C.M. Jackson Commits Suicide After Killing Wife and 37-Year-Old Daughter, Feb. 21, 1926

Wake County Tragedy Causes Three Deaths. . . Farmer Uses Axe to Kill Wife and Slays Self with Shotgun. . . Daughter of C.M. Jackson and Wife Also Victim of Father’s Brutality. . . Blown to Pieces. . . Jackson’s Head Torn to Pieces by Discharge of Weapon; Had Good Reputation. . . Daughter Dies

Raleigh, N.C., Feb. 20 (AP)—With the death in a Raleigh hospital today of Dora Jackson of Leesville, the death toll of a tragedy in her father’s farmhouse was raised to three.

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Raleigh, N.C., Feb. 20 (AP)—C.M. Jackson, 69, and his wife are dead, and Dora Jackson, 37, their daughter, is dying in Rex Hospital, as the result of what sheriffs believe a domestic tragedy which occurred in their humble farm house near Leesville Saturday morning.

Sheriffs believe that Jackson, using an axe, killed his wife and probably fatally wounded his daughter, as they were preparing breakfast in the kitchen and then retired to the dining room, sat down in a chair, placed the muzzle of the shotgun under his chin and pulled the trigger.

“Blown to Pieces”

Jackson’s head was literally blown to pieces, the dining room ceiling being splattered with brains and bird shot. His nose and a section of his moustached lip were found in one section of the room and one of his eyeballs found in another. His shotgun, with one barrel discharged, was found lying on the floor beside his body.

Woman Killed with Axe

From wounds found on the body of Mrs. Jackson, sheriffs concluded that she had been struck in the head with an axe. Her hands had been burned as she presumably pitched forward on the kitchen stove. Her body was found on the floor in a pool of blood and buttermilk from an overturned churn.

Daughter Dying

Dora Jackson, the daughter, was alive when found, but she was unconscious. She was rushed to Raleigh where she was placed on the operating table at Rex Hospital. Little hope was entertained for her recovery.

There was no evidence of a robbery, according to sheriffs, who rushed to the scene along with members of the Raleigh police force when word of the tragedy reached Raleigh.

Mr. Jackson, who was familiarly known as “Tinker” Jackson, had been living in the Leesville section of Wake County for many years. He was known as a quiet farmer, and a good husband and family [man?] but neighbors and sheriffs stated that he had been very nervous recently.

Did Not Have Enemy

Neighbors stated that Mr. Jackson did not have an enemy in the world and that while he had never “messed with whiskey,” that he had taken no active part in “turning up” moonshiners and did not help sheriffs raid stills.

From the front page of The Goldsboro News, Sunday morning, Feb. 21, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064755/1926-02-21/ed-1/seq-1/