The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-04-03
SHOCKING TRAGEDY.
An Old and wealthy Farmer
Murdered for Els Money
His Aged sister Tied
and Secreted I'm q
rIftWf Garret, t. e

Another cold d-blooded murder for money
has been perpetrated in Washington county,
Pennsylvania, about fourteen miles from
Pittsburgh. 1t appears that, on Monday
evening last, about o'clock, three men
visited the house of Mr.. David Sproul, an
old and well-to do farmer, residing four
miles North west of village of Oakland, on
the Steubenville Railroad The only occu.
pants of the house were Mr.. Sproul and his
sister, woman between fifty-ive and sixty
years of age, while he was some years older.
The men demanded his money, as. soon fs
they entered the house, and he hesitated,
remarking that he would know them again.
At this one of the party rushed at him,
with knife, while another seized heavy
pair of tongs, and the work Of murder com.
menced. the third nan in the party seized
the old lady, and forced her up in the gar.
ret. where she was securely tied, hand and
foot. and then lashed with cords to bed
stead, where she was left utterly unable to
move. She remained in this terrible situa-
tioen until the following day at four o'clock
when she heard the footsteps OF a neighbor
In the house, who had come to get some
he went up and released her. They then
vent down stairs, and the body Of Mr..
sSproul was found in his led-room, shock
ingly mutilated. The murderers had made
sure and desperate work. The skull was
broken 10 several piaces-and, in the Ian.
guage OF Mr.. Hague, was literally mashed
in..o The throat was also cut, and dirk
knife wound was found penetrating from
the butt OF the right eur into the BRAIN
The breaking of the skull was evidently
done by the tongs above mentioned. After
the bloody deed, the murderers began the
work of searching for booty, but the only
money in the house was about one hundred
and thirty dollars, which they secured,
together with two watches. Mr.. Sproul
was reputed quite wealthy, and it was ev.-
IDENTIFY the belief of the murderers that hs
had large sum Of money in the house. In
this, hewever, they were mistaken. Mr..
Sproul had amassed considerable wealth,
but his money was all at interest, and notes
to the omount oftwenty- or thirty thous-
and dollars were found scattered about the
house. The desperate men have therefore
but little more than paltry hundred dol
lars to weigh against the blood Of their aged
and almost helpless victim. ,-
There is as yet no clue to the pefpetra-
tors 1t is only known that that three men
got'of the evening accommodation train,
on Monday, at Mcdonald station, six miles
west Of Nobletown, and proceeded in the
direction cf Sprouts house. There is a
probability that two of the desperadocs
went from tliis city, and that they were
joined by q third in the neighborhood. =
The old lady thinks that the robbery was
planned about two weeks ago, as two men
called at the house at that time, under pre-
tence of being cattle drovers, and remained
long enough to get acknowledge of the prem
ises and the inmates.
Messrs Hugh Sproul and Hugh Sterling,
brother and brother in-law of the murdered
man, have offered reward of one thousand
dollars for such information as will lead to
the arrest and conviction of the lnurderers.