The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-03-26

4 The Recent Murder I'm Washington
County, Penn'A---A Citizens Ae-
count OF IT,
We have already published very full
particulars OF the recent terrible muir
der in Washington county, but give
place to the following account OF it by
citizen of the vicinity, differing some
what in the details from what has al
ready appeared.
EDITORS PITTSBURGH GAzETTE:-On
Monday evening most Iia I;T
murder was committed near oieilnes
| Mills, in Cecil township, washington
| county- About s o'clock in the even
| ing, three incarnRte devils visited the
| honse of Mr.. David Sproul, and butch
| cred him for his money-the paltry
sum of about one hundred and twenty
dollars, and two silver watches. As
Mr.. Sproul went out of the door for
some purpose, one of these devils STEP
ped forward and asked him if he could
direct him to tn eneHrest station on the
Railroad. He said, yes, and very
obligingly went with the stranger along
the lane TO pair of bars near the barn,
about fifteen rods from the house, to
show him the way across the fields to
gone about ton rods, two others came
round the corner of his house and fol-
lowed after. When at the bars, they
knocked him down, and probably
struck him when down, as there is
large pool of blood there, and u consid-
cradle quantity of hair sticking n the
| mud close by it. They then led him
back to the house, one supporting him
| on each side. AS he entered the door
he was'bleeding profusely about the
tacei and said to his maiden sister, (who
Is about fifty years of age, and the only
person living with him. 81 am badly
hurt" One of the villains then seized
the house, and around it into the other
| house; took her up stairs and tied her
hands behind her back; tied her feet to-
Sether; laid her on the ped, and strap
ped her tight to the bedstead; told her
| to tell where the money was or he
would shoot her. She told him all she
knew, and then he went to work ran
sacking. This one had his face bLdcked.
He brought her out of the house as the
others entered. She heard them beat
ing her brother with the tongs. He hal
looed, and they said, "Give us
your money, them They con-
until life was extinct. Then
these two black hearted fiends Joined
their black-faced brother in the search
Tor money, They then demanded hers.
She said it was in the house from which
,
stand ten feet apart, a roof between
them.) They went back to the place of
murder, took her money, helped them
selves to bread and cream, went to the
spring and washed, then left-leaving
Miss Sproul tied on the bed up stairs in
one house, and the corpse OF Mr.. Sproul
on the floor in the other. Thus things
remained for twenty hours-until four
O'Clock i'll the evening OF the next day,
when a neiRhbor came in and found
Miss SprOul tied on the bed. He cut
her loose. She hastened to the other
in search of her brother, and there, o
God! Such scene as met her wonder
ing gaze. As she entered the door.
there lay the tougs, covered with blood
and hair. The chairs, the table, the
1 dishes, the walls, all sprinkled with
blood, and the floor literally painted
trnced u channel of blood to one end of
the room, and there it stood a CORY
heap, SO lately the hearts blood OF
her brother. AS she turned her eye
to the right, there he lay,Scovered
with bed cIothes- When they were
removed-O horror! of horrorsli No
less than fifteen separate and distinct
gashes on his head and face; his skull
split open; his windpipe and jugular
veins cut; every inch covered with
blood. and his clothing saturated with
1t. Here we drop the curtain-I ask,
why lhlS nelllsn ueeu MIR. SprOul
was man OF siXty-five or seventy
years of age, and in feeble health. Any
two men of ordinary muscular strength
could have tied him without any risk
of bodily harm. The only solution we
can give is, that some of the party were
known to Mr.. Sproul, and when they
discovered that fact, the only alterna-
tive was, murder or exposure.
The safest plan hereafter will be to
shoot every stranger who comes to
your door. between the hours of dark
and daylight.
making it the imperative duty of
the Commissioners OF every county in
the Commonwealth to offer a reward of,
say five thousand dollars, for the arrest
and conviction OF every murderer in it.
ihere would then be some inducement
to policemen to engage in the pur-
suit. a CITIZEN.