New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-09
THE TRAGEDY IN BULLITT.
The Mysterious Old Man and His Defense
of n Widows Home-.Who was He, and
Whittier did He Go.
from the Louisville COmMercia

From the Louisville ComMerciaLI
Last week there occurred in Bullitt
county strange affair, which IL as yet un-
solved in its particulars, but which was
one of those very peculiar fransac!i s
that seem to have no motive. A widow
lady, with daughter some eighteen years
of age, lived near Mount Washington. They
were without male protectors. and lived
quietly and securely. One day the OLD lady
received some five thousand dollars In pay
ment of an old account, and locked II up In
her trunk The night following was dark
and gloomy. and one that would cause
people naturally to bar and lock doors and
windows. and cause one TO hesitate to open
them to a stranger. Toward night an old,
bent-up. decrepit man came to the door,
and on it being opened asked for shelter for
the night The widow told him she was
alone, with no men folks about the house,
and she disliked to take a stranger under
her roof. The old man said he was a
stranger, poor, decrepit and destitute, and
only asked for shelter from the approaching
night.
The lady acceded to his request, and III
due time he was shown to his room up
stairs. The night grew darker outside, and
the widow and her daughter were preparing
to retire, when heavy knock came upon
the door and voices of men outside were
heard demanding admittance III threaten
ing tones. Terrified. knowing the danger
of possessing such a large sum of money.
the widow concluded that the parties out
side were confederates Of the man TO whom
she had given shelter. Acting upon this
suspicion. with trembling limbs, she ran up
stairs and locked the door of the suspicious
stranger Returning down stairs she heard
the blows of an axe on the door, and as
she reached the foot of the stairs encOunt-
cred the man she supposed she had locked
safely in his room. No longer decrepit, bent
and feeble the stranger stood upright and
assumed stalwart proportions. The gray
hair, the trembling voice had gone. and in
stead was man OF powerful build and de-
termined mein.
Believing that all was lost, the widow
exclaimed, You know what I've gOt-I'n
give it up
The stranger, instead of acceding to the
terrified wOman's Offer replied. Don't an
YOU" He held in his hands rifle he had
taken from the rack, and as the blows of
the assailants' axe fell fast upon the door,
pushed the widow into her room. The door
gave way and the first man that entered
was shot by the stranger, who grasped the
falling body and drew it inside the door. He
then pulled the door wide open, and fired
again, killing another of the assailants. The
party turned to fly, and another of their
stranger.
The attacking party having fed, the door
was secured, and the affrighted inmates
took occasion to examine the features of the
dead robber, who proved to be the sOn-in-
law and neighbOr of the widow.
In the morning another man was found
leaning over the fence, with his arm thrown
over the rails, dead MORALLY wounded,
his failing strength had carried him to the
fence, where, in supporting himself, he had
died. The stranger gave himself up to a
magistrate, who examined into the case, the
stranger refusing to give either his name,
place of residence or the nature OF his bust
ness. The magistrate ordered his discharge,
and the mysterious stranger departed. Who
he was. why he assumed the disguise he did
on that night, what was the nature of his
business or whittier he went. is mystery
not yet explained, and comment would be