The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-01

Horrible Affair--A Young Lady Murdered,
The Wheeling papers contain accounts of
the murder Of Miss Melissa Marris in Mar
shall county, Va, on the 23d inst, by Nathan
iel 1Iarten, under circumstances OF unus ual
atrocity The Times says:
On Saturday last Miss Marris had been at
Limestone, and on her return stopped at the
house of Mr.. Knox, which is on SELLS Run,
about two miles from Limestone. She left
knoX's about noon to go to a neighbor's, Il Mr..
Anderson's; when she reached MIR. KnoX's or
chard she gathered Il few apples in q Iandker-
chief and passed over the hill to Stelfs Run
out OF sight Immediately Harten came along
and also passed over the hill. After this Miss
Marris was never seen alive. In about half an
hour Harten returned over the hill passed
Knox's house and Went 10 Buzzard.s tavern on
the Waynesburg road, where he said he had
came from Moundsyille. and was tired but as
he wished TO make an early start i'll the morn
ing, he would pay for his lodging before he
went to bed this he did and retired which
was the last seen of him, us he left long before
any one was up in the morning.
From Saturday until yesterday morning no
search was made for Miss Marris, as by some
means a report had been obtained in the neigh
borhood that Harten and her had eloped to-
gether. For this, however, there was not the
slightest ground, as he had never paid her any
attention, and scarcely spoken to her. Yester-
day morniEg her continued absence having ex-
cited remark and alarm, few of the neigh boys
turned ont to look for her, and after q search
of less than half an hour found her hfeless
and mangled body, bearing evidences of hay-
ing been reft of life with accompaniment of
horrible cruelty fearful to contemplate. The
sapposition is that Harten overlook her
where she had sal down upon a log to rest, as
the handkerchief which contained the apples
was found lying on it. That her person had
been outraged before she was murdered was
also evident. The murder was committed by
the side of the public road from which her
body was dragged some twenty or thirty yards
nv the feet to Il small run, in which 1t was
found The murder was committed by heavy
blows of stone or club about the head and
breast. The side of her head was broken and
one eye knocked out, besides indications OF 4
number OF severe blows upon different parts
of her parsol,
Harten belongs, we believe, TO the neighbor-
hood and has horne bat an indifferent chnrae-
ter. His father was sometime ago under ar
rest on a charge of committing 4 fearful crime
against nature, but what was done Win nun
we ale unable TO say. 1t also appears that
Harten's story about having been at Mounds
willie was altogether untrue. He is still at
large though the officers are on the alert Tor
his capture.
The Inteiligencer adds: Miss Marris, the
murdered girl, was only about sixteen years oi
age. and bore a good character. Harten Is
blacksmith by trade, and bears the reputation
Of 4 low, worthless fellow. He worked In
shop not far from the scene of the murder,
and seeing the girl pass came out and follow
ed her as we have before stated. Near where
the body OF the poor girl was found there were
evidences OF q terrible struggle in broken
shrubbery aud we'll tramped ground. There
was a CHASTITY wound on the girls left temple,
and q large blood -besmeared stone was found,
with which this death wound Is supposed to
have been inflicted by the tiendish brute Har-
ten. This tragedy Is similar. in many re-
specfs, to the murder which startled the Siein-
ity Of Sunfish, Ohio, some pears since