The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-21
A CHAPTER OF HORRORS.


der and the Flames.
fearful tragedy, rivaling in its details the
terrible massacre cf the Deering family at
Philadelphia, during the past year, was enacted
at midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The scene of the horrible affair was on the line
of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Rail
road in Union township, Porter county, Ind,
about four miles north of the village of Val
paraiso and thirty-six miles south of Chicago.
The murderer IS named Chauncey f. Page, a
Young man of hitherto good standing and con-
siderable means; the victims are his wife, her
mother, and young lady named Miss Ludolph.
The two former were not only instantly killed,
but their bodies were partially consumed in the
burning dwelhng set on fire to cover the fendish
deed; the latter is fearfully mutilated, and not
expected to recover. The contemplation of
murder in any of its phases is revolving, but the
feeling of dismay and terror is heightened
tenfold when the tragedy is the result of family
differences and nielicities, aud involves in its
tragic results the lives of the wife and mother
of the perpetrator. Powerful, indeed, must have
been the incentive, and potent the determine
tion, which lead the intelligent mind to the
commission of deed of cruelty and barbarity
like the one under consideration. man in
, the prime of life, with an unclouded future be-
fore him, blessed with competency of wealth,
and revelling in the health and strength of ma
turity, ruthessly imbrues and ensanguines his
hands in the blood of his wife, her mother, and
an innocent young girl, and then gloating over
his tendish act, applies the ncendiary torch to
the family habitation, hoping thereby to con-
ceal the evidence of his crime, and efface
from all minds the remotest suspicion of his
guilt. This is Il phase of crime which shocks
the sensibilities of the most blunted and
perverse, and eXcltes thrill OF horror
and dismay in every breast at the crime,
and loathinC and detestaton OF the perpetrator.
4I,o.l looA, s,h
night A husband hitherto respected aud
esteemed, whose domestic infeicties had Occa
stoned a separation from his wife, acting upon
the impulses of an unrestrained Imagination,
wrought up to paroXysmal intensity by the
sense of family troubles, took the life of his
wife and her mother, and then fired the house
where they resided, leaving nothing to indicate,
as he supposed, his connection with the crime.
Providence, however, determined otherwise:
and through its friendly interposition, one of
the victims survives TO relate in detail his crime
and expose its enormity and cruelty to those
who will not relax their efforts until his appre-
hension and execution eXpiate the otlense
against law and humanity.
THE SCENE OF THE MURDER.
About four miles from Valparaiso, ON what
known as the ''Chicaeo road" has stood for ten
years low frame farmhouse, occupied by Ben
jamin Long and his wife Emma. The house was
situated about forty rods from the Pittsburg
and Fort Wayne Railroad, and about ten rods
from the turnpike in Union township The
y,
verge of a deep ravine, surrounded by stunted
undererowth stood the house. Standing on
the spot, the scene is beautiful. Coursing
along slowly at your feet is salt creek, a
forest miles beyond. North of you is
dense forest reaching to the limit of
vision, while away TO the south is level
plateau extending to the town OF Valparaiso.
On the east is hill about fifty feet in height,
through whose centre a passage has been cut
for the railroad, On the western slope Of this
hill stood the domlcil within whose walls was
enacted the double murder. The house itself
was, like most farm houses, constructed with
| view to the comfort and convenience of the oc-
! cupants and consisted of two rooms, bed
| room and kitchen. The surroundings of the
! house are in high state of cultivation, the
! result Of years of patient labor In the kitchen
( the murder was perpetrated.
THE DEAD.
| During the evening Page, the murderer,
: vlsted Valparaiso on horseback. The last that
! was seen OF him was between 10 aud IL O'clock
| at the Gould House, in that village. Here he
! left his horse, also his scarf saying he would re-
| turn in a short time and started away on foot.
! He reached his residence about midnight The
! inmates had all retired The dwelling is a
J large farm house, the nearest dwelling being
| about twenty rods distant. Stealthily he entered
/ by the back door, and silently approached the
| room occupied by his wife and her mother,
! Mrs. Long, Both were evidently sound asleep,
| as the first sound heard by Miss Ludolph,
| who occupied a room up stairs, was the
! uflDg OF SnOIS WIN q revolver, uIeu rapidly
IN succession. Both were shot through the
! body IN the region of the heart, and instantly
| killed. Not a shrek or groan was heard to
escape, but terrible silence succeeded the re-
ports of the revolver. Miss Ludolph, hearing
! the shots, and ignorant of the cause thereof,
! hastily threw a wrapper over her person aud
| descended the stairs. The moment Page esped
| her he fired again and again, each ball taking
effect III her person. Not satisfied with this,
| and fearful that life was not extinct, after she
had fallen to the floor, he frantically seized a
1 chair and belabored her body until, like IN
death, she lay insensibly on the floor The deed
was one of devilish premeditatiOn. The fearful
| tragedy was committed, and he was too cow
\ aTdly to face the consequences. To hide all
traces of the terrible affair, he set fire the build
| ing and fled the scene.
The heat OF the burning building brought
Miss LudOlph partly to her senses, and on her
| hands and knees she succeeded in effecting her
| escape from terrible death in the flames. The
! conhagration attracted the attention of neigh.
| bors, and from all parts men were soon hurrying
to the scene of the tragedy. From the inco
herent statements of the wounded gtrl, the
neighbors at least received an inkling of the
terrible truth and at the risk of their own lives
they succeeded in recovering the charred and
Crsped bod Of the unfortunate women.
Although an effort was made to save the build
ing, it proved futile, and only a mass of ashes
now remain on the site where the fearful scene
was transacted
After the first feeling of horror had somewhat
| subsided, men hurried in every direction to give
the alarm, and, if possible, effect the capture OF
the murderer. Up to the latest information
this had, however, not yet been effected
PERSONNEL OF THE MURDERER.
c. F. Page, the demon who committed this
fearful act, is a man of about % years of age
He is of a light complexion, and about five feet
ten or eleven inches in height. He is a jeWellel
the tendsh crime-to avoid the consequence
| OF which he now flies from the aVenging sword