DEEPER AND DARKER
Grows the Mystery that Hangs Over the Bloody Human Slaughter on Horse Creek -- Since, on Saturday Afternoon, a Fifth Victim is Added to the Ghastly List -- Furnivall Still Missing, and all Efforts to Find Him, Either Dead or Alive, Unavailing -- The Situation and Relation of the Parties and Other Matters Connected With the Dark Deed -- One Thousand Dollars Reward Offered by the County for the Arrest of the Perpetrator.
The discovery on, Thursday evening of last week on Horse Creek, twelve miles west of here, the mutilated body of Henry Percival at his barn, his wife and child dead in bed, the lifeless form of Hugh Mair in bed at his home, and the absence of George Furnivall and H. A. G. Baird, briefly related last week, was substantially all that was then known of one of the most blood-chillIng tragedies of the times. Since then has been added a fifth horror by the finding on Saturday the decaying body of Mr. Baird in the creek, about three hundred yards from the house where Mair was killed, shot in the face with buck-shot, and in the back of his head with a heavy charge of buck and bird-shot, which lodged in and about his mouth.
The scene of this domestic massacre is six miles from the Loup River, near the head of Horse Creek, a small and tortuous tributary of that river running through a narrow valley formed by the approach of high tablelands cut with many draws, and about twelve miles from this place. The creek at the point in question, and indeed through its entire course, has cut its bed deep into the sandy subsoil underlying the valley. First of the houses that witnessed the bloody deeds is that of Harry Percival, in the valley two or three hundred yards from the creek. A half mile west in the valley and about the same distance from the creek is where Messrs. Mair and Furnivall lived together as bachelors, the latter owning the property, conditioned, perhaps, that Mair should have half of it as soon as he paid half of the purchase money. Mr. Baird made his home in the family of Mr. Percival, consisting of himself, wife and child one year old, the ages of the other victims and the missing man ranging from twenty to twenty-three years, they all being recently from England except Mrs. Percival. On the highlands a half mile east across the creek from Mr. Percival's house live the Edmundson brothers, aged respectively seventeen and twenty-two. Two or three miles intervene between the three houses, and any other neighbors. The locality is secluded. Before the tragedy it was a beautiful country place; since, imagination may people it with bloody-handed demons.
On the Sunday evening preceding the murder, Messrs. Mair and Furnivall, the Edmundson brothers and a young man by the name of Watson, stopping temporarily with the latter, went to Lone Tree postoffice, returning about dark to Edmundson's house. On their return the Edmundsons and Furnivall preceded Watson and Mair a short time, Furnivall going straight to his place of abode as soon as he arrived, and Mair following as soon as he came in.
On Monday morning Furnivall went over to Edmundsons' to get a spade, and while there told the latter that Mair had gone out to scour a plow. Soon after he had returned, young Watson followed him to get a harness, and while at the barn of Furnivall and Mair, asked the former where Mair was, and was told that he had not yet gone out with the plow.
In the afternoon of the same day Al. Bird of Cedar Rapids went to the house on business with Furnivall and found him at the door, but did not go in the house, and when he went away he was directed to cross the creek at a place away from where the body of Baird was found, yet it is said that the latter place is the best crossing.
As related last week, L. H. Faucett, in company with Mr. Inbody, from Merrick county, was on the premises both of Percival and Furnivall on Tuesday afternoon, but found no one at either place, the doors being closed.
On Wednesday one of the Edmundson boys went to Furnivall's house to borrow a book. The door was open or, at least, unfastened, and he went in, finding no one at home, but on the table was a note, supposed to have been written by Furnivall and addressed to Mr. Clark, residing about three miles away: "Betsey and I have gone deer-hunting. You can have the mower and welcome, but beware of the tongue." He did not go upstairs, but took the book and returned home.
The next visit to the premises was by Faucett and Inbody on Thursday afternoon, referred to last week. Finding the houses closed, they investigated so far as to discover the horrors within, and gave the alarm. Neighbors having assembled late at night, the body of Mr. Percival was found near a haystack at the barn, shot through the head and body, and his wife and child lay in bed, both shot through the head. Proceeding to Furnivall's house, the body of Mair was found in bed upstairs, all in an advanced stage of decomposition.
Mr. Percival was at Fullerton on Monday, returning home late in the evening. Two or three shots were heard by the Edmundson
(Continued)
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Candidate for
County Treasurer
NEBRASKA.
Election November 7th, 1916
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BONDED ABSTRACTER Real Estate, Farm Loans BONDS Fire, Life, Health and Accident
Insurance Home and Western Nebraska Lands. Farms looked after for non-residents FULLERTON - - NEBRASKA
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Page Forty-five
© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 by Ted & Carole Miller