Show Atoning Blasphemy 99 Burns Bius Si Sisters S Patricide Clears Up Mystery Crime ST. ST PETERSBURG PETERSBURG Fla Fin Feb 21 The The burning to death of ot two sisters sisters sisters sis sis- sis sis- last year vear to atone for a blasphemy blasphemy blas bIas phemy against the Holy Ghost when he ho was 12 years old and the murder of his moth mother r and father Tuesday night as as a sacrificial penance penance penance pen pen- ance for tho the killing of his sisters confessed by Frank McDowell l 19 and his weird tale of hazy spells spells' and hallucinations during which he belie believed ed hi his family aligned with the Christ anti stood forth to today today today to- to day as r related details of one of the most gruesome murders in the history of ot crime McDowell l held in the Pinellas county jail at Clearwater to await trial on a charge of murdering his parents Mr and Mrs Mis J J. M M. McDowell McDowell Mc Mc- Dowell who were shot through the head while they slept Tuesday night talked readily Confessing to the shooting of his his' parents parenS McDowell McDowell Mc Mc- Dowell further revealed ho he MC 1 had start started d the tIle fire in which his sisters sisters sis sis- sis sis- locked in their bedroom perished perished perished per per- on l February e 19 19 1023 1923 in the McDowell home then in Decatur Ga The Tho origin of the tho fire had re remained remained remained re- re a mystery until cleared up by McDowell's McDowell s confession yesterday yester yester- day MIND BECAME HAZY When he was 12 years of age McDowell told officers h hE he blas phem the Holy Ghost This occurred on February 19 and every I year as the date Approached his mind he said became hazy and he believed his family to be aligned with the anti anti Christ Christ These hallucinations hallucinations hal bal occurred annually he said until last year he felt Impelled impelled impelled im Im- im- im o km kill his sisters as atOnement atOnement atonement atone atOne- ment for his blasphemous sin McDowell l ll when asked what this sin was refused to answer After his sisters had perished in inflames inflames flames McDowell said his mind again became clear and he realized the of his crime but I did not reveal to anyone what he had done the Ift On anniversary last Tues Tuesday jar ay February y 19 10 7 ary of or his sin sin he felt that he must kill his parents as a sacrifice as ns penance for tor the then murder n m ot of c his pis sisters he lie said On Tuesday ay rc McDowell told nm officers he 1 went ent to bed bd iI ill in the 5 room father adjoining and J that in ln which his II mother slept without any thought of violence He Heby dreamed th that fc h ho was was was' Commanded I by voices to kill his father and mother So v vivid 1 vid and realistic was was' the dream he said that he awoke W went i into the adjoining room an and fired tired five shots from a caliber revolver at lii his mother and father tather DECATUR Ga Ga Teh leb 21 Au 21 Au and fri friends of ot the McPowell Mcpowell Mcpowell Mc- Mc Powell family who knew them while they resided here today advanced advanced ad ad- the theory that Mr and Mrs J S. M M. McDowell shot to death in st fit Petersburg Fla bY heir son Frank suspected he ho had started the fire in in which his sisters were burned to death on February 19 19 1923 and had moved him im to Florida in m the hope that his brilliant mind would be restored to health in a new environment REGARDED AS QUEER Young McDowell according to relatives and neighbors had had been regarded as queer according to Solicitor Frank had been regarded as art an an infidel and was was a close student of the works if f Robert G G. Ingersoll S While r regarded as peculiar young McDowell is said to have made an enviable record at tt school He lIe at attended at- at tended the Decatur High chool school the Commercial High school In Atlanta Atlanta At At- lanta and Emory university as a freshman He lie then went to Wash Wash- ington D D. C C. where he attended school After working awhile in the congressional library he re returned returned re- re turned to Decatur where he as assisted assisted his father in the publication of ot the Dekalb New Era a weekly newspaper I |