Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-05-04

secondly, that it must have been committed
by some one intimately acquainted with
the apartment. On the victims body be-
ing examined, it was found that she was
stabbed in nine different parts; and her
hands and arms were also gashed in many
places, in way that showed how despe-
rately she must have fought for life. On
the bed was found a very large lock of hair
torn up by the roots.
The hair was first thought to be Miss
Fanshawe's own; but, on examination,
none was torn from her head neither did
the lock correspond in the least with hers,
either in color or in length. This was also
the case with Eveleen; and, after the most
patient investigation at the inquest, all con-
cerned unanimously admitted the inexpli-
cable fact, that this lock of woman's
hair was neither the murdered lady's nor
that of the accused. Eveleen herself gave
the following voluntary explanation OF the
position in which she was found.
was aroused from my sleep, by hearing
what I conceived to be struggle, mingled
with smothered screams, going on in the
sleeping apartment of Miss Fanshawe. |
listened and hearing a scream still more
distinctly, and also what | thought to be a
cry for help, | hesitated not moment in
hurrying towards the room. AS | ap-
preached the door, which was at the end of
a long corridor, and at a considerable dis
tance from the sleeping room of any one
else, my own chamber being the nearest
TO it, heard what thought to be the vol
ces Of individuals hurriedly converSing
but when l reached the door, which Miss
Fanshawe never locked, found it slightly
open, and, on entering, found her lifelcss
body on the floor, in a pool of blood
There were no persons visible in the room.
l screamed repeatedly at the sight, and in
dreadful agitation sank on my knees, and
then fell across the body, by which l be-
came beSmeared with the blood of my dear
friend, whom | loved as myself.
On arising, l happened to see dagger, and
lifted it up by the end of the blade, hardly
knowing what did. AT this moment the
butler entered the room.
The defence of counsel was unavailing,
sentence of guilty was rendered, and Eve
leen--although subsequently found to be
executed.
AT the very next AsSizes, man, who
was surrounded by an appalling mystery,
was accused of being the sole perpetrator
of the deed. Circumstantial evidence
brought the act home TO him, with conyic-
ton to the minds of all men, and he was
also sentenced, but antici pated his doom,
and poisoned himself in prison, by the aid
of female accompIice, leaving the follow
ing confession behind him:
''In few moments shall be dead, and
| now write all | wish to say, and, what
ever my lie has been, or whatever my re-
ligious notions are, all men may believe
every word | here write to be the solemn
truth. | am innocent of the murder of
Miss Fanshawe, and | have not the re-
motest idea who murdered her. The night
she was murdered l was many miles distant,
and this l could have proved on my trial,
but could not have done so, without con-
Tossing that l was engaged that night in
committing a murder, but where or on
whom will never be known. My hands
were cut in the death grapple, and my
clothes smeared with blood. AS to the
witnesses who asserted they saw me lurk-
ing about the Abbey grounds, they either
wilfuily lied or were mistaken by my re-
semblance to another. The dagger with
which Miss Fanshawe was murdered really
was mine, although denied it on my trial,
being desirous to make the best of my
chance of acquittal. As deposed on my
trial, was in the habit of carrying it about
me, but lost it wee,: before the murder
was committed, near to ine Abbey, and
have no doubt the real murderer picked il
up, and used it as the instrument of the
deed. What my real name, rank, or coun-
try is-who / am, or what | have been-I
will never tell. That secret, and many
others, perish with me-"
1t appears, then, that the latter was not
guilty, from the death-bed confession made
by an old woman, the substance of which
is as follows:
"She said, that Al years by-gone, she had
lived as lady's maid with Miss Fanshawe
of - Abbey, and that lady having seve-
raj times scolded and threatened to dis
charge her for gross neglect of her duties
an awful spirit of revenge took possession
Of her, and she determined to murder hel
mistress. While pondering the matter
over, she happened to find dagger (tha
left by Roderick Madden) near 10 the parl
palings. About week afterwards, SHIT
murdered her mistress with this very dag
ger, and being disturbed by the approach
ing footsteps of Eyeleen O'Neill, who hearC
her death-struggle, she hurried back to he
own chamber, leaving the dagger behnt
her. She had on at the time only thin
night dress, which being sprinkled witt
blood, she hid, and hastily washing he
hands and face, put on a clean one. Then
when the alarm was given by the butler
she joined the rest OF the family in rushin!
to the apartment of the murdered lady, an,
was loudest of any in her outcries and lam
entations. She said, that when she saw
the turn the affair had taken by shifting al
suspicion from herself to Eveleen, she n
longer felt any fear of detection. Sh
availed herself of an early opportunity t
burn her CORY night dress, which she easil.
effected at the kitchen fire during the grea