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Major Depew

Birth
Death
27 Dec 1890
Mount Vernon, Macomb County, Michigan, USA
Burial
Burial Details Unknown Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
This is about Mrs. Joseph [Major] Depew:

Bandon Recorder. (Bandon, Or.) January 03, 1890

Rochester, Mich., Dec, 28 - A coldblooded, triple murder was committed two miles north of Mount Vernon last night by William Major, who killed his wife, daughter and granddaughter. Major, who is fifty years old and a well-to-do farmer, was in Rome yesterday and came home cheerful, his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Depew, of Bandon, and her little daughter were visiting the house, and after a conversation with them the family retired.
The people were but fairly asleep when Major arose and began his work of slaughter. He took a revolver and shot his wife as she lay asleep, putting two bullets into her body and mortally wounding her. The noise of the shooting awakened the others, but the murder did not hesitate, springing into the apartment occupied by his daughter and her child, he coolly fired a bullet at Mrs. Depew, and, when it failed to kill her, procured an ax and knocked out her brains. Then he pulled his little granddaughter from *beneath the bed-clothing, and with one of the ax split her head open, killing her instantly*.
Major then rushed into the room where his little son slept, and groped about the bed for him. The little lad had crawled under the bed for safety, and as he heard his father searching the room he said" Are you going to kill me too, papa?"
"No, my son," replied the murderer; "do not be alarmed, I will not hurt you. When I am gone, you get $150, which I will leave to you, and divide with your sister."
The he hastened from the house, and up to the present time nothing has been heard of him. It is believed that he went to a neighboring forest and killed him self. The people are searching for him.
The boy gave the alarm as soon as he could, and the neighbors found Mrs. Major still alive. She cannot survive, however. The other two were killed instantly.
Dr. Major's body was today found in a barn. He had committed suicide by hanging.

* Difficult to read.
This is about Mrs. Joseph [Major] Depew:

Bandon Recorder. (Bandon, Or.) January 03, 1890

Rochester, Mich., Dec, 28 - A coldblooded, triple murder was committed two miles north of Mount Vernon last night by William Major, who killed his wife, daughter and granddaughter. Major, who is fifty years old and a well-to-do farmer, was in Rome yesterday and came home cheerful, his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Depew, of Bandon, and her little daughter were visiting the house, and after a conversation with them the family retired.
The people were but fairly asleep when Major arose and began his work of slaughter. He took a revolver and shot his wife as she lay asleep, putting two bullets into her body and mortally wounding her. The noise of the shooting awakened the others, but the murder did not hesitate, springing into the apartment occupied by his daughter and her child, he coolly fired a bullet at Mrs. Depew, and, when it failed to kill her, procured an ax and knocked out her brains. Then he pulled his little granddaughter from *beneath the bed-clothing, and with one of the ax split her head open, killing her instantly*.
Major then rushed into the room where his little son slept, and groped about the bed for him. The little lad had crawled under the bed for safety, and as he heard his father searching the room he said" Are you going to kill me too, papa?"
"No, my son," replied the murderer; "do not be alarmed, I will not hurt you. When I am gone, you get $150, which I will leave to you, and divide with your sister."
The he hastened from the house, and up to the present time nothing has been heard of him. It is believed that he went to a neighboring forest and killed him self. The people are searching for him.
The boy gave the alarm as soon as he could, and the neighbors found Mrs. Major still alive. She cannot survive, however. The other two were killed instantly.
Dr. Major's body was today found in a barn. He had committed suicide by hanging.

* Difficult to read.


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