Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-10-20
uroRRlDLE MURDER.
A woman Shot and Her Head Gus
oGby . 9soy Sixteen years old.


From the Lansing Minor. Sept. 80.
One Of the most diabolcal murders ana
inhuman butchcries ever committed IN tne
western world was perpetrated last week 10
Crawford county, Wis about 20 miles oacA
Of Fsrryyille, the particulars Of when &c
learn from Mr.. P. Poppsrnoil. ayoune man
Who 10 engaged in buying wheat a. re''y-
vile for Mr.. Ellefson.
One day last week, while Mr.. cas-, the
husband Of the murdefed woman, was gone
TO market with load Of wheat. the bsy,
whose name is John Neville, aged between
16 and II years, went to tie house for the
purpose Of committing robbery. It seems
that be met with strong opposition from
Mrs. cass, and in order to eonsumnats his
object it vas necessary to GET her out Of The
way by numbering her. This he did by
first shooting her and Afterwards sevsring |
Der head completely from her body. He
then searched the house for money, but |
how much he succeeded in finding we have |
mot learned. After this no proceeded to
put his lifslsss victim out Of the way. and
dragged the body into the woods . short
distance from the house, where be left it.
What he done With the head 10 not known,
% all efforts to End it have proved unsue-
cessful.
The inhuman wretch returned to the
house, dressed himsel. in pair Of pants.
vest and shirt belonging to the husband Of
the murdered woman, putting the clothes
on over his own, which had become badly
smeared with the blood Of his victim. He
left the house. In . few hours after he
called a. a house few miles distant from
the scene and asked for supper. Blood was
discovered upon his hands and face, but he
accounted for its appearance there BY tell
| ing some plausible lie.
The husband returned home in the ever .
ing. His wife WAS nowhere 10 be found
He Was awe stricken ct the terrible sight in
his house Blood WAS visible every here.
The truth flashed across bic confused mind
his wife had been murdered AZ soon ~
he sufficiently recovered from the awful
astonishment which ovsrcame him, he
aroused his neig hbors and they began search
for the body Of his murdered wife. Two
Or three days elapsed before il was discov-
cred whore Che murderer had left it, but
new badly torn and eaten BY the hogs.
While the search for The body Vas being
made the proper authorisiss Get about fer
. reting out the murderer. Suspicion q
.. once settled upon the boy Neville Who was
known in the community to bs desperate,
lawless character. He was missing. but the
officers sers not lorg INJECTING on bis track
: and last Thursday night, about IL o'clock
: they succeeded 10 srrssting him ct ths
{ house Of Mr.. Cooper, in Ferryvills, where
hs had stopped only . few hours previou'
I and asked permission to stay over night
!, When arrested he had On the pants, vest
! = And shirt OF Mr.. Cass, aud in his poke
was found . portmoniao belonging to tn
: murdered women. This he said he bough
from another rsen, giving Eve dollars fol
: it and what was contained therein-abou
= eight dollars in money. Strains Of BLOOD
were found upon his own clothing, and To-
the appearance Of which be tried TO maxi
: satisfactory explanation. He may hAv,
. told the truth. and may be innocent Of tn,
( crime, but circumstance point almost I,
: plainly to John Neville ~ the perpetrato
= Of the hellish deed.
e Railroad OppOrtuaisles.
The Anamosa Eureka fuds encourage
X insnt in the fact tha, the Maquoksta rail
road project 10 assuming . dehnitenes'
which promises success, and begins to lool
anxiously in this direction. impressed viii
the belief that . railroad once fairly undo
way to Maquoketa would push on TO Ana
J. mosa at once, the route being graded near
/ ~ the entire distance, as 10 also the rout
r. from Clinton via Lyons to Maquoketa. Tn
b Eureka says:
is "The engineer reports that the cost o
II finishing the grading, culverts, and tisin
N the road from Lyon. to Maquokets, will b
st about 100000. The sum 10 almost nsig
A. ni6cant, nearly the whole route havin
- been graded ten years ago. In Jones coun
10 ~. between Msquoksta and Anamoso
Of 900 have been expended in grading an
10 building culverts, and a five per cent. Il
l. will finish that portion Of the work. W
a. are ready TO do it, and are only waiting 70
them to do their share between Lyons an,
Maquoketa We wish 10 BE- sure Of III
other end, and 70 will begin our own VIII,
do not the railroad men Of Chicago seiz
on this grand chance to add another sourc
Of wealth TO their cityv
ID The Lyons people arc waking up to III
I. necessity and importance Of the work, an
:, are making vigorous efforts towards its &C
complisbmsnt, upwards Of $40 900 havin
10 already been pledged BY the citizens I
assist the enterprise, The project 10 one q
~ vital importance TO the intesests Of this Vi
20 cinity, and II must net lack Of cncoursg,
!, ment. Ii 10 about time Tor Clinton 70 tax
~ hand in tho enterprise. and make it
at success CLINTON Herald
nd So
- Spain has 800 converts with 10, 900 nun,
, 90 bishops, 1880 canons and abbots, 80
- regular priests, 400 Wears, etc.
The Little Corporal, published in Chico
OF 20 by Alfred l.. Sewell, and which 10 .
d. appear hereafter in magazine form, has no,