The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-16
IFrnm the St. Louis Democrat, Nov la1


stained VITA CUNT or eJ least couded VITA circum-
stances over1 henlng and suspicious damnng. gone
10 It's Just TetFlnuiionts hna peace. the story Id
long one; the lie Of the doomed man IA sad One-a
first rate case for peGeslnLfan5 for II ever an evil
destiny followed man nom cniiohood Ito MANHOOD,
from manhood TO the grave, IL WAS the hero VI This
November day.
THE STORY.
Away down on the ST. Louis bottom road, Just
four miles from Edwardsviile, the shire rown OF
Madison county. Illinois there stands small log
cabin which, during latter part oi year 1858.
was the no.ne oi u woodchopper aud small .aruaer
named Hell imam Wendeli. HIS wife, some years MS
JUNIOR, small child aad his atherln-law comprised
the family. They were not wealthy III this worlds
goods, Tor they rented tue small place they lived on,
ana Herman eked out scIIlt lstenance tor him.
self wife, iather-n-aw an0 child by doing odd JOBS
III the neignborno0l aud working OUT wood Tor the
railroad cumpahies Ole day along IN the late sum
M.r season stranger, william Bell or Bll Bel--Old
Bill Bell, as he Called hmsen-presenied himself ut
the log nut door, SAD ne was poor. out OF WORK Tor
his Wiling hands, tired ana wanted to stay all night.
He WAS taken In, ana IN the morning nndlg that he
could get employment III the neigAborhood, perfected
mis- arrangements to board with the Wendels, and
was soon Installed III the Wendell family circle.
Now, Mr5. Wendell, no beauty, Tor she was single
eyed, but plump TAR complexion and lively woman,
0ecaine friendly with The stranger and looked
upOn hun with . KIND er eye Lhan elderly husbands
on the sere and yellow leaf OF life ike 70 have their
young wives regard young unmarried gentlemen.
He too, III turn was no Joseph aud the little affair
acted so long ago in ancient Egypt was TO be re-
peated in very uiferenV way in Lnis Egyp. Of Hi
nois By what witchery he won her we know not,
be II persuaSiOu or magic or force or mutual conseat
dOtn not appear, but she 1aally decided 70 abandon
he lines and languor OF love for the roses and rap
lures ana v,ce.n SIZE was the only woman III the
ylcinage, ana 80 he wooed her ali the more Yigor-
Ousy pied Ills siege OF love with yalor. Till the for
OF married virtue fell beneath the amorous can
nunade OF the rustic conqueror. But wendell. the
husband. where VAS he all The time lie mad eyes
he saw, he lett that ne haG taken serpent INTO his
BOSOM ana me we repte was acuhs out MS british
nature. rae Old man chaiet under IT, stood me sly
IDslnuatons OF the neguoors ANA bore tleir coarse
Jests witnouL !. word. Aoyemoer just q year ago.
came On, and one DAY Wendell sent his wre ana
father to ST. LOUIS ana remained al home with BELL
TINS was the tatat Saturday, November -, 1868.
Yhat llGht was Weadeliis last On thursday fol-
lowing Ills iifeess BODY, picrced by ganshot wound
in the neck, was found IN the pig pen ADJOINING the
caoin, and 1T opceoeii was arres'ed tried ana yes
terday hung Just Ut tits point the statements vary.
the evidence comes in IN circumstances, suspicious
doubts. CERTAIN II is that Bell mad peen heard
threaten the life OF WendeA. Certain 1t Is that the
deceased (Weudell spoke oil Bells intimacy with ms
wife. Certain II is tlat Wendell was last seen alive
IN company with Bell. Beii was alone in the caoin
With him on the fatal night; u gun discharge was
twice heard 10 quick succession by Two OF the neigh.
bors, anu Bell was seen III the morning coming from
the house al dayoreak and carrying cofnstaaS To
the pispen. In wliicn few days later the body OF
the deceased was found. AT any rate q man was
murdered, and hs fellow companion nad been heard
TO threaten his he strong circumstances perhaps
not CONCLUSIVE, but tclaDle 10 tue minds OF
the jury aud oserwAelrnngly satisfactory 70
the mllus OF the cLizens. Bell protested his
innocence to the last toad long story about
TWO men who came on The night OF the murder; how
they made trade vita revolver for the murdered
mans shotgun; how tney drank together by tho
cracking log fire; that he at last grew sleepy; went
10 bed; heard noise AS OF quarrel; heard the
discharge Of gun: was about to 20 out when u man
came TO his bedside and hade HIM to keep quiet or
ne would Kill ni But there Is nothing to cOrroDo-
the statement OF the prisoner save two letters,
anonymous at that. received by the Judge tfaS sat
upon the trial and the Sheriff III charge.
THE COEoSRR's INQUEST.
