Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-08-26
HomScitc and -Saicide In Puts
field. LOrafn County, y.

We learn that on "Wednesday morning
ofthe present week, The wife OF Mr. WI
l;ams = wealthy farmer iivingin Plttstield,
Lorain Co, committed suicide oy hanging
herself By a strip ola sheet toa corner OF
The bonse A deef and dumb daughter Of
the deceased, who was some twelve years
of soe. was also found dead. 1t is sup
nosed that Mrs. Williams first hung the
aiirl, and then hung herself No satIsiae- si,.,
tory reasons are now known. Mrs. VIZ
iioms mad commenced an action for a d.
GORGE in the Court of Common Pleas of
Iora;n Co. which few days before the
Filing of herself and child was amleably
s.,,lsd. and the suit withdawn.-Reriew
We get some additional particulars re.
lstiye to the above sad occurrence from a
gentleman who has just returned from
Pntsfeld, and is well informed upon the
matter. The tragedy occurred on Monday
evening the 9th instant the settlement of
the divorce case took place on the same
dsv Mrs. Williams had filed her bill
against her husband giving for cause cru
city and neglect of duty, and the sym
paihy of the entire northumberland
neighborhood second to none for respecta-
biliiy-was with her, as her husband,
BENJAMIN Williams, is siiftless, dis
sipatcd man. Mrs. Williams was woman
respected bv all who knew her, but on
the Monday referred to, charges of gross
immortality were made against her, and
witnesses were said 10 be ready to prove
them, andahe nature Of such charges were,
ifproved against her, such as to defeat her
application for divorce. Under this stale
Of things she withdrew her divorce case re-
ceivine from Williams forty dollars of
money. promise for four hundred and six
~ dollars more and a deed for fifty acres
Of land for the benefit of the deaf and
dumb girl. This deed was drawn but re-
maincd in hands of Williams lawyer.
The belief Of The neighbors now is, that
Mrs, Williams was the victim of a conspi-
recy and after she had settled the suit,
her agony of mind at the position she was
plaesl in drove her to the pwpetration OF
the terrible deed. rzss
The body ofthe deaf and dumb daugl-
ter was found hanging by the neck, and
the feet tied 10 the rounds of a chair; If
her feet hal been free they would have
touched the floor. Mrs. Williams used n
sheet for. the purpose, tearing it in two,5
llandging the daughter with one half and
herself with lie other half A neighbor
saw Mrs. Williams, early in the morning,
hanging dead at The corner of the house.
The family with whom Mrs. Williams was
living We're all away from home, except a
child of perhaps four OF five years. Tins
child SAYS that in the night she got M and
saw the deaf and dumb girl "a swinging
in the back ROOM" that Mrs. Williams took,
the deaf and dumb girl down, and put her
in bed with this little child, and that the
leaf and dumb girl ''felt cold" This, OF
course, is;a childs story, but it Is suppos-
ed that perhaps Mrs. Williams did take the
bodva16nn and put il in the ehild's bed,
SO as 70 induce the child again TO go to
sleep.
Four letters were found, written, as Is
supposed, by Mrs. Williams, as they were
in her hand writing, but unsigned. One
was directed to L. D. Rose, one TO Ben
ia,nin Williams, one to Charles Garfield,
and another 10 Daniel Williams or Mrs.
Norton. The letter to Rose was no; read
before the Coroner.s jury, for prudential
reasons, and in this connection we may
Inention that warrant has been issued
against Rose. The contents of the latter
10 Rose, although not given 10 the jury, was
in effect thai he had been the means of ruin
ing her. The letter to Danl. Williams or
Mrs. Norton gave directions as TO her
burial, telling them 10 take money from
her trunk for the purpose. -
The verdict OF the Coroners Jury vas
that the deaths were produced by the
hands of Mrs. Williams. The funeral of
ihe two was On Thursday, and called to-
ceilier an immense concoursc of people
Williams was in Brooklyn when his wife
and daughter were hanged. and went home
as soon as he learned Of their deaths, re-
manning there to'the funeral.
UsI.a payiV.al MnVemeut.