Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-25
Crime.
Horrible Murder.

LFrotas the Philadelphia Ledger Sept still
little girl, named Mary Marman, whose
mother, widow, resides at No 2,O46 Ork-
ney street, Nineteenth ward, disappeared
mysterlously on Sunday evening last, and
though every effort was made To discover
her whereabouts, 1t was not until yesterday
morning that there was any trace of her.
Her body was then found in pond above
Susquehanna avenue, West of Fifth street,
not far from her mothers residence, with
such cuts and bruises upon 1t, and other
injuries, as left no doubt of the child hav-
ing been outraged, murdered and thrown
into the pond. The neck was dislocated,
one of the arms broken, and there We're
blood stains upon the clothing. Naturally,
the discovery OF the child under such cir
cumstances created an intense excitement
in the neighborhood OF the scene of the
murder aud after the removal OF the body
to the Nineteenth Ward Police Station,
a large crowd gathered about it eager to
learn all the particulars Of the terrible al
fair In the absence of a Coroner's inves-
tigation the facts had to be obtained from
other sources.
1t seems that the child, who is but six
years old, was near her mothers residence
on Sunday evening with other children,
when an unknown man came along who
is described as tall and slim, with black
hair and whiskers, and asked to be shown
the way to Dauphin street. The children
pointed in the direction of the street man,
ed, but the man said he was afraid he
should not find it, and the girls started to
accompany him. After walking n short
distance, Mary was left alone with him, and
that was the last seen of her alive. Her
absence on Sunday night was source of
anxiety and dread to the mother, and on
Monday she made thoroue h search for
the missing one. Inquiry was made at the
police stations, and the local telegraph was
employed TO aid the dlstressI mother in
her efforts to discover the place of conceal
ment Early yesterday morn .ng a police
man, in passing the pond discovered an
object in the water which excited his Gu
rosity or suspicion, aud closer exanina-
ton disclosed the body of the child. In
the course of yesterday the police of the
ward and members of the detective force
were engaged In an effort to d scOver some
trace of the murderer. AS it was dark
when he was seen by the companions of
Mary, and they were very Young children,
they are not able TO give such !. description
of him, except as to his size aud the color
of his whlskers, as is calculated to lead 10
his arrest.
DIR. E. b. Shapleigh, under direction of
Coroner Daniels, made post norton exam
ination yesterday of the body Of the child,
and discovered unmistakable evidence of it
having been outraged. lie found that she
had received three terrible blows on the
top of the head from some blunt instru-
ment and many scratches and bruises
about the neck, showing that she had been
strangled. In his opinion the child was
dead at least twenty.four hours before it
was put III the pond. Altogether, the
wounds inflicted evinceda fiendishness that
is seldom met with, especially when the
victim is young and innocent child.
Up to late hour last night the detect
i've officers had not been able to obtain any
trace of the murderer. The man described
by the children does not appear TO have
been seen by any of the older persons in
the vicinity, and the mother of the girl is
not able to give any information calculated
to aid the officers in their search. Mayor
MciIichael will probably to-day offer re
ward for the detection OF the murderer.