Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-06-08
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

fBrOntF
Middletown last Thursday week, when he
Ind the body of Mrs. Caroline Armstrong
(which had been buried nj the Forest Pres
6yterian Church, )disnterred, and proceeded
t9 hold an inquest having summoned the
folowinr Jurors: Jonathan l.. EliasOn, Will
liam Vail, Henry G. Short, James Money,
lanes Nicholson, William L. Webb, Ed
ward +. Boulden, Isaac w. Vandegriit, Jas.
+. Clark, Alfred Lofland, James Dodson, j.
A. Reynolds, j. W. Leatherbury, G. e. An
derson, Samuel Pennington, George Der
iickson, Jr.
physican of Andrew r. Armstrong; was
called upon to examine the dead body Of Mrs.
Armstrong, on Monday night, the 28th of
MAY. and made an examination on Tuesday,
the Goth; death was apparently produced
by blow on the head, lacerated wound,
which broke the skull, making compound
fracture of the two partial bones, such as
would produce instant death; was probably
made by some heavy metallic instrument;
there was no other wound on the body; de-
composition had taken place. DIR. l.. II.
Ellison assisted in the examination which
was made at Mr.. Armstrong; house.
made another examination Of the body to-
day at the Forest Church, and found il to be-
the same body, and in the same condition as
above described.
The testimony Of Dr. Lewis f. Ellison
was substantially the same as the above.
Mrs. Sarah H. Houston, sworn.-l was
riding past the house of Andrew p. Arm
strong on the evening Of the 10Th of May,
about ~ o'clock, in company with Miss
Mary Coffee Andrew p. Armstrong and
his wife were in the road, in front Of the
house; lie was dragging her by the arms in-
10 the house, and she was resisting all she
could by pulling back. Armstrong said she
should not go away; she said she should not
stay there that night, for she was AFRAID he
would kill her if she did;-this was adj
dressed TO him; he dragged her into the
house ana shut the door, and then came out
into the yard; she then ran out of the back
door OF the house; he got over the steps,
took hold of her as before and dragged her
into the house; heard neither of them say
anything at this time; we were distant from
them about. fifteen yards, and had stopped
the carriage; / called to Mr. Armstrong
twice. what lie was doing, hut he gave me
no answer; he seemed To be angry with his
wife; heard Mrs. A. cry murder before we
came in sight OF them; think she cried
murder three times.
Mary Il. Gottee's testimony was similar TO
the above, with the addition that Mrs Arm
strong cried, o, murder, you will kill me if
stay here to-nght he did not strike her
he had nothing in his hand; his only remark
was. This is pretty fuss to be carrying ON
here over nothing.
Thomas =. Armstrong, sworn.-l am the
oldest son of Andrew p. and Caroline Arm
strong; on last Saturday night week my
mother was whipping the black girl, ]ane;-
about ten minutes afterwards my father came
in from the stack yard; my mother was car-
rying plate of butter up out OF the cellar,
and when on the pavement father kicked her
hall dolon times, hut he did not strike her
with his hands; he asked her what she was
whipping Jane aboutg ] do not remember
her rply;-shc ran out into the road, and he
went after her and dragged her into the
house; she said that he would murder her il
size stayed there that night, and she would
% 10 New Castle, if she did not get there
Tor month; after getting her into the house
he held her by the wrists about five minutes
aud kept talking TO her; she then went to
bed; father and mother did not sleep in the
same room; she slept in one room with the
two babes, and father in anOther.with brother
Lambert and my sister Ella; slept in the
one next to mothers; mother went 10 bed
before it was very dark; NIL of the children
went to bed at the same time; ] went TO
sleep in about ten minutes, and was wakened
np about one O'Clock in the morning, by my
father, who was standing in the entry; he
said mother had gone away, and told me to
gel up and help tend the babies; they were
trying anu MulhGu WIN AltiA up dhh hoMn
'le entry while father went down and brought
them o cup of water; then went to the bed
which mother had left with one of the babies;
hther took the other with him; on Sunday
morning he said to us that mother had gone
IN MIR. Eliason's or somewhere else, and he
must try and find her; when we went to bed
TN Saturday night the hogs were not in the
pen; father was fixing the pig-pen on Tues
day or Wednesday attcra oon of last week; he
ala NJ nH unt1 ltn Nuo i..,
for rats; he had grubbing hoe in his hand;
it was the same plank under which mothers
h0dy was afterwards found; he ripped up
one end Of the plank and looked under it;
lc told me TO go to the house for pistol to
shoot the rat with; after | came back with
the pistol he nailed the plank down with
ppikes after mother came out OF the cellar
when he kicked her, he Shut her up in the
meal room; she knocked at the door and
cried 10 let her out, when he let her out he
asked her If she would stayY She had before
this said she had been at New Castle, and
could have him arrested for abusing her, but
NIL she wanted was peace; on Friday or
Saturday morning Mrs. Houston showed me
blood on the floor of the meal room; father
said it came there from chickens Jane had
killed and laid there; there were spots of
blood in mothers room, and on the stairs,
and through the house to the kitchen door.
Armstrong was my half sister; she did not
live happily with her husband, on Saturday
night, the 2Gth of May, I went to Andrew
Armstrong and usked him if he knew where
she went; he said he did not know; he had
not heard from her; asked him what he
thought had become OF her; he replied that
on Sunday lie had presentiment that she
lad gone to the canal, and drowned herself;
and il so his prayers were answered | said,
IptnraOn fhnt 10 hard lanuuana.
think that tomorrow morning we should
make search for her, and should commence
with the canal as you say she is there. he
replied, oil folly for the Ericsson 3 boats have
taken her into the Delaware river; he said
such thing might be for man had been
iound in the canal year ago, who had been
washed in there from the Chesapeake; Arm
strong said that on Saturday he had returned
nom MiddletOwn and his wife beat the
black girl, when he told her she should moi
90 SO; she then called him Il drunken blacl
devil, who would sooner take black girl
part than hers; she ran out into the roat
frying murder, and he'caught her gently by
me wrist, took her into the house, and lock
al her up in the pantry; he afterwards le
ler out, when she went to bed with the lttll
girls, and he also went to bed; and soon alte
ms wife got up and went to the kitcheI
chamber door and called for Jane, who di,
not answer, but Caroline made pretended
answer of no, and then went down stairs
he followed after and found her in the bacl
yard; she said you have little to do to b
Sollowing me out at night; they then bot
%e1l TO bed; some time after he was arouse
~ we children crying, and he went in an
4ouhu their mother gone; he called up John
save him one OF the babies and took th
nlher himself to get them 10 sleep; ht tina
unle nc looked at the clock and it wanted
nNa ~