Father Kills Family After Unmarried Daughter Has Child, Feb. 4, 1926

Father Slays Himself and Four Others. . . Worry Over Birth of Child to Unmarried Daughter Thought Responsible

Dowagic, Mich., Feb. 4 (AP)—A mental breakdown caused by worry of a father over the birth of a child to his unwed daughter is believed by county officers here to have resulted in the death of William Wilkinson, his wife, a son, the daughter and the latter’s three-day-old child.

The bodies of the victims were found early today in the ruins of the Wilkinson home in Silver Creek Township, near here.

Investigators said marks on the bodies indicated the father had slain the four, set fire to the house, and then perished in the flames.

The dead are: William Wilkinson, 65; his wife, 60; Floyd Wilkinson, 27; Gineth Wilkinson, 25, a daughter; and Ginith’s baby daughter, three days old.

From page 2 of The Goldsboro News, Friday morning, Feb. 5, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064755/1926-02-05/ed-1/seq-2/