Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-06-11
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probsble. will take place at the June term Of our
Cont of Over aud Terminer. That the public
NAV have an intelligent understanding Of the case,
we desire, primarily, to review the plot Of the
murder and its method of execution. To enable
the reader to form his own hypothesis, if not salts
fed with ours we accompany this article with a
diagram Of Wilson's cabin, showing the position
Of the beds and articles in the room. and of the
bodies as found the morning succeeding the muir
der.
At the time ourtheOry of the tragedy was giver
Il was reported that the porch door was found bolt
ed in the morning. This led to the inference
that the assailants must have entered by the near
door which stood aiai; that Wilson must have
crossed from his bed to the door, opened it, and
retreated before the attack, to the opposite door,
when the fatal stroke was given. Subsequently
we learned that the porch door was not bolted'
but found closed, which in connection with The
fact that no blood was found on the floor, EXCEPT
as marked on the diagram, leads to the more
probable inference that the assault was made at the
porch door, and Wilson struck down on the spot
where he was found lying. This cOrrJberates the
statement Of Charlotte Jones, in her confession.-
In company of Stewart aud Fife, as she alleges,
she left lbe bars Tho place Fife had appointed
for their meeting land came down the road to the
porch door, where she knocked and was admitted,
coino across to her aunt's bed to talk with her,
when Fife rushed in, and stabbed the old man
with his dirk, The first blow was fatal. Tie
fell, and never spoke The second blow fraclur'
ed one of the ribs, and probably bent the dnk SC
as to render it unfit for use. The other wounds
ON the body had the appearance OF having beer
made by a blunted knife, tearing, rather than cut
TING, the flesh and clothing. Wilson ;eIl face up
ward. The fatal wound penetrated the cavity OF
the chest. which accounts for the fact that no blood
was found ON the floor near his body, the hemor
rhaoe having been internal, as the chest was full
If blood. These facts so well confederate Char
loite's statement of the old mans murder, that W.
do not question its truth in the main.
Tn her confession, Charlotte conveys the I'M
preston that she was a passive and reluctant IN
strument in the murder, that Stewart rushed IN
and attacked and killed the old lady at the time
Fife was assailiug the old man. From the posi-,
ton of the parties; we cannot believe her SO TAI
innocent ss to have been a mere witness to Tho
transaction, 1t is more probable, that when WI
son was assailed, Mrs, Ministers sprOng frcn
her bed, aud attempted to escape through the bach
door; that she unbolted it, and threw it ajar, when
she was held by Charlotte, who herself attacked
her with A case knife, till Stewart, or the third
party came up behind, knocked her down will
the poker, and stamped upon her head, with th'
heel of his boot crushing the skull. There mus
have been a conflict, preceding the blow giveI
with the poker, in which it was attempted to XII
her with the case kni'e. The wounds inflicted
upon her arms, hands, face aud chest, were sucl
rs would be made by thin bladed knife, "n(
very different from those upon the old man.
During this conflict, sufficient time must hav'
elapsed for Fife to have accomplished his deadly
purpose on Wilson. and come to the assistance o
Charlotte, with the poker, and no thru persol
have been engaged in the assault, We shoul'
inc line to this opinion, were we not informed
that DR.. Alfred I. King, Of Philadelphia, ha
round stains of blood on the pants Of Stewart, nea
,he heel, which, i. is conjectured' were made by tn
blood Of the head, so remorsely crushed under hi
heel, It does no! seem probable that Charlotte
Jones was simply a witness. She says, in her cor
ession, that her aunt chung to her for protection
ill Stewart attacked her; that after he had throw
her down and stamped on her head, he called 10
he case knife; whereas, from the number OF tn
wounds ON Mrs. M'Master's person, it Is evider
the knife ,Oqs ussd before Mrs, MN. was hrow
10 The floor, and while she had strength to gras
the blade so tenaciously that it was broken in he
hand. The position (faco ~downwards) in whic
! she fell, would prevented her grasping the knife
or hoino wounded as she was. The ~interenC
from these facts IS conclusive tha', III Ih'S P"S :
her confession, Charlotte prevaricates, and endeav
ors to conceal her part in the transaction Tbi
becomes the more evident from Charlotte's subse
ouent remark, that though she had witnessed tn
attempt to kill her aunt with the boot heel an
case knife, she could stand it no longer whe
the poker was used, aud so ran QUIT A marve
Gus delicacy to be surel
The ransacking of the chest for the money ma
or may not have occurred while she was IN III
: yard. There is no occasion to question her state
ment on that point;
Such, in brief, is the true theory of tbs murde
Q Two persons must have been engaged in it, els
g Elizabeth ministers would have succeeded in e.
: Gaping through the back door. Some on' mu'
H. 100 q IL