The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-06-12
From the Lacon Gazette
Horrible Murder IN Marshall CO.

| rom tile IsHchn ba2tlte.
Another Horrible Murder IN Marshall co.
! When last autumn we family described, in the
columns Of this paper, the bloody tragedy which
attended th" Wiling of Cyrus Bodies By VIM Hoo.
YER IN this village, we little thought that in n
few short months we should he called upon to
chronicle another Of a similar character, occurring
IN this county. But painful and huiGa,ing as Is
the duty, the Occasion Is again presei ted Of re
cording another bloody scene. attended with cir.
cumstances Of fai greater nggravalion and ,Eor
nifty.
About 6 p. NJ, on Monday last, messenger
arrived in town in haste, from the residence oi
James Slowey, about miles south east from
Lacon. and startled our quiet citizens by the as
founding encouragement that VIM. Scanlin. faith
er nlaw Of Mr Slowey, had klleh his wife He
nora Scanlin. Having too good reason to believe
| the story true, the Coroner accompanied bv the
sheriff, two medical gente~ en-. and Sc, eral 9th.
er ci.izens started in carriages and on horseback
about dark, Tor the reported theatre of blood
The writer Of this article was one Of the party,
and Of conrse an eye witness Of what he is about
TO state On our arrival, we learned the report
was probably true (; that Mrs. S. was lying in the
field about quarter Of mile from the house.
| The party having all arrived. and conducted by
Mr. t,lowey and his wife, proceeded to the spot
where the poor woman lay. She was found pros
trate upon her face, stiff and cold in the icy EN-
brace ideath When turned over upon the back
oh heavens what q sight Language is alto.
gether too feeble to dtscribe the horrible epecta-
Gle As seen by moonlight, her face, deeply i'm
mersed in blood, had the appearance of having
been struck terrible blow with the fiat side Of
an axe The body had lain for an hour with the
face in pool of blood with which the earth was
saturated over circle a foot in diameter. The
Coroner, having summoned Jury of Inquest on
the spot, had the body carried 10 the house where
Witnesses and the body Of the deceased were du.
! ly examined.
Mrs. Bridget Slowey, step daughter of,he de
ceased, was the principal witness. She testified
that ber mother, on returning to Lacon from Pc.
olia on Saturday last learned that Mr.. Scanlin
was sick at Mr. SIS, and came to their house To
see him that she remained over Sunday till T.
NJ. on Monday, when observing that her husband
was getting badly intoxi;ated with liquor he had
in the house, concluded that she would return to
her sOnnlaw in Lason. with whom she had for
some months been residing; ard accordingly left
the house and passed oyer the field east of the
house, her husband walking by her side aud en-
deavOrng to persuade 10 remain with him; that
when she mounted the fence to get ovei he took
hold Of her arm and she jumped back; aud they
! then turned north aud walked along several rod
by the fence that Just at this time witnesss at.
iention was turned in another direction; that on
resun lug her observation of the parties she saw
Scanln strike deceased on the head, which felleu
her To the earth, and then another blow; that
Scann then droppeo the club and returned 10 the
eorsc.
The wounds were examined by DIR. Boal. as.i-.
ted by Dr. Reeder; and the verdict Of the jury
was that the deceased came to her 6eaih by vi.
L Il 81, = il, l,a Al
following marks and wounds, to wit: n wound
near the outer corner OF the right eve, from to
inches in length: n small wound on the top Of
the head | in length penetrating to the bone ;
another wound On the right side, on the back
part Of the head, nearly three fourths Of an nco
in length. All the bohes composing the right
side of the head were fractured in several places.
fracture also extended across the front anu up.
per portion Of the head, running transeversely
and another extending down into the socket Of
the eye AND the jury further find th., said vo
lence causing said death was committed by n GER
tam William Scanln of said county and strife"
The club, with which the fatal blow, were in
fcted, found lying at the head of deceased, and
which is now in the coroner's possession, is Of q
sapling oak, dry and hard, is two feet in length
three inches in diameter, knOlty and very heavy
for the size.
Scanlin was Immediately arrested by the shcr
it, by order of the coroner, and imprisoned to
await hs trial at the next circuit court.
Here, ngain, we have the terrible and fatal
ravages OF the liquor trade. Scanlin is m old to-
per; added to Which lie is naturally very pas
.ionatc man jointly they make ofhm something
Of devil incarnate. We are told he had often
threatened the life Of his wife the dark and he
sh deed is consdmma,ed and the prisoner,
douhtlcss in some form, wall he held To nav the