Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-06-10
Horrible Affair,

A clergyman in Des Moines, Iowa, writes
to his friends in New York the following ac-
count OF horrible tragedy in that town:
DEs MONIES, Iowa. Monday, May u, 1858.
A tragical and frightful affair has just oc-
Cured in our midst. Last evening, about
dusk, while sitting in my library, | heard Sc
ries of agonizing Shrieks, and on running ont
to the gate saw Elizabeth King, young girl
whose residence is near ours. running towards
the house, covered with blood She fell be-
fore reaching the gate we picked her up and
conveyed her to her house The only words
she uttered were, ooh God Chandler and
RoSsiter are both dead" My son was off
with my horse, by the time she had told this,
and several men at once followed him. My
son went more swiftly than the rest, and when
on the hill which slopes down from the chapel
near the brick yard, his horse SHE'D suddenly
Into the copSe, almost leaping over the body
of Chandler, who lay there stone dead.
reached the spot five minutes later, with Ian
tern Chandler was stark dead, and RosSiter
lay near him, soaking the soil with his blood,
and moaning with a couyulSiye gasp now and
then | called for water and flung it in his
face and questioned him. His only reply
was g. Let me die" and he afterwards added
that lie was a great sinner" | said, " Ask
Gods forgiveness, Charlie man will never
forgive you" He was taken into a house
The news spread like wildfre The Metho-
dStS at meeting heard Of it, and crowds con
tiuued to fill the woods and adjacent copSe.-
Chandler WITS borne on board to ks
house. But R0Ssiter still lives, but only. of
course to die by the law, if not by his wound
or popular violence 1t appears that Eliza
beth hal a long time since rejected ROssiter's
suit in favor of Chandler, and he thirSted for
revenge. 4 week ago to-day, accoSted him
in the street, and eXpoStulated with him on his
reckless intemperance-a new vice with him.
lie declared that his rival should never marry
Elizabeth, and said that he chose drunkenness,
for it was that which would give him more
favor with King the girls father. | said,
" Remember, Charlie the Judgment of the
great day, and Gods punishment" He re-
piled, L" There IS no more hell than | now en-
dure | now suifer the worst | can suffer >
1t is supposed that he has been nerVng him
self by brandy for six or seven weeks for this
deed Of murder. He slept with his victim,
who was a generous, open-hearted fellow, Il
brck-mason by trade. lie ate with him last
evening After tea Chandler and Elizabeth
walked ont together. Eossiter hid himself in
the cop>e, stepped into the path behind them
as they were coming home, aud fired at Chand-
Ter, with pistol placed within an inch of his
head. Chandler fell dead. Rossiter then Gr-
ed at Elizabeth. She FELL, but rose again. He
presented his pistol again at her, when she
seized il, eXcIaiming On, Charlie, don't kill
me-" He fired, but the ball went through
her band, struck her shoulder, and passed in
and out bctHcen her skull and the scalp, max
ing two holes in her bonnet. Ro~sitcr then
put the pistol 10 his own head, and fell with
a hogrid wound in the right side of it, from
which Blood flowed in great quantities Chand
Ter will be buried from the church this after
noon.