The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-07
THE CASE AS IT APPEARED IN THE
COURTS.

COUhISs
Now that Mr.. Twitchell has made Il
confession, and thus brought Mrs. HilPa
murder once more before the public, for
the information of those who are not
acquainted with the facts, We summa-
rIze them. Mrs. Hill, the mother of
Mrs. Twitchell, was possessed OF con-
siderable property, 10 acquire which the
murder Is supposed TO have been COM
mitted. She bought a house, and told
her son in law to have the deed made
out in her name j.; instead OF doing so,
however, he had it made out in his
wiGe's name, by this means engaging
her and giving rise to a serious quarrel.
He was heard frequently TO speak abu-
siveIy OF her, and at one time is said to
have threatened to kill her. On the
night OF the murder Officer Howard en-
tered the house and found Twitchell
bathing his mother-in-law, she lying
dead in the back kitchen. He acted,
however, as If he did not know life
were extinct. Blood was found in the
yard, and u bloody poker covered at its
end with gore and hair. Up stairs in
the room looking out on the back yard,
the wall near the sofa WAS sprinkled
with blood, as also the sofa and the
floor leading, to the window. Twitch>
ellis vest and shirt were covered in the
same way; but his wife's dress was en-
tirely free from it. AT the trial the
have the stairs examined by a chemist,
SO rs to learn their true nature. The
Judge was willing to allow it, provided
the chemist chosen would be sattsIactO-
ry to the prosecuting attorney, and the
examination would take place in open
court. This the counsel tor the defense
declined. One witness testified that he
saw two men leave the house the night
of the murder, describing their manner
and appearance very positively. This
was the important point In the defence
but even this is destroyed by the con-
fession he has made. Moreover, sum
of money was found in q wardrobe in
the room where the murder took place,
together with cluster diamond earrings,
both entirely undisturb bed; this tending
to make it improbable that the deed
had been committed by outside parties,
for the sake OF gain. Mrs. Twitchell
was declared not guilty tor the reason
that her clothes were entirely unstain-
ed, and that the blood on the floor was
not smpartd as by dress trailing over
il. The latter fact DR.. Lewis declared
conclusive AS to her innocence. The
way the murder was committed is sup
posed TO be this. Mrs. lin WAS lying
on The sofa asleep when her son-in-laW
struck her on the head with the poker
found i'll the yard until he was dead,
and then (whether alone, or with the
aid OF his wife, is not decidedly, threw
her into the yard, so AS 10 render I'M
noticeable The gashes on the head, and
to give the appearance OF having fallen
or sprung out OF the window. He was
found guilty in the first degree, and has
now motion pending before the Su-
preme Court for a new trial.
cPINIoN OF THE CONFESSION.
PHILADELPHIA, April 4.-The press
of this city concur in condemning the
so.called confession of Twitchell as a
falsehood, and it has strengthened
greatly the general belief in the entire
Innocence OF Mrs. Twitchell. 1t 10
thought now that there is no hope OF
oscaOe for him