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The verdict of the coroner's jury was that death was caused by a gun shot wound inflicted by Mrs. Frances Dunlap.
Coatesville Record
June 1, 1920
WEST GROVE IS SCENE OF TRIPLE MURDER
SLAYER KILLS THREE AS THEY SLEEP IN BED
Mystery Surrounds Shooting of Man in His Home, And Woman and Daughter in Home Mile Distant.
Inquest Held This Afternoon
A triple killing, one of the most shocking to ever occur in Chester County, occurred in the borough of West Grove early today, when three persons, a man, a woman and the latter's daughter, were shot to death as they lay asleep in their beds.
The...
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The verdict of the coroner's jury was that death was caused by a gun shot wound inflicted by Mrs. Frances Dunlap.
Coatesville Record
June 1, 1920
WEST GROVE IS SCENE OF TRIPLE MURDER
SLAYER KILLS THREE AS THEY SLEEP IN BED
Mystery Surrounds Shooting of Man in His Home, And Woman and Daughter in Home Mile Distant.
Inquest Held This Afternoon
A triple killing, one of the most shocking to ever occur in Chester County, occurred in the borough of West Grove early today, when three persons, a man, a woman and the latter's daughter, were shot to death as they lay asleep in their beds.
The Dead:
J. Leroy Eichelberger, aged thirty-two
Mrs. Francis (sic) Dunlap.
A ten-year-old daughter of Mrs. Dunlap.
All three are believed to have been shot and killed by the same revolver, a 32-calibre Colt automatic.
FIGURE IN BLACK SEEN
Eichelberger was murdered about one o'clock this morning. His wife was awakened by a revolver shot. She declares she saw a figure clad in black at the foot of the bed. Turning, she discovered her husband had been shot. The figure in black disappeared out of the room. The Eichelberger's reside on Summit Avenue in West Grove, having move to their present residence only yesterday.
After discovering that her husband had been shot, Mrs. Eichelberger spread the alarm. The police were notified. A Guard was placed around the house and an investigation commenced.
The exact hour of the killing of Mrs. Dunlap and her daughter are unknown. They were found in bed early this morning by Harry Boyle, who operated a farm owned y Mrs. Dunlap and located about one mile from the town of West Grove. Charles Walker, a farm hand, employed by Boyle, has told the police that he entered the barn on the palace of Mrs. Dunlap about 11:30 o'clock last night for the purpose of putting away a team he had been using. Walker declares the horse used by Mrs. Dunlap, as well as a wagon, were not in the barn a that hour.
FINDING MISSING HORSE AND WAGON
According to the story told by the farmer, Harry Boyle, he went to the place of Mrs. Dunlap at the usual hour to start work this morning. He found the horse and wagon which had been missing last nigh, according to Walker's story, was hitched outside the barn.
Going to the farmhouse, Boyle knocked on the rear door. Getting no response he went to two other doors, but was unable to get a response of gain admittance to the place. Boyle then summoned several other men and a door leading to the farmhouse was forced open.
Search of the house disclosed the dead bodies of Mrs. Dunlap and her little daughter. Both were found in a bed on the second floor. A 32-claibre Colt Automatic revolver lay on the bed, and the shells of two steel-jacketed bullets lay nearby. The chambers of the revolver were empty. The woman and daughter had each been killed by one shot from the weapon.
District Attorney W. Butler Windle and County Detective William Mullin, of West Chester, were notified of the triple killing, and were soon at West Grove to take part in the investigation. The investigation resulted in the conclusion being arrived that Eichelberger as well as Mrs. Dunlap and her daughter all slain by bullets from the same revolver. A shell from a steel-jacketed bullet was found near Eichelberger's body after he was slain. This is of exactly the same caliber as used in the gun found in Mrs. Dunlap's room.
News if the killing of the three persons spread like wild-fire in West Grove and the countryside adjacent. It was recalled that Eichelberger had for quite some time farmed the place owned by Mrs. Dunlap, ant that the woman has not lived with her husband for several years.
Squire R. Jones Patrick, of West Chester, is at West Grove for the purpose of holding an inquest into the killings this afternoon. A jury was empaneled this morning when the bodies of Eichelberger, Mrs. Dunlap and her daughter were viewed. The hearing was scheduled to start at two o'clock.
From the source in West Grove early this afternoon, it was learned that the husband of the Dunlap woman had been attempting to prove an alibi for his movements last night. One rumor in circulation is to the affect that Mrs. Dunlap, while not regarded as of unsound mentality, was considered "very peculiar" by neighbors.
Mrs. Dunlap's maiden name was Tallman, and her marriage to Dunlap is said to have been the result of a college friendship which ripened into courtship and finally matrimony.
The Dunlpas, as well as Eichelberger, are natives of New York State, it was learned, and came to West Grove upwards of ten years ago. The Dunlap woman and her husband following domestic troubles, separated, the husband leaving West Grove for parts unknown.
Some few years ago, Eichelberger and his wife separated. Eichelberger then went to the Dunlap farm and conducted the place for Mrs. Dunlap until a few months ago.
About one year ago Dunlap returned to West Grove and took up his residence on a farm not far removed from that occupied by this wife and Eichelberger. He is said to have paid frequent visits to his wife, and the Dunlap farmhouse, according to reports, was the scene of several fights. Dunlap is said to have told acquaintances that he was ejected from the home of his wife several times by Eichelberer.
A few months ago Eichelberger left the Dunlap farm, and located on a small place nearby, where he engaged in the business of trucking. He left that place, however, only yesterday, when he moved to West Grove, where he occupied a house on Summit Avenue. It was her that he was shot to death early today.
Police authorities at work upon the triple slaying were not prepared early this afternoon to say whether or not any arrests were contemplated. It was admitted, however, that Dunlap, husband of the slain woman, is under surveillance of the authorities.
The police were frank to confess that the tragedy is shrouded in mystery. One theory advanced has it that Mrs. Dunlap may have left her home and gone to the Eichelberger place and killed Eichelberger, then returned home and shot her daughter and then herself. This theory is in part borne out by a partly burned piece of note-paper on which something had ben written. This was found near the bed in which the woman and her daughter were found slain.
It was pointed out, however, that this piece of burned paper may have been place in the room by the murderer, who hoped to throw off suspicion by making it appear the woman had committed the double killing and then wrote a note before ending her own life.
*Note: Mrs. Dunlap had filed for divorce and the hearing was supposed to be ten days earlier, but her key witness was taken ill so it was postponed. Her husband inherited well over $20,000 dollars from the estate, as there were no children left to divide it with.
In a subsequent Coatesville Record, Mrs. Dunlap was found to be the dual killer and committed suicide.
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