Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-10-07
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
Love, Murder and Sui
eide.

Os Monday morning last terrible ira
gedy was enacted in Mercer county, Hin
os, about two miles from Hamlet P. O. A
disappointed lover made an attempt to a.
sassinate his ts.ro.hed, and having sue
ceeded, as he supposed, in accomplishing
the deed c,mmittei suicide. The names Of
the parties wee Martha Martindale and
John G. Allswoith. 10th formerly employed
in Andrs,en's Window Shade factory, in
this city. The young woman Was living
with hex tt,p father near Hamlet, and Alls-
worth had b.tn working for = farmer in
that vicinity. During their residence in
tais city it appears that Martha had
plighted her 70 tb 10 Johu, and the agree
msnt Was, that, - seen a. they were mar
risd they wsuld 20 onto farm somewhere
10 this State and live. They had frequent
quarrels, and in one OF these alterations
the uneAllant John struck her in the face,
and for this ungeptlsmanly offence was
6nsd e29.
Last Saturday Jshn vent 10 Andalusia
and bought revolver, paying 50 for the
same. and pawnipg ring for the balance.
On his way home he rode some distance
with Mr.. Foster, and told him he had no
ill-w:ll against Martha, and he'd concluded
| to let the matter rest He attended church
| on Sunday-saw Martha but did not speak
with her. He was called ~ usual BY bis
employer early Monday morning, but, on
examination Of his room, he was not there.
1t appears that he got up during the night,
and stole over 10 Mr.. Williams house,
(Martha's step father, and waited until the
moon shone full on the room where the girl
Was sleeping. It was situated on the 6rss
floor. and be could easily raise tho window
and look in. Softly brushing aside the cur
tains, he saw her and little girl belonging
to the family lying asleep. Martha had
thrown one arm over her .forhsad, the
other lying down BY her side. Taking de-
libsrste aim hs fred. The ball passed
through her arm. struck her temple, and
passing round the mead lodged near her
ear. The whole Of the household ssrs in
| stantly awaked BY her screams, and rushed
TO the room. Several Of the nsighbors at
tracted BY the noise, came running in. On
going outside they found Allsworth lying
outside dead. He suppose he had fulfilled
his tiendish object, and applied the pistol to
his own forehead and. blew his brains out.
lie was buried the same day on . piece Of
wild prairie som. distance from the vii
lags. T~o physicians from Presumption
we're called, who extracted the bullet from
the young woman's head. Fortunately the
ball inflicted no great injury other than
fs.h wound in the arm, there being no
bones broken. There is considsrable sx-
citcment in the Elsewhere the affair oc-
eurred, and blame is attached somewhat to
both parties.
PoLrcB CouRr.-Owing to the inclsmsn-
cy Of the weather last night several persons
deemed it incumbent on themselves to keep
the wot out by warming up inside. They
succeeded admirably, 80 much 30 that they
were called up TO Magistrate Dittos's Office
to pay license for shs amusement.
p Burns had concealed considerable
fluid in his person, and was made to see
the error Of his ways to the amount of$5 So
rather than pay ~hioh he visits Msjor
Schnitger for days.
W. Heys followed exactly in Burns
track and like result attended him.
J. Sullivan was assessed tho same
amount which he paid.
Wm Note had warmed himself most
efectually-,but when his eyes were
opened to the enormity Of his offence, which
was $3.50 worth, he begged very bard to
be let off. He had aforstime been acquain.
ted with the interior Of the stone boarding
house however and was advised to rest
himself there for the space Of one day. He
went away sorrowing.