Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-03-22

| those who read the singular adventures to
he shortly recorded, it may be needful to
recall the events which had given Garrow
its dark and fearful celebrity.
Some three or four years before Dir. Lang
| worth's accession to fortune, Garrow Hall
! had been tenanted, as well as owned, by a
Mr. Nicholas Durham, brother Of the lady
mentioned above. Attached to the house
was an estate, yielding some sixteen or
eighteen hundred year, which came to
Mr.. Durham'through his mother, the heiress
of the Garrow family, family Of great anti
guilty, but now no longer SO wealthy or 80
| important as they had once been. Nicholas
land his sister had been born in India, in
which country their mother had also died.
! Nicholas had married well. Fortunately, as
was then thought, he possessed az estate
| independently Of his father, who was gen
orally believed to be partly, if not wholly,
| dependent on him for maintenance.
At the date of his marriage he was just
! nine-and twenty years OF age. His maternal
grandfather, who had IN great measure
| brought him up, and from whom he inner
| tied Garrow, had died only year or two
before. His- sister Emily, left with small
annuity, lived mostly with her father on the
Continent.
Nicholas and his wife had been united
some six or seven months, and as far as was
afterwards ascertained by strictest inquiry,
had lived on most affectionate terms 1t
wanted week to Christmas day. A party
of friends were to keep Christmas at Gar
row, but as yet the husband and wife were
| entirely alone. On the fatal day, the 18th
of December, Mr.. Durham dined with his
| wife at six o'clock, their ordinary hour, and
behaved as usual at dinner.
When without company, it was their habit
to occupy the dining room for the whole
evening; and they did so or this occasion.
These, and other particulars, to which
the coming event impaired fearful inter-
| est. were all given in evidence by the serv-
ant who waited on them at table.
The same servant deposed, that by his
n, Arrest guess, The hour was half past seven
when ring summoned him to the front
door.
He opened it to admit tall gentleman,
with black whiskers and moustaches, and
whose age, to all appearance, was between
forty and fifty. The gentleman asked to see
Mr.. Durham, and was about to put q card
into his hand $50 he thought), when his
master came out from the dining-room in
person. The man thought Mr.. Durhams
face expressed some annoyance at the visit;
he. however, invited the stranger to enter
the library, which they did both together.
About ten minutes later--(he pantry in
which he was at work was close to the hall)
he heard his master cross back from the
library to the diningroom, and return, ac-
compan:ed by his wife, to the former apart
ment.
He thought it could not be more than five
minutes after that ere the bell summoned
him into the library. He answered it at
once. but found his master and mistress,
with the stranger, already in the hall.
That there was some dispute going on be-
tween Mr.. Durham and his wife glance
made clear to him. 70 all appearance, her
husband was trying to persuade Mr.. Dur
ham to something which she firmly, almost
angrily, refused. AS the witness entered
the hall he heard her say, 81 owe the duty
10 another, and l Will not consent to 1t, or
words to that effect. Then she took q candle
from the hall table, lighted it, and went up
stairs. Mr. Durham turned to his servant,
and said, 81 rang for you to show this gen
tleman out; but I'll see him out myself; you
can go" =,
Witness went back to his pantry, while
his master and the stranger, converslng IN
whispers, moved towards the hall door
Witness also fancied he caught the words
uttered by the stranger, in what seemed q
taunting tone, " Your wife stands IN the
way" and then Mr.. Durham said, g Hush
go away now, and we will make 1t right
vet /" Witness then heard the front door
close,-not more than minute later, Heard
his master push open the swinging balze
door that separated the hall from the vestl-
bule, and rapidly ascend the stairs just as
the bell rang for the servants supper.
Witness heard his mistress address her
husband on the landing above. She asked,
sis he gomez" Mr.. Durham answered,
s. Yes, but | want to speak to you" wit
ness did not remain to listen, but went at
once to supper in the kitchen. About five
minutes later, he and his fellow servants
were startled by the report of pistol fired
(as it appeared) in the hall. Before they
could as much as exchange word, another
report succeeded TO the first. The dreadful
confusion and alarm rendered witness ut
terly unconscious how many seconds might
have elapsed, but at the second report he
hurried out of the kitchen into the hall.
He found his master and mistress lying
the former halfway down the lowest flight
of stairs, the latter at the foot OF the stair
case Mrs Durham was already dead; her
husband mortally wounded, but still alive.
1t appeared as if he had first shot his wife,
and then himself
He survived until early the following
Notwithstanding to the last unable or
unwilling to explain his motive for the
frightful deed. SO conclusive seemed the
evidence against him, that none save the
sister, who succeeded to his estate, felt any
doubt as to his guilt. The fact that the
door had closed upon the unknown visitor
(who could not possibly reopen it from the
outside) before the murder was done SEEM
ed entirely to exculpate him; though it did
appear as if his visit had somehow caused
the unaccountable frenzy which must have
inspired the wretched murderer
All search after the stranger flor diligent
inquiry was made) proved fruitless. No
one in Stilbury, the nearest town, nor any
where else in the neighborhood, could testify
to having seen any one answering to the
man servants description of him. The most
plausible and popular conjecture was, that
his visit had brought to Mrs. Durham's ear
some bygone fault or folly of her husbands,
which she could not be persuaded to view
with forbearance; and that anger at her
frmness, and dread of disgrace, had prompt
ed Nicholas to the fearful revenge against
her, and subsequent outrage on himself.
OF course, every possible conjecture was
exhausted.
Was there ground for believing the murd
erer insane?
AS far as could be gathered, none.
The closest scrutiny into his earlier days
revealed nothing eccentric, nothing which
was other than fair, and creditable, and of
good report. His father, who was still liy-
ing, and who passed most of his time at
I,s.Io., hnA r,nrer horne q Very nnnd name