Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-27
M U r . E r
Arrest of Suspected Parties,

hTTcSt vi 0uSpCCtCu
ONE OF THEM HER HUSBAND.
EXAMINATION OF SAME TO-DAY.
The Possible Murderer Missing.
An intelligent gentleman of this city,
who returned from Olmsted Falls yesterday
afternoon, gives us the following statement,
reliable as may be at this stage of the inyes-
t~igation, of the mysterious murder which
was committed about -four miles south west
from that station some time during last Sat
urday afternoon or evening. Three miles
west and one mile south of olmsted Falls,
in this county, lives a man named William
Colvin, a Scote hman whom all Whereabouts
call "stuttering Bill" The house or cabin
occupied by him, stands in a piece ofwoods,
and Colvin was employed as 8 wood chop
per by q Mr.. Crawford, who has a contract
for furnishing wood to various parties. Col
win is a married man, but, we understand,
childless About three weeks ago q man
named Alexander Mcconnell engaged board
at Colvin's house, and was also employed as
a wood chopper on the tract of land which
Mr.. Crawford was clearing up.
Mr.. Colvin arose quite early Saturday
morning, and started for Berea ria the
Falls, on the osJensible errand of renting a
house preparatory to removal thither. Nc
Connell started with him after breakfast,
tut when they reached the C. 4 T. railroad
track, Northern Division,) which was
about a mile from Colvin's house, Melon
nell complained of rheumatism in his
knee, and decided to turn back. Colvin
vent on to the Falls, and, between nine ana
ten o'clock, he met there his wife. She
had followed on to accompany him to
Berea, she said. He advised her to return
home, and she finally made up her mind
to do so. She was seen to enter her house
about eleven O'Clock, and Mcconnell was
observed there also about the same hour.
That was the last time she was seen.
Mr.. Colvin returned to his home between
seven and eight o'clock Saturday night, in
company with a Canadian friend named
Joseph Miller. The house was shut up,
and even locked, according to the state
ments of these men. On forcing their way
in, no one was found inside Mrs. Colvin
and Mcconnell were missing. It does not
appear that this state of things alarmed the
husband, nor have we authority for saying
that he and his companion were intoxicated
TO such an extent as not to have been
affected by any set of circumstances Be-
tween nine and ten O'Clock Sunday morn
ing Mr.. Crawford entered the house and
found the two men engaged in preparing
breakfast. He quickly discerned blood on
the floor and walls, and on expressing
surprise, and calling their attention to it.
they claimed that they had not noticed the
marks before. The blood had gathered in
pools on the floor, and a mop standing in
one corner was found saturated with gore.
On the door were bloody marks of fingers SO
delicate that they must have been those of
a woman, while the wall was fecked with
drops and, in some places, dashed with
spirits of blood, showing that there must
have been a most terrible encounter in that
room. An earring, which Mrs. C. had worn
on Saturday morning, was found in a water
pail, and a bracelet of hers lay on the floor.
Mr.. Crawford could not resist the convic-
ton that Colvin's wife had been murdered
there and, perhaps, Mcconnell also. He
sent for Constable Sabin, who arrived from
the Falls about noon and arrested Colvin
and Miller. They were removed to the Sta
ton and put under q strong guard. A
thorough search of the premises was made
for a distance of forty rods frem Colvin's
house, but no traces of bodies or of blood
were found in the area measured by that
No steps were taken to cut off the
flight of Mcconnell, since it seemed
to be universally accepted as a f~oregone
conclusion that the murder was committed
BY the parties arrested, and that they had
smbroiled their hands in the blood not only
If the woman, but of Mcconnell also.
All sorts of stories are told of the eharac-
er of the relations existing between Colvin
his wife, the majority affirming that
hey lived together pleasantly and harmo-
to ali appearance, while others as
that they were in the habit of quarrel {
and that he had been heard to threaten
aking her 7ife before the winter should be
and gone. {
Moreover, all kinds of rumors prevail. '
'ome imagine that Mcconnell and Mrs.
eloped, flor she was known to have !
money that would furnish them wings and
hat they smeared the door and walls with 9,
,lood that it might operate as a rnse on Col !
inns mind,@ theory not as brilliant as s
night be formed. Others claim that she
vas killed and her body secreted by Neon
Iell, he having been stimulated by motives
t gratifying his passions to enter upon a |
curse of action which resulted in her vio- 1
ent death. For the conviction cannot be a
that she vas murdered. The blood l
d the floor and walls and the axe and club t
1und in the room, would seem to set the b
cal Of absolute certainty and truth upon P
hat theory of the mystery. While others e
neline to the opinion that, inhamed with J
.quor, COlvin found the parties at home IN C
er circumstances which made him suspect {
be nature of their relations, and, ~infuria- v
ed, with or without the aid of Miller, slew a
be missing man and woman. e
Marshal schmitt of this city, will visit e
he scene of the murder to-day, to make
lspections. The examination of Colvin o
nd Miller is set for nine o'clock this morn b
lg, before some Justice of the Peace at u
Falls. G. NJ. Barber, Esq, of this
ity, viii appear for the prisoners. The ex-
mination viii probably throw light upon
lis bloody mystery. ia
An ELEGANT EsrABU,sHyrxr-Ne.srs &C