Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-28
OLMSTED FALLS MURDER.
Body of Mrs. COlvin Found.
Her Head More Frightfult than Medusa
Mcconnell Not Found, Dead or Alive
THE MYSTERY
A Visit to the Slaughter Cabin.
EXAMINATION OF PRISONERS.

EXAMINATION UF PRlSUNEhS.
Yesterday morning we joined a party
composed of G. ". Barber, Esq, of this city,
counsel for Colvin and Miller, 1.-THE sus-
peeted murderers of Mrs. Colvin,) Marshal
Sehmitt and Samuel Furnal, Lieutenant Of
Police, and proceeded to olmsted Falls. A
large number of people of both sexes were
gathered in and about the "0lmsted Falls
Hotel" in one room of which the prisoners
were guarded, while in another lay the
body of the murdered woman, stretched
upon a rough litter, in the frightful atti-
tude and unspeakablY horrible condition in
which it had been found by Messrs. c. L..
UnderhilI, James Wright and James Craw-
ford about half-past two o'clock on the
previous afternoon.
Mr.. Barber had a brief interview with the
prisoners, after which the Marshal and
Lieutenant entered the ~improvised jail, and
held a conversation with the accused, and
were not remarkably prepossessed with their
appearance or style Of talk.
After the lapse of an hour it was proposed
that the entire party visit the cabin of Col
win, and institute a search throughout the
neighborhood for the body of the missing
man, Alex. Mcconnell. Mr.. jerome Byrnes,
engineer of a wood train on the c. & T. road,
| detached his locomotive and carried the
majority Of the party as far west as was
necessary for them to go to strike the road
leading south to the Dutch road, a quarter
mile South of which stood the shanty Of
| Colvin, a howell, twenty feet by eighteen in
dimensions, and constructed of rough
boards.
THE Cabs
was situated in the center of a small clear
ing. To the west, east and south lay a
thousand acres of forest, while woods on the
north shut out the view of the few houses
of the neighborhood. Fifty rods east stood a
barn, the only building in sight. There
was no hint of yard or garden. The
open area was inexpressibly dIeary,
and the house seemed the picture of all that
is wretehed, dismal and profane in life.
But no conception of the squalor could be
| formed until the interior was inspected.
There were but two rooms, lighted by one
common and two very small-sized windows.
No more were needed, since daylight food
ed the house through the wide cracks be-
tween the upright boards. The floor was
loose and full of assures and chasms. In
the front room were a bed, table, q broken
cooking stove, two or three chairs, g cup
board in which were dirty dishes, bread and
crackers, besides several barrels, boxes,
etc. A few comic pictures were pinned
like a n~aturalist's insects to the siding. In
| the pack room were two hunks, a box stove,
and trnmpery Gd infnitum. Blood was
everywhere. A wonderfully desolate look
ing and active black cat glided like the
/ nimble embodiment of a devil from room to
room, under beds, behind chairs, and at last
dove through the floor, out ofsight. Ifonly
that cat could testify to what it doubtless
sawi
TIE BODY.
The body was found twenty-six rods
south of the cabin, between a log and pile of
wood, which had been toppled over upon
the corpse. A man stepped on a blood-sat-
urated dress east.of the house. His boot-heel
crimsoned the snow at the next step. The
direction was thus guessed, and the body
quickly found. The removal of the first
stick revealed the feet. The clothes were
hutched up aboEt the chest, exposing the
body. The corpse was removed to the Falls,
and exhibited as found. The head was
turned to the right, the left arm thrown up
and so turned or twisted that the hand
rested on the cheek. The eyelids were
open, but the eyes held no fire and shed no
light. The upper teeth protruded upon the
lower lips. The hair was dishevelled and
clotted with blood. A blow with the butt
axe upon the top Of the head had torn off
the scalp, exposing a triangular space ofthe
fractured skull large as ones palm. The top
of the left ear was cut off, and the earring
dangled in her CORY hair. The other ring
lay on the floor, and a breach in a water
pail. The wood had left savage marks on
her face, neck and bosom. The expression
of the face was inexpressibly horrible. The
corpse was dressed, when found, in a
checked merino gown of reddish color. In
the pocket were a pair of cotton gloves and
a horn-handled three-bladed knife.
The body was removed to the Falls, and
an inquest held Monday night by Coroner
Kendall. The verdict was, in substance,
that deceased came to her death in conse-
quenee of brutal blows inflicted on her head
with an axe in the hands of an unknown
party or parties.
ooBvIN SEES THE CORPSE.
On Monday night COlvin and Miller were
taken in TO see the corpse. The former was
very demonstrative, but it was sll apparent
affectation. He exclaimed, 40 Rosa, my
Rosa! o God, my Rosa" He could not
shed a tear.
THE PRISONERS.
Colvin is a scotchman and about forty
years old. He has a swarthy complexion.
and looks like a black snake. The eye is
impenetrable and perfectly devilish- And
brute, and has treated his murdered wife,
whom he married q year ago, as only a
fend could, kicking and pounding her and
threatening to take her life. He seems
capable of committing any crime. Miller
is a pumpkiny-looking youth with fuzz on
face and apparently, a brain of mush. He
has no force, and doubtless went with
Colvin simply because the latter caused him
to overcome his inertia, and when onee set
a-going he hadn't the power to stop himself
STILL A MYSTERY.
We are as far from a consistent theory of
the affair as at fret. Circumstantial evil
denee against the parties in custody is pow
Colvin's vest is bloody, and the top of
his drawers, just where blood would be
had be carried the body as it must
have been borne. But he boughts forequar-
Ter of beef on Friday, which he put in his
leaving a doubt as to how he got
,meared. That they saw no blood on the
loor of the cabin is q suspicious circum-
.tance, especially since ColTin owns he was