The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-09-21

Horrible Tragedy at Troy, N, Y.

| ~A"AAASAS AAo6"uy a. AAoyj Az, Il
TnoY, Wednesday. Aug, 81
An appalling and bloody tradedy came to liglI
this morning at the St Charles Hotel. About II
O'Clock this forenoon Mr., r. i. Mcdonald, the pro
prietor Of the hotel, thinking there was something
wrong IN the non'appearance of man and woman
who had stopped as travellers. went up to thei
room and knocked at the door, but receiving u,
answer he opened smnll window over the door
when horrid spectacle was presented. Boil
man and woman were dead. The bodies th,
clothes and the bed were covered with blood an,
the tbroats Of both were cut and horribly mutila
ted. The man and woman came to the hotel a
bout o'clock on monday Morning From fact
which were brought out, it was found that til,
mans name was William A. Caldwell, residen
Of Whitehall, where he has a father living II,
was from twenty-six to thirty years of age anc
had returned from sea about throe or four months
since: lie was we'll dressed and of respectabl.
appearance. The womans meden name wa
Louisa e. Van Winkle, but it is believed she wa,
Of late known by the name Of Knapp. She wa.
between % and 80 years old and very beautiful
She was dressed in deep mourning, and is STATED
to be from Brooklyn The coroner of Troy bein.
out of the city, Coroner Cogswell of Lansingburl
was sent for to hold an inquest The Jury afte
hearing the facts Of the case, returned the follow
ing verdict:
! That the woman came TO her death by having
ber throat cut from ear to ear by the hands 0
| William A. Caldwell, on the evening of Tuesday
and that Caldwell came to his death by his owl
hands,
| The Albany State Register has been favore,
BY an acquaintance Of Caldwell with the follow
ing statement, which somewhat mtigates the de
pravi.y, or at least the wanlonness Of tho lat.
homicide and suicide at Troy:
Dear Sir-The extraordinary excitement aris
ing from the melancholy murder and suicide a
Troy, renders the public anxious to know all tn,
particulars in relation to it, and do not know
that it would be doing any person an injustice
but would rather be the source of quietng tn,
excitement and putting "A stop to the many irrel
evant stories circulated. concerning this tragic ant
awful occurrence, to disclose them.
William A. Caldwell has been personal &C
quantance Of the writer, for some fifteen years
Interrupted only by All absence of nine months q
Auburn, and three years cruise as supercargo
on board IA merchanman to China, DC He ami
we'd at New York, from that cruise, in early sum
mer. Previous to his leaving this Continent
(some years previous, be was engaged to be ma.
RED to the lady who resigned herself to the hor
rid death with which we are all familiar. Ther,
was considerable opposition to the match, whicl
delayed the contamination of their desires Whil
absent to China, and other parts Of the world, tn,
lady, now 10 more, became acquainted with ,
gentleman by the name Of Knapp, and her friend
importuned her to accept bis honorable proposal.
for marriage, to which at length she reluctantly
yielded her assent, and they were married. anC
have had one child, which died early in May, ane
| Just previous to Caldwelrs return
| Caldwell had sailed nearly round the world
and as he neared his native shores, the most prom
inent thoughts that swelled his bosom, was tn,
certainty as lie supposed, oil again clasping hi
Louisa to his heart; but he returned only to fin,
the object dearer to him than life, the wife Of an
! other. The iron entered his soul; lie wandere,
about nearly distracted; but his better reasol
came to him. and he resolved to shake it off. Il
the meantime he found that she desired to Sc,
him; she, the wife of another, requested an inter
view. But their meeting Is not to be described
The years Of absence that had passed only hat
bound them together more strony if possible
than before; they met as they should not hav,
done-as lovers, Caldwel's better reason at frs
did not allow him TO think Of the future as sh,
thought, and ii doubtless would have passed by
and left only despair fastened in their hearts; bu
they loved, and madly; and the former associa
tions of youth came up before them more freshl,
Mt the thought Of final separation She did no
wish to live without him, and told him that sh,
could not, and that it was her determination {,
remain with him, notwithstanding she was tn,
wife Of another. Caldwell was too passionat,
and rash to resist that and it was talked over tha
! they should meet again.
| He parted with her to visit his friends il
Whitehall, and went on board the evening boat
for Albany. After the boat was under way, and
while he was walking the deck. to his utter as
ioniShment, she appeared before him. The tho,
at once pierced him that she had indeed abandon
doned her home, and resolved, regardless of the
tremendous consequences, to share his f;ite and
her words shortly corroborated what had passed
like lightning through his soul They Immediate
ly proceeded to his state room, and there they
resolved in the face of all the terrible circum
stances around then, to naver part again They
did not part but arrived at Albany, and took
lodgings at the Delavan House He left her
there, and made his contemplated visit TO White.
hall, and returned in about ten days, she in the
meantime receiving her meals in her room, accor.
ding to his suggestion, in order to avoid observa.
tlon.
lie returned and took rooms with her at the
American Hotel, where he wrote the published
letter to the editor of Whitehall paper He re.
manned ut the American few days, but thought
it was too public place, and engaged lodgings
at private house in Jay..t where he remained
about one week. then took the eastern cars and
went to Williamstown, and was surprised and
pursued by some one, rs he remarked in Troy,
that he had whipped two constables and escaped
the particulars Of which will soon appear. He
escaped in one horse carriage, and arrived at
the St Charles Hotel Tuesday morning about 4
o'clock, And the sequal is now before the world
They there resolved to die--wi,h his own hand
he opened the portals of eternity. The both
passed to the undiscovered country, from whence
no traveller has returned. The pages Of romance
can scarcely produce parallel, or description
iranght with such startling and awful circumstan.
ces, as represented in the truths of this case.
From the Rosion Post.