Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1856-12-04


E night by the noisy passage of these rev.
| ellers returning home. On SUNDAYS 4
= Sunday nights this was insufierable. |
. seemed as if ten times rs many reyeller,
went out in the day, and came back ten
, times as much intoxicated and as noisl
in the night. 1t was tcrrible Gu
poor old Cassandra vowed that whel
We changed the farm for the city house.
it was bad enough, but when we chan.
ged the city house for the suburban cot
tage, we jest did dumped right out'n
dc tryin' pan inter dc fire.
However, a terrible event soon occur,
red at Willow Cottage, that crowded
Everything else out of our heads.
1t was the night of the fourth of July.
All day long, crowd after crowd had
passed our house on their way out
there. From early in the morning until
late at night, the road was kept cloudeo
with dust, that settled upon everything
around oar house. We were glad when.
late at night, the reyelry seemed to
cease, and We were permitted to be nj
peace.
We retired, and, exhausted by the
exciting annoyances Of the day, | tel
asleep. | know not how long | ha1
slept when was suddenly aroused by
; the noise Of many persons hurrying pas
the house i'll apparently Il state Of grea'
excitement. In another moment / per
ceived that ;il the family had been
aroused as we'll as myself They hur
: ried into my room, which was the from
chamber of the second floor, and thu
from a secure point commanded tn,
: street.
We all CT, wded to the two windows
| left the candles unlighted that we Nigh
, not he seen, and remained as mute
2 mice, that We might not be heard.
) The stars were very bright, and W,
could distinctly see the hurrying crow,
, in the road below. Some were runnin;
IN the direction of the Willow Cottage
| while others were fastening thence
j. These opposite parties meeting, woulG
exchange a few vehement words an,
gestures, and then speed upon their sey
cral ways.
At last man running against anoth
or Immediately under the window, Ell
CURED
, ! For Heavens sake what is the mat
ter at the Willow Cottagt:'
, Don't stop me, for the lords sake
O'Donnegan, the landlord, has KILLED
young Keats, the only son of Colone
Keats! | am running to fetch his faith
err
Heavens and earth! another murder
within that accused house. that is thu
third exclaimed the questioner, in =
+ voice of horror
The men separated i'll opposite dircc
j tons; the one running towards the town,
the other towards the scene Of the out
/, rage. The same questions and the same
, answers were quietly heard between
other meeting parties, who separated
: running i'll opposite ways, as the first
had dome The dreadful news was thus
: confirmed.
t We drew back our heads and looked
: each other in the face, in CONSERVATION.
t We knew none Of the parties concern
+ ed, yet We could not compose ourselves
= to sleep that night.
/ The next day was a terrible one to
the friends OF the murdered and the
murderer.
Once more-the third time---a Coro-
ner's Inquest sat upon n dead body at
the Willow Cottage. But this time their
/ verdict, made up after careful investi-
cation, and patient dcliberation, was of
a more fatal character. Ii was that
= 'The deceased came 70 his death by
blows upon the head, from Il bludgcon
in the hands Of Patrick ., Donnegan.'
, ODonncgan, who was under arrest,
= awaiting the verdict, was then fully com
mittcd to stand his trial ut the approach
ing session of the criminal court
The establishment at the Willow Cot
tage was broken up, the furniture sold,
, the house closed, and the premises once
f more advertised for rent. ButnoW with
the bad odor hanging around the place,
no one wished to take it, and the house
remained idle upon the owners hands
Meantime the trial of O Donnegan rap
idly a preached. He was arraigncd
convicted and sentenced, in shorter
space OF time than ever heard ofin tn,
) trial of any criminal. Many people
thought that the prosecution was con
, Quoted in a yindictive spirit, and thai
the friends Of the deceased exertcd eve
ry faculty. sparing neither influence no,
expense, in the pursuit of a conviction.
They retained the best counsel in the
country to assist the States Attorney
while on the other hand, the poor wretch
Of prisoner, had no defence except tha;
appointed for him by the court How
ever that might be, i'll the short space
of one month from the time Of commit
. ting the homicide, he was sentenced 10
die, and in six weeks from his convic
ton, he expilted his crime upon the
Scatold.
1t WAS about the middle of Scptem-
Der, of that cyenttul year, when rumo.
arose as all rumors arise-mysteriousl4
, that the Willow Cottage was HAUNT
ED: that ghostly lights fitted through it.
chambers; that ghostly jewellers held
midnight orgies in its deserted halls;
and that the murderer and the murder
ed still played their game at nine pins,
or waged their last war along its lonely
corridors
While these reports were rife in the
/ .neighborhood, our Grandmother Haw-
kins turned deaf ear. or threw in a
good humored, sarcastic word TO the
marvel mongers-upon one occasion
launching at them and us the tIme-hon-
, ored proverb-'Y on will never see any
thing worse than yourselves, my dears.
Il believes YOU, Mistess, honey! for
, long as lib on dis yeth, and feared as
| is o chooses, / nebber see nothin' worse
nor myse,f yet dough, de Lord betune
, me an harm, ! sartinly saw de debtii
once-I did, observed old Classy, sapi-
emily.