The news OF the disappearance OF Wendell spread
Ike fire IN dry prairie, snd the neighbors, one and
ALL turned to ferret ont the crime, nd the body
ana bring the murderer to Justice; man and his
schwartz, shrewd German. recolIecting WendelPs
feelings against Bell at fastened his suspicious
upon HIM and was the means Oh bringing him TO JUS
tee. keep very quiet" ne said 10 the man ana
wiie who heard the SOUND OF the gums discharge,
sand we WIN see VINO did IT," They dld see, they did
search. II Bel was seen near the pigpen perhaps
the body was there Let US look. Thursday, the
18th OF November, 1868, they searched the pig pen,
turned up the Iresn Stalks tarAed up the 1rcsh
earth-and found
1t was the murdered man Wendell. There he lay
IN the mire ard mud--drty, saturated with slime
and filth, somewhat decomp0scd but sTill the means
OF identity visible. Iae ganshot wound was q fatal
one; 1t had torn out the carriages OF the throat,
carrying away the iarynx and making gigantic
opening on tue left sac OF the neck. In fact the
entire left side WAS torn away, while the entire jugu-
lar VEN o. tue right size pierced by buckshot.
Or. Payne, who SGT upon the Coroner'S jury, was
present and made the examination. They sent for
the wife, cut 10 the pen she cae, tue people brought
her out, and she soDbed, and signed and sald:-"On.
my God that Is nav poor husband"
The verdict OF the coronerS jury was that the de-
ceased came to his death by sunshot wound made
by William Bell. so Mr.. Bel was arrested, bound
over and his case, set Tor May term, 1862, was con-
tnued III the octo9er term, at winch term ne vas
tried and conycsed
THE TRIAL.
The testimony against the accused was circnm.
stantial. lnrosEs were proven l.sat ne had made a
few weeks before, IA when he called Wendell "a
IS OF b-hn and sad ''he would Ak Wendell
where the dogs wouldn't find him. Toe listener
replied THAT Is not right" but he reLorIed, "lnat
makes no dlnerence mean 10 Kill hun yet, ana
you will hear Of u some day.n He also sad There
.were not men enough old in Aadisoa TO convict
Old BID Bcllo
reports OF the gun about haf-past Six, or later
tho evening OF the murder, ana said they heard
the voice OF some person as II III distress. strange
they never went TO see; had not humanity enough
10 answer call OF distress--a yell Tor life that
might have saved WendelI's lie and Bells
doom. But Mr.. hlingus thought II was bell that
fred the snot and thought that ne mad killed Wen
dell. He even told hs vile so, and they talked
II over that night ana cbatted about
the threats tnat Bell mad made. But nice old man
Kngus went to bed TO Keep warm, but not 20 sleep.
He could not sleep; he sala he thought he saw ular.
dered men IN his dreams, thought lie heard cries OF
distress 50 he gets NJ early II the morning, goes TO
the window peeps out aud sees the man Bell wan
dering pgpenward with bis arms fun OF corDstaks.
This remarkable domestic and bed-loving men-with
soul full o. charity but Of that domestic KIND that
never s.irs Gbroad-hnaiiy went out OF doors when
the sun was up and, condding III Mr.. schwartz, -
told to keep stu ami See what will develop This Is
why he dld not report before ana why the body was
not discovered sooner.
The jury, after pemg out three hours, brought IN
verdict OF guilty OF murder aud on che Wednesday
following he was senIoncea to be hung on the l2tn
oil November, 1869.
BELLS STATEMENTS.
He made many and conflicting ones, but we give
below his story To Iii ON yesterday morning. IN his
own language, as he sat In AIS cell for the last time
on earth:-
NV name ia wm G.. Bell; was born in Nashville, Tenn.
thtyseven thirty eight years of age: my parents
moved to saline county, Missouri 1893 father
when was about three years old when about
old my mother wen back TO Tennessee TO collect some
money shs got her and started home and the supps
sion that she was murdered and robbed have
brother and astcrs living Brunswick, Mo- had
education when my mother was torn from me was
bound George q. Harper, tailor; bound
him against my will had sesctod that liked
better; often cruelty beaten by Harper winnie
his children slept in good bed. made 10
sleep the floor on two old ragged quilts my principal
Saturday work to clean tho tnrnure:
occasion l working got hold Of cloth collar
when my master found oni he hung me up by rqpr
and beat with rope Mrs. Harper cut mo down this
was settlement IN Saline county, aud be-
ten old; then ran away to little Rock
and lived with man named Adam Dye, a careeaicr
liked bye think no Is tho only man ever saw that treat
et orphan children right stayed with Dye I'LL The sheriff
cleared him out; think siald with Dye for eighteen
two years Then taken by the authorities
and TO live with named Jc1e Reed; Reed was
cruel often whipped cruel and hard Tho last
time he whipped was on SUNDAY mornng' he whipped
lin