The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-10-13


The LATE MURDER NEAR PITTSBURGH, PA-Th,
Pittsburgh Gazette, of October o, gives the follow
ing particulars Of the revolving crime perpetrateG
near that city, last Thursday morning. about
o'clock:
and dned on horrors for the last six months were
again startled on yesterday morning by a report
that murder had been committed during the
night, at the house known once, and perhaps now
as the "Winebiddle Tavern" i'll Collins township
on the East Liberty Road, and about four miles
from the city. The victim of this crime was an
old German man named Heinrich Wissman, who.
with single daughter, Wilhemina, aged about
80 years, was the sole tenant of the dwelling The
poor old man was about 10 years of age, quite in
firm, and very poor.
The murderers, three In number, appear to have
entered the house by climbing upon a porch and
crawling through window in the second story
Thence they had only to descend the stairs TO
reach the rooms occupied by the old man and his
daughter. 1t appears, as far are at present
informed that to perpetrate crime upon this
helpless girl was the object of the murderers OF
the aged father When he was awakened and
came to understand the object u this untmely
and criminal visit, ho appears to have deter
mined boldly to defend his daughter from the
wretches One of them seized the father but
the girl rushed upon him with a bar of iron
and dealt tho miscreant severe blow, causing
him 10 unfix his hold. They both-flther and
daughter-thsn retreatod to another room, and
thinking after little, that the danger was over
essayed to return to their sleeping apartments
when the ruftians rushed upon the old man
wrenched the piece of iron which his child had
used In his defence, from his hand and by two OF
three blows with it, fractured his skull, and 9th
erwse bruised and maltreated him until he was
nearly dead. The girl meantime escaped by the
cellar stains and through an open window from the
same, towards the rear of the house. She soou
roused the neighbors, and two men named respec.
lively Winnebiddle and Fisher, came to the rescue
rs soon as they could, but too late either to save
life or to arrest the murderers
Mayor Weaver and his police were soon In pos
session of facts which pointed out the perpetrator,
to have been three young men named John Rich
ardson, Daniel Denny, and James Kelly, and by
o'clock in the afternoon, the officers succeeded in
arresting them.
The three parties had private examination be
fore the Mayor in the evening, when they all gave
statements of the affair which vary ia several par
ticulars from that of the girl, but all admit being
at the house of the old man. They state that they
had been drinking considerably, and went there
about eleven O'Clock at night, having heard that
the daughter had bad character, &c. The old
man came to the door to see who was there, and
opened it, when they all rushed in. After telling
how Wissman tried to put them out, each charges
the beating of the deceased the others. The
jury rendered verdict that the deceased came te
his death from blows and injuries inflicted on him
by the three persons above named.
The parties were then committed to prison te
await trial.