Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-12-19
For the REPUBLICAN,.
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN WASHINGTON
COUNTY, PA.-AN OLD MAN
SEVENTY YEARS. OF AGE
MURDERED IN HIS BED
A REMARKABLE
WEAPON

Another most horrible and cold
blooded murder was perpetrated on
Wednesday night, Dec. 14th, in
Washington county, Pa. The de-
tails, when related, reveal a crime
that was planned with cold-blood-
ed deliberation that is horrible to
contemplate. The victim of the
tragedy, John Allingham, was the
proprietor of small store at Ell
dersviile, (where am now visiting }
He was an old man, of perhaps sew
enty years, and lived peaceably and
happily with his wife and brother on
the first floor of the store building,
in the rear of the store. On Wednes-
day night, Dec. 4th, at the usual
hour the couple retired to bed.
About midnight Mrs. Allingham was
aroused by a terrific report, as if
cannon had exploded in the room,
at the same time she felt singing
sensation in one of her fingers, and
found, upon waking, the bed was on
fire. The shock which the deafen-
ing report caused was so severe that
for some time the woman was un-
able to move. When she had par
TALLY recovered from her confusion
she very naturally turned to her
companion by her side and was
even more shocked to find him
dead. She Immediately screamed
for assistance, when several persons
living in that vicinity responded to
the alarm, and when the room was
lighted most dreadful sight was
revealed. The slugs from the
dreadful messenger, part of which
had wounded the hand of Mrs. Al
lingham, had buried themselves in
the skull of her husband "a portion of
the skull had been shot away and
the brains of the unfortunate vic
tim were scattered over the walls
and ceiling. The plans for the COM
mission of the crime we're: just
outside the window, and on the
porch had been erected a small plat
form, and upon this the deadly
weapon had been placed. The in
strument which had proved so ef
fective was a piece of water pipe,
four feet four inches in length, and
which had a bore of two inches. 1t
had been charged with slugs, and
lighted with long fuse. Robbery
was not the object, as the building
was not entered at all. In compli-
ance with the request of the citizens
of Eldersville, Mayor Blackmore,
of Pittsburgh, dispatched Detective
Joseph Capples to the scene. Sus-
piciOn seems to have rested on Hen
ry Briceland, a Mulatto, or Henry
Hawk as he is generally called,
About ten o'clock Thursday night
there was a cry down the road,
"They have got him." In a few
minutes Constable Porter, Charles
Hanlin. and Joseph Christ came up
the road from Paris station with
Briceland in custody" He was ia
ken to the McFee House where the
Jury was in session, and furnished
seat near the fire. He looked per-
fectly calm and was certainly very
cool. Squire Stewart approached
him and read the warrant upon
which he was arrested. The Squire
asked, "Are you innocent or guilty
of the charger" Briceland replied,
81 claim to be innocent. l know
nothing of the murder; first heard
of it at the Cross Roads this morn
ing. Why suspicion is thrown on
me I don't know. John didn't
like me, 1 know, and 1 confess /,
didn't like him; but as to killing him,
1 never did it, nor do l know any
thing of it, He was shown the
water-pipe and the sticks to which
it was bound, and from which the
fatal shot had been fired. He ex-
amined them carefully, but denied
ever having seen them before. The
prisoner was held in custody over
night. On Friday morning Andrew
lister (white) was arrested as an
accomplice and on the same day
both were committed to the Wash
ington Jail to await trial. ..
Respectfully yours,
WILL B. FARRA.