Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1858-10-16

the door. Armstrong who as we'll as his
wife, was deadly pale, aud trembling VIC.
lently, either with cold or agitation hesita.
tiugly consented; aud croNbars being speed-
/ lily procured, and an ehtrafee was forced
and In rushed score OF excited meh.-
! Armstrong; wife, it was afterwards re-.
mehibered, Saught hold Of her husbands
arm in hurried, frightened manner #his-
pered hastily in bis ear. and then both fol-
/ lowed into the House.
Armstrong, who appeared to have some.
what recovered from his panic, darted at
once up the staircase, followed by the whole
body Of rustics On reaching the landing
place, he knocked at Mr. Wilson's bed
room door No ansReF was fctifHed. -
Armstrong seemed TO hesitate; but the con-
stable at once lifted up the latch they
entered and then a melancholy SPECTACLE
presented ITSELF Wilson, completely dress.
ed, lifeIess corpse. lie had been stabbed
in two places in the breast with some sharp
! pointed instrument. Life was extinct
The window was open. On further inspec-
| tion, several bundles containing many of
Wilson's valuables in jewelry and plate to-
| gether with clothes, shirts and silk hand !.
kerchiefs were found The wardrobe, and
a secretary bureau had been forced open.
The assassius had, it seemed, been disturb
ed aud hurried off 10y the open window
without their plunder. A hat was also
picked up in the room, much to small for
the deceased They snatt he'd it up and at
tempted to clap it en- Armstrong; Head
but it was not near large enough. This
together with the bundles dssipated sus.
picion which had been growing in Johnson's
mind, and he roughly exclaimed :
| "Iou need not look SO scared, farmer,
it's not you that's quite cleat.p
| To this remark neither Armstrong nor
his wife answered d syllable, but coutinued
to gaze at the corpse, the bundles, and the
broken locks, in bewildered terror and ass
tonishhient. Presently some one asked if
any ode lad seen Mrs. StrugnellH This
question aroused Armstrong. and he said
'She is not come home yet; her door is
locked"
"IIow do yoa know tbati6 cried the
constable, turning sharply around, and look
ing in his face. GLOW do you know that.p
observation-disclosures" stammered Arm
strong, because she always locks it when
she goes out"
The constable, however, insisted on be-
ing shown the room. He was of course
closly followed by the other persons in the
house. One of them looked through the
key-ho!c and exclaimed that the key was
on the inside. Armstrong, it was after
wards sworn, started as if he had been shot;
and his wife again cutched his arm with
the same nervous, frenzied grip as before.
| The sheriff called out the woman's name at
the top Of his voice. lie was answered by
a low moan. In an instant the frail door
was burst in, and Mrs. Strugnel was soon
pulled out apparently more dead than alive,
| from under the bcdstead where in speech
less CONSERVATION she lay partially conceal
ed. Placing her in a chair they succeeded
much more easily, indeed, than they an
ticipated-in restoring her to Consciousness.
Nervously she glanced around the circle of
eager faces that entiroHed her, till her eyes
fell on Artisttong and his wife, when she
gave loud shrek and muttefing-"The
they are the murderers !" swooned, or pre-
| tended to do so, again instantly.
The accused persons, in spite of their
| frenzied protesatoHs of innocence, were
instantly seized and taken of to a place of
security; Mrs. Strugnell was conveyed to
a neighbours close by; the house was care
fully secured; and the agitated and wonder
ing villagers departed to their several homes
The deposition made by Mrs. Strugnell at
the inquest on the body, was III substance
as follows:
''On the afternoon in question, she had,
in accordance with her usual custom, pro-
ceeded to town. She called on her aunt,
took TIA with her, and afterwards went to
the Independent Chapel After services
she called to see Mss Wilson, but was in
formed that in consequence of severe cold
the young lady was gone tc bed. She then
Immediately proceeded homewards, and con.
sequently arrived at Craig Farm more than
an hour before her usual time She let
herself in with latch Key, Proceeded to
her bed-rooii. There was no light to Mr..
Wilson's chamber, but she could hear him
moving about in it, She was about going
down stairs, having put away her bOntst
and shawl, when she heard a noise as of
persons entering the back way, and walking
gently across the RitGHeh foor. Alarmed
as TO who it could be, Mr.. and Mrs. Arm
strong not being expected home for several
days, she gently closed her door and locked
it, A few minutes after she heard steal
thy steps ascending the creaking stairs, and
voice in low, hurried whisper, said
"Mary, are you there 2" she was positive
it was Mr. Armstrong; VOICE, bat was too
/ terrified to answer. Then Mrs. Armstrong
she was sure it was she-said, also, in (
whisper, aud as if addressing her husband
-"she is teVer back at this hour" "A
minute or so after there was tap at Mr.
Wilson's door. She could not catch what
answer was made, but, by Mr.. Armstrong;
reply she gathered that Mr.. Wilson had
lain down. and did not wish to be disturbed
He was ofteti In the habit of laying dowr
with his clothes on. Armstrong said-"Pl
not disturb you sir; I'll only put this par
eel on the table" There is no lock to Mr.
f Wilson's door. Armstrong stepped int
the room and almost Immediately she hear'
E sound as of a yiolnet blow, followed by
s deep groan, and then all was still. Sh
? was paralyzed with horror and alright
E After the lapse of few seconds, voice
, Mrs. Armstrong; udoubtedly--asked in
: tremulous tone if call was over?" He
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