Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1872-05-16
ANOTHER BALTIMORE TRAGEDY.
Mrs Wilkinson Charged with
Conduct Unbecsming n Wife.
THE MURDERER GoADED TO MADNESS
He Procures a Butchers
Cleaver and Horribly
Mangles Her Head
and Hands.
THE CORONER's VERDICT.
The Act Partially justified by the
Weman's Alleged Guilt.


BALTIMORE, May 5, 1872.
Love, jealousy and revenge have aided
another to the long list of tragedies which
have dishgured the record of justice and
blurred the face of society in this commu-
nity In the silent hours of last night a
crime was committed in the eastern sec
| tion of this city, which, for ghastliness and
brutality, stands almost alone, A young
married woman aged about twenty-three,
of handsome and commanding appearance
and most engaging manners, was
LITERALLY HACKED TO PIECES =
in the bed where she sought rest and pro-
lection by her husbands side. With no
eye save that of his Maker to see him
John w. Il. Wilkinson, a respectable
man. residing at No. 6S McElderry street,
inflicted at twenty horrible wounds upon
his wife's head and person with a butch
er's cleaver, almost any one of which
would have produced instant death, and
then fed from the house. No time was
allowed for preparation /; not moment
for rcmonstrance. The poor, unfortunate
creature was sent to her last account be-
fore she could utter one cry to stay the
hand of she assassin. Her mother and
her little daughter, who slept IN the next
room. were not even aroused by the sounds
of strife, and not until this morning did
they discover the frightful crime that had
been committed so near and the irrepara-
Bile loss which had overtaken them.
DISCOVERY OF TIE HORRIBLE TRUTH.
At an carly hour Mrs. Clark, the mother
Of Emma Laura Wilkinson, surprised at
her daughters tardiness in coming down
stairs, visited her room, which was on
the second story, front, and only separated
! from her own by narrow passage. There
sight was presented well calculated to
curdie the blood in her veins. Her daugh-
ter, Mrs Wilkinson, lay on her back III
bed, with two frightful gasbes on the LETT
side of her face and head, several on the
! opposite side, her throat cut from ear TO
! ear, and her hands hacked to ribbons.
| The bed Was saturated with her blood,
and the cleaver found under the sheets
covered with blood and feathers.
KISSING TIE MANGLED FACE.
Mrs. Clark is very near sighted and at
first supposed her daughter asleep and
ceiyed by the discovery o: blood and all
the other indications of the tragedy. The
Herulds writer visited the scene OF the
homicide this morning and Cleaned the
following particulars: =
THE DOMESTIC RECORD.
John b. Wilkinson, tue murderer a.
wood-turner by trade, aud a ine-iooking
man. married Emma Laura Clark, the
victim. and the daughter of the late Ben
iamin j. Clark. very we'll known and
highly esteemed ci:izen of East Baltimore,
i've years ago last February. The de-
ceased was remarkably handsome and en-
gaging lady, and very much admired
About a year ago last December the wife
murderer was tak-n sick with the dropsy.
from which sickness he has never entirely
recovered. and which led to disease OF
the ewes that has very seriously impaired
his sight. He was enabled, however, to
distinguish objects readily with one eye,
and was by no means totally blind as mas
been alleged by many to day.
~.TrRAIIY OF JEALOUS DIsPoITIoN,
his sickness had the effect OF increasing
this fratality until it developed INTO
morbid passion. Wilkinson was possessed
of some means, which he had made over
to his wife since his sickness, and appears
to have reu,itted to her the entire control
of his affairs. Among his other property
was horse and wagon he kept for huck-
STEERING purposes. The wagon was driven
bv , man named Griswold, a rather good
looking fellow, who had been employed
bv Wilkinson since his sickness, and who
shared in the profits of the business.
HER INTIMACY WITH GRIswoLD.
Griswold. from the nature of his bust
ness. was compelled to visit the house OF
Wilkinson every day. An intimacy grew
ND between the former and Wilkinsons
wife which was of nature to attract the
attention of persons living in the neigh
borbovd. There was no evidence, how
ever. before the Coroner's jury to show
that the intimacy had been of an improper
character. and the members offthe family
all agreed that they had never known Mrs
Wilkinson to give her husband any cause
for jealousy or distrust. Wilkinson, since
his sickness. had become very moody and
despondent, and on several occasions had
threatened his wife, aud endeavored to ex-
tori n promise from her not to marry
again in case of bis death, which she IN
variably refused to give. Beyond this,
as far as the family could obseve, the re-
lations of the parties were perfectly sml-
cable
THE MURDERER's PRECAUTIONS
Wilkinson on Saturday night told his
motler-iu-law, Mrs. Clark. that he had
been very thirsty the night before, and
that, if he went down to get drink OF
,w,ier durir.g the night she must not be
.l.ru.ed About eleven o'clock. after the
house closed be went down stairs. as Mrs.
rIark supposed, to get some water. but
nr..ha blx TO obtain the cleayer. which had
armeriy belonged to her husband, and
wh;ob was in small cupboard on the first
aoor She heard no noise or disturbance
.f1ervards. and the supposition is thatg ne
ua;ted until the inmates were wrapped IN
nrofound slumber and his wife was sleep
inc peacefