Slain In Her Home

Grand Rapids, Jan. 18.- Ore of the most brutal murders ever cominitted in Kent county was diseovered shortly before noon Weünesday, and Mrs. Mary McKendrick, aged 65, was the viotiru. She and her husband have been living in a little house in the extreme soutb end of the city, where the houses are scattered. McKendrick was her fonrth husband, and they have been living together for l(i years. By a former husband, the old lady received 10 acres of land, on a part of which their house Btood. A year ago she sold half of it received the payuient in cash. She was afraid of the banks and alwayskept her money hidden about her person. It was 'comnion talk among the neighbors that she had 900 or $f,.000 secreted. The couple arose at 5 o'clock and af ter eating breakfast together the husband departed at 5:4 for work. At 9 o'clock a grocer's boy carne with a basket of provisions she had ordered the previous day and found Mrs. McKendrick dead upon the floor. Her ankles and wrists werc tied tvith pieces of rope and her face was tied tightly in a tablecloth. When this was taken off it was found that a towel had been forced into her mouth, and this, together with the tablecloth, strangled her. There were no blows struck, and it is evident that the old lady was surprised and seized froin behind. Marks upon her face and limbs showed that she made a desperate struggle. It is believed that the thieves did not intend to kill her. but simply to gag her, but did their work too well. It ia also believed that there must have been two of them. because she was a very powerful woinan in spite of her age. The front of her dress was torn open, where the murderers liunted for her money, and the bedroom was ransacked, but no other part of the house was disturbed. The money cannot be found, fid it is possible that the thieves diseovered it. All day the pólice and sheriffs were at work on the case, but late at night they were no nearer a tangible clew than when they coinmenced. Several reporta were heard about suspicious characters in the neighborhood, but each was hunted down, and found to be without foundation. The whole neighborhood is greatly aroused over the brutal tragedy, and threats of lynching the murderers are made should they be caught.