The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-08-04
A Diabolical Outrage.

A most horrible and brutal murder was
committed in the neighborhood of Nash
vile, Washington county, Illinois, about
fifty miles from this city, CD the after
noon of the 4th of July. 1t appears that
in the settlement Of Germans in that
neighborbood was one whose reputcd
wealth was great. He had quite a nun
Der of farm hands working for him, and
on the day in question the whole force
was engaged in harvesting the crops
Some three of the men did not wish to
work on the 18th of July, and so stated to
the farmer, who told them he wished to
secure his crop, and if they did not work
he would pay them off and discharge
them.
This appears to have given them Of
fence, but they concluded to quit work,
and the farmer accordingly paid them of,
discharged them, and they went away
The work went smoothly On until about
the hour of four o'clock, when the farmer
discovered that his dwelling house was on
fire. All haste was Immediately made to
the scene Of the confagration by the far
mer and his remaining field hands. Upon
arriving at the scene, and on endeavoring
to obtain access to the house, it was found
that all the doors were securely fastened.
When the doors were forced by the peo-
pie assembled, the first object that met
their gaze was the mangled and half-burnt
body of the farmers wife, her brains be-
spattered over the room.
The body was removed from the burn
ing building, and every effort exerted to
stop the confagratiou, which was finally
accomplished. AS soon as the fire was
stayed, an immediate search was Instituted
for traces of the fendish perpetrators. A
number of the neighbors Immediately took
horse and went in the direction of Rich.
view, town some fifteen miles distant,
where they learned one of the men had
gone. At Richview they succeeded in
capturing one of the supposed murderers,
named White. He was brought to the
neighborhood of Nashville, where he was
hung up several times by the Infatuated
people who had him in charge, in order
to extort confession from him. After
the third hanging he expressed desire to
make confession, which in substance was
as follows:
After the farmer discharged them they
concluded to 60 and rob the house before
his return; to which two of them agreed,
but the other man would have nothing to
do with the affair, and it is supposed that
he came on to St. Louis. White and the
other man then started for the house,
where they found the farmers wife alone
and demanded her husbands money,
which she refused to give up, or tell them
where it was secreted. A kettle of water
was boiling on the fire, and on her con-
tinued refusal, the rufiians seized her,
threw her upon the floor, and poured the
boiling water slowly over her person.
She still refused to tell where the money
was secreted even under this horrible tor
ture, when White, becoming cnraged, sell
zed billet of wood lying close by, and
with a single blow dashed out the unfortu-
nate woman's brains. They then institu
ted a search of the premises, and succeeded
In discovering four hundred dollars in
greenbacks and about $4,000 in notes,
which they decamped with after setting
the house on fire. After making this con-
fesssion consultation was held, and the
crowd of citizens numbering about three
hundred, resolved to hang him. The
moose was accordingly re-arranged about
his neck, and in few moments his soul
was ushered into the presence of his
Maker, to answer the crime of which he
had been guilty. On his person was
found about $40 in money, and three per-
mits from the Commandant at Little Rock
Ark, allowing him to pass out of the lines.
He was dnan about thirty years of age,
and was, we believe, native of Pennsyl.
vania. His partner in crime has not yet
been arrested, but he can hardly escape
the punishment he deserves. Great ex.
element prevails in tho neighborhood,
and there is but little doubt the other, if
captured, will meet the same fate as
White.-& Louis Press.