The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-10
WIFE MURDER.


Unparalleled FiendIshness In Pittsburg-A
Woman Beaten to Death with BiudgeOns-
Whisky and jealousy the Cause of the Tra-
gcdy.
Yesterday short account was given in THE EVEN
ING TELEGRAPH of q murder which had been perpe-
trated in Pittsburg on the night preceding. These
are fuller particulars taken from the Pittsburg Gon
neTcidl:
How the Murder was Discovered.
The first intimation that murder had been COM
mitted came from Campbell himself, who, while
going down Fifth avenue a little before O'Clock
Monday morning, carrying boy In his arms, aged
three years. overlook Mayor Brush at the corner of
Chatham street, and informed him that his wife had
accidentally fallen down stairs, and he thought she
had killed herself. He further stated that he was
afraid some of his neighbors might accuse him of the
murder and desired to give himself up as prisoner
He was then quite Intoxicated and the Mayor told
him to go home and he would send an officer up to
inquire into the matter With this Campbell left for
home.
The Scene Of the Dfnrder--A Shocking Spec
tncle.
The Mayor on reaching his Office despatched
Ohlcer Long to investigate the matter. On the way
Mr. Long called Officer Fred. Ruch to accompany
him, and when they had reached the corner of Brady
street they met Campbell, who was then on his way
to the office Of DIR. J. G. Thorn. They stopped and
heard Campbell ask DR.. Thorn to go down to the
| house and examine his wife, and pronounce her
dead if she was dead The officers not knowing that
tering found the body Of Mrs. Campbell lying on the
| kitchen floor, horribly bruised and cut about the
face and head, and exhibiting unmstakable signs of
desperate struggle and violent death. They con-
cluded that Campbell had committed the awful
tragedy and at once fastened to the doctors office
| and took him into custody, conveying him to the
| Mayors office and locking him up for a hearing.
number of officers then visited the house, and
brcS, BRICK containing two rooms on the main oor, s'il
basement kitchen, and an attic, extending over the
two rooms 1t does not adjoin any other dwelling
although there are numerous tenements in the I'M
mediate vicinity
Where the Death Struggle Occurred.
An examination OF the upper rooms left doubt
that the death struggle occurred therein The onl-
GERS, ascending from the kitchen by narrow and
sittng-room BY the aid of lighted CANDLE blood
was traced the walls Of the stairway from top to
bottom.
In the rooms above everything was in disorder and
betokened murder in its most horrible aspect There
was large pool of thickened blood on piece of oil
cloth front of the fireplace, and here probably the
wretched woman, after having been beaten until un
also the walls were smeared with blood, and the
| overturned furniture and broken dishes showed
too plainly that violence had been witnessed in this
apartment. The adjoining room, however, be-
! spoke an equally desperate encounter, and
., was probably here that NM the mgrderous
uncarpeted, curtained but little furniture,
and had been used for storing soap and candle
! boxes. Some boxes, and an old bureau and wash
stand, were the principal articles. The floor was
literally red with blood, and the walls door, window
very large wash-bowl, with blood and hair adhering
were picked up from the floor and the leg of chair
| with splintered portion of rung attached, was
also found with matted hair and blood on the end
The wash-bowl and the chair-leg had evidently both
Of OFT the Helpless woman. From the horrors ooT Of
this room she probably escaped into the next there
to fall and die of her wounds. blood-stalned
made by poker were discernible on the wall be-
tween the doors. A bucket of water, and some wet
rags, were found in the room, and the uncarpeted
moor showed plainly that attempts had been made to
wash up the blood. The bloody poker was taken by
an officer to the Mayors office, also large
| butcher-knife, and both will be used in evidence
| against the accused.
statement of the Prisoner.
| Campbell brought to the watch-house by
0hicer Ruch, of the Mayors police, at about thirty
| five minutes to nine O'clock. He was very much In
| toXicated and greatly excited but on being pre-
! sented to captain Robert Graham, who has charge
OF the lookup, without any solicitation or nducemen5
| made the following statement. Said he:--'T have
| lost the best spoke in my wheel, but know that
did not kill her; did not nhict any OF The injuries
which caused her death; cannot tell when she
| died; was out getting whisky at the time the
| injuries were inflicted; both her and / were
| drunk" The prisoner here paused awhile but on
continuing said son Sunday afternoon discovered
| her in company with two men with whom she was
| after her: in running she tripped and fell down
the stairs, killing herself; did not raise hand against
| her; was drunk and asleep when she died; heard
prisoner said no more at this time, but after being
being placed in cell told several conflicting stories
| to the reporters, of which the following is part
| Testimony Against Campbell.
], Job Moreland, of the Fourteenth ward of Pitts
| burg, make this my solemn statement:-I was in
| Mr.. Campbell's house on Sunday evening, November
| T. 1869, about O'Clock; Mr.. Campbell went up
| stairs heard Campbell's wife scream and cry
| murder heard heavy fall; then Mr.. Campbell
| came down stairs; he went up stairs three times
every time he went up stairs he beat her; every time
he was up stairs she called 'nurder;" the last time
| he was up stairs he said, "You III kill
| you :" he then ordered her down stairs; he then
| kicked her down stairs; after he came down he
| picked her up and laid her the settee, and COM
| menced beating her with poker; told him Ii was
1 a shame to abuse woman; he told me if / inter-
| fered he would cut my - - liver out; then
left; she was alive when left; ! did not know she
was dead until the olicer came to the mill this
morning.
The witness was cross-examined at length upon
| the above statement by John G. Mccarthy, Esq,
counsel for the prisoner.
1 owen Murphy, sworn-DOn't know anything about
| the murder; was in Campbels house last night
and he asked me to go to drug store and get some
sticking plaster for his wife's head he said some
men had beaten her; on Saturday evening / was at
Campbes house, heard his wife up stairs, crying;
she said Campbell had beat her; she said there was
| a lump on her head and her shoulder was broken;
Campbell told her to stop crying or he would cut her
| in two: told him 1t was a shame to beat woman
in that way; he told me TO shut up or he would cut
me. O,
Mrs. Campbell was about 20 yearsS OF age, ana
| also had resided in Philadelphia. Her maiden name
was Butler and her mother lives at No. 2lO5 Locust
| street, Philadelphia. She had two children, the
youngest of which died some months since. The
other Is the little boy already mentioned VINO has
been taken charge of by OF the nelghbors. Mrs.
Campbell was addicted to drinking, and probably
she had other faults but her dire misfortune con-
sisted in being linked to brutal and violent nus
| Dand she seems TO have led q most Wretcned Ire,
ana the horrors OF her death must nave Deen nue.