Eastern times., 1855-11-08
Murder of Woman for her Money.

most atrocious murder was committed in
North Coventry township, IN this county, on
last Wednesday night. The victim was a
maiden lady by. the name Of Hannah Shingle,
who occupied house alone, no one, we be-
leve, living with her. The woman was about
sixty years of age, and had some mental pc
culiarities superinduced by love affair which
happened in her youth. She was the owner
of farm Of about 200 acres, on which she re-
sided, having the land farmed by her Deigh-
bors. She was first discovered by John Mil
Ter and his son who were gathering apples in
her orchard. The son was sent over to the
house to see that she was well, and came back
stating that the clock case had been broken
open and he did not see her, but supposed she
had been robbed. Father and son immediate
ly started for the house, and on going 10 her
room, found her lying partly on the bed, en-
tirely dead, and her person bearing the marks
Of must fearful murder.
The murderer came first to window and
saw her sitting in room on The ground floor.
He then went some two or three hundred yards
TO a haystack, procured ladder and placed it
against the house, by which he entered win
dow in the second story. A grubbing hoe
was found in The room, with which he had ev-
identity forced open the desk. The noise pro-
duced by opening the desk aroused her to the
fact that some one was in the hoOse, and she
started up stairs. She is represented as a
woman of remarkable courage The house
having been robbed two or three times before,
she kept always at her side an axe for de-
fence. This axe she took up stairs with her
At the head Of the stairs were indications that
severe struggle had taken place. The mur-
derer must have wrested The axe out OF her
hand, and throwing her down, inflicted two
heavy blows on her forehead, crushing in her
skull in fearful manner.
There were marks on thebody showing that
she had been choked by the wretch in a fear
ful struggle for her life. After the murder,
the iend proceeded to complete the robbery Of
the house. He broke open the clock case,
where il is said she told some one few weeks
since, she kept her money, after the last rob
berry of her house. The general supposition
is, that she had little money about her, but
! her murderer evidently obtained some, but
how much is uncertain. Fifty dollars were
found in a bureau drawer, which he had not
examined, and five dollar gold piece still re-
mained in the rlfled desk, which in his haste
he had missed. The murdered woman was
buried ON Saturday, at, Shingles church,
which is but two or three hundred yards dis
tant from her house. Mr.. District Attorney
Futhey left this borough for the scene of the
tragedy on Saturday, and on Sunday had the
body disinterred und post nl0rte7n examina-
tion made by Drs. Meredith and Fraes.
An inquest had been previously held by tho
coroner, and verdict returned in accordance
with the dreadful facts, but no post mortem
examination had been made. On Friday last
two arrests were made, but there was no evil
dence to detain them, and they were discharg
ed. The fact OF her speaking of keeping her.
money in the clock case, and that being broken
open, will most likely be the end Of the string
which will lead to the detection of the MUIR
derer. This brutal outrage has caused great
excitement in the neighborhood, and large
numbers of visitors have been collected around
the place where it occurred. The scene of
the murder is about three miles from Potts
town, and close on the Berks- bounty line.-
For the particulars above narrated we are in
debted to j. Smith Futhey, Esq, and Mr.. L.
H. Davis, of the Montgomery Ledger, the lat
ter furnishing us his notes taken on the spot.
- Westchester (Pa.) Republican, and Dem.