.27 was found. She was the owner of two houses, and there is about $1,500 in the bank to her credit, she being worth about SIO,OOO. She made a will about two years ago and had notified her attorney that next week she desired to see him, as she had concluded to change it. The Coroner and police see in this fact the motive for the crime. She was the widow of John Ernst, a Union veteran who died twelve years ago.