The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-25
TIE TRAGEDY IN HIGH LIFE IN PHILADELPHIA

IRON the Pnlu0elpnla Ayo, NOV. "a.
We have the latest and fullest particulars Of the
tragedy, the occurrence OF which was announced IN
our ,ssae 81 YESTERDAY morning Tae Gsed y Ger
STAGE the time when the body OF Old Mrs. Magllton
was found weltering in blood upon the moor OF her
dwelling IN the southern section OF the city. There
stands at the corner OF Tenth and Pine streets
large three story brick residence with double three
story back buildings ON the Pine street front the
dwelling sits back from the pavement, thus forming
quite large garden between tho two In this dwell
az very pleasant In its outward appearance aud
quite elegantly furnished lived Mrs. Mary E. Hin,
aged about eixty-nve years, her son-inlaw, George
> Twitchell, Jr., his wife and hired girl. The
entire four had formerly resided at $40 south Ninth
street, having occupied their present residence but
three months.s
on sunday evening, the servant girl. Sarah Camp
bell. who had been visiting aG some friends house.
reached home shortly after nine o'clock She rang
the front door bell number OF times and after wait
Ing time was at length admitted ny Mr.. Twitch-
ell There was q brief interchange Of words, "a the
girl passed In and through to the Kitchen. After at
tending 10 the DIRE she started close the door lead
ing IN the yard which stood partly open. stepping
the threshhod, what was her CONSERVATION and
horror TO nd lying at her feet the body OF old Mrs.
Hin bent up ana apparently lifcles>. she quickly
called Mr. fwtchel and raising the stlfencd corpse
the two carried II into the kitchen. The body pre-
kented horrible appearance, the garments being
covered with blood, the face unrecognlzable, and
the hair completely matted with gore wnile across
the brow were confused wounds, and q deep cash
in the temple told too plainly that death must have
been almost instantaneous. Where there IL an oc-
currence there are many who win at once present
theories nj TO the which prompted the deed,
and the manner IN which tie terrible meditation
Il Is surmised that the tragedy was committed In
the dining room, which Il upon the second moor. On
this door two apartmRnts, separated by folding
door. They are Of unequal SIZE, the larger one hav
ING two windows ana tue INHALER one but the three
opening the yard along the Pine street front. In
this larger apartment between the windows, stands
an old-iashioned sofa Upon one end Of TINS sofa
pletely saturated with blood. On the ioor, lmmedi-
atcly below the pillow, there was pool of clotted
gore and rom the sofa into the back room and To
the window OF THAT apartment there could be plainly
traced upon the carpet spots VI blood. indicating
mat the mutilated body OF the murdered woman had
thrown out, the blood dripping from her wounded
head on the door, marking the course the murderer
had pursued to cover up his crime On the sill OF
the Window 10 the smaller apartment were bloody
marks. ON the pavement beneath the window,
where She body Of Mrs. HIN lay when nrst found
the window, which the sofa Stood were found,
yesterday morning, scattered cigar ashes and near
the window rocking cnar. In the Immediate vi
entity Of The sofa the walls were dsngured with spots
OF blood and drops even were upon the ceiling.
The appearance OF the room, the bloody tsscings
7 the bead OF the murdered woman seem N Indicate
the following theory the right ono relative to the
awful tragedy that was enacted on Sunday night
MT. Hu must have been iyDg the sofa upon her
eft side. her face towards the WAL. The murderer
was sitting IN the char near tne mead 81 the sofia
| ana having been smoking dropped the ashes on the
l window ledge. At proper mo nlent lac must have
raised poker, and with all his force drove tie iron
/ prong into The temple Of tue unconscious woman.
la victim supposed to have turned over, aud the
| blood streaming from her lacerated head saturated
the front portion OF the sofa aud orined pool the
carpet beneath. The murderer then struck her again
and again upon the back OF the head, as the many
cOitusOns and the torn scalp Indicate Frightened az
some noise or perhaps carrying out plan hurrieiy
determined upon he dragged the body from the sofa
across the door aud through the rooms, aud then
raising II threw IL out OF the window. hoping tiat
DETECTION might thus he avoided. Yesterday morn.
ing the detectives found IN the room where tho
1 deceased had been lying On Iron poker fcovered
VITA hair. 1t fitted into the wounds upon the head
| OF the murdered woman, and was beJ0nc doubt the
4 weapon Used In causing her death.
| Suspicion fasten3 upon TwitChell, the son. in-aw
OF Mrs. rill. Policeman Howard, OF the Filth die.
trict who the first 10 enter the dwelling amer tho
| discovery Of the body. made . hasty investigation
Into the probable cause OF the murder and his aus
pCion settling upon the .in.iaw AZ the guilty one
| al once arrested him. when taken In custody be
\ had on his coat and pants and under shirt. How
ard took him UP stairs TO get additional clothing and
1~itohell put on white shirt and q vest After tlis
prisoner had reached the Fifth district police station
! IL was discovered that there blood upon the
breast OF his coat and upon the sleeve, also upon s
pants vest and boots On the shirt were spots which
| looked a. they had been spurted upon II suddenly
He locked up TO await the result VI the Cor
inquest lie says that circumstances look ycry bad
against him, but declares That he " innocent " The
| crime. lie ~ very retCent upon the subject, Dol
what little he did say after his arrest was evldentJ
| with the intention OF creating the importation uIal
| Mrs. Iliil fell or jumped from the window
| Mrs. Twitchei was also taken INTO custody, ucft
| beng suspicion that che had taken part III sac
J Tragedy she was hspt 10 tho house during lhs en-