Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-01

ing Mr.. Parsons, they proceeded to the next
door, (No. 26) the residence of Mrs. Cotton,
and desired one of the black servants to tell
Mrs. Cotton that she was wanted. Mrs Col
ton returned as an answer, that she neither
wished to see nor speak to any person that
evening, on which Justice Matsell, the Coro-
ner, and officers ascended to the door Of her
room, and she having been repeatedly asked to
open the door il was finally broken open, when
she was discovered on sofa, and from her
mpnner appeared to be partially insane. After
various attempts to rouse her she was left in
the charge Of officers, and during the night
was visited by her counsel. Mr.. Charles
OConnor, and after an interview with him she
appeared to revive, and was taken to the tombs.
These are all the arrests which have been
made, and as yet no further light has been
thrown on the matter, either TO show by whom
this dreadful deed was committed or what
were the motives which led to its commission.
A post mortem examination was made, Mt
noon on this day, by DR.. Hosack assisted by
several other physicians, and the Coroner will
hold an inquest this afternoon at 8 o'clock, in
the Sessions Court room. in the Halls of JUS
tce, when it is to be hoped that something may
be elected that will lead to the detection of the
guilty party.
The surmiscs Of those who have been enra-
ged in making the arrests, as to the perpetra.
tor, and the motives for the commission of the
act are various. The following are those which
appear to be the most feasible.
The first, and what will be thought the
most probable suppositon, is, that the deed was
committed by Mrs. Cotton, who is known to
| have been out of her house at the time the
murder was committed There are various
reasons urged in support of this.-Colton has
for some time suspected that an improper inti-
macy existed between his wife and Corlies,
and it was this suspic ion that led to his making
the attempt to Corlies on the 10th instant and
it is said that, having approached his wife with
unfaithfulness to him, and with having loved
| Corlies she made answer that she would soon
bring him proof whether she loved him or
not.
The other, and to our mind the most proba.
BILE supposition is, that the murder was COM
uIitted by the man who was seen running down
Leonard street, and that Cotton was accessory
to the deed 1t is supposed that Mrs. Cotton
may have been the unconscious agent of tho
death of Corlies, by having been watched, on
the surmise that if she went to see Corlies, he
would undoubtedly come out of his bowling al
ley to talk with her, and thus afford the assas-
sin an opportunity Of committing this foul deed.
This however, would betray such on alarming
state of facts that we earnestly and sincerely
hope it may prove to be an unfounded view, for
ifparties can be procured-hired--or engaged
to commit murder for the sake of pain, to gra-
tify the revengefn feelings, or malice of ano-
ther, there will be no security for life in this
city. This view, however, would suppose
Mrs. Cotton to have been present at the time
Mr.. CoIlies was shot, and would account for
the state in which she was found at her lodg-
ings by Judge Matsell and the Coroner while
we can hardly suppose that, ifshe were guilty
of intentional murder, she would have betray-
ed such unequivocal signs of distress of mind.
We earnestly hope that the perpetrator may he
discovered and brought to condign punish
ment.