Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1890-09-12

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HORRIBLE DEATH OF THE MURRAY CHILDREN AT PINOS ALTOS Very early Saturday morning the citizens of Pinos Altos were startled by the report caused by the explosion of giant powder in the frame dwelling occupied by John A. Murray and his three little boys. Proceeding to the house where the explosion occurred it was found that a stick of giant powder had by some unaccountable means been placed between the boys, John and Dan Murray, as they lay in bed, and there had been exploded. The father and the boy Freddy were sleeping in another room and were uninjured. Whether the powder was taken to bed by the children and accidentally exploded or placed there by some one with nefarious intent is yet to be determined. The boy Johnny was possessed of $900, recovered from the Deming and Pacific railroad for the loss of a leg sustained while trying to board a moving train at the Deming depot, about seven years ago. It is said that the father wanted this money.

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nt is yet to be determined. The boy Johnny was possessed of $900, recovered from the Deming and Pacific railroad for the loss of a leg sustained while trying to board a moving train at the Deming depot, about seven years ago. It is said that the father wanted this money. It is also asserted that those who first reached the scene of the tragedy found the bodies cold as if death had occurred some hours prior to the explosion. However that may be, the coroner’s jury returned to verdict to the effect that John and Daniel Murray came to their death by an explosion caused by their father, John A. Murray. Murray waived a pre- liminary trial, and was committed to jail to await the action of the grand jury. The family has been singularly unfortu- nate. The mother committed suicide over two years ago, dropping in a dying condition on the street in Silver City from the effect of an over dose of morphine. The boy, Johnny; was crip- pled for life by being run over by a railroad train, and now the father stands charged with this horrible crime. Last Tuesday John A. Murray made a deed of gift of $600 of the money, which he became heir to by reason of his son, John’s death, to his surviving son, Frederick. The balance of the $900, less the funeral expenses of the deceased children, will be used to pay his attorney’s fees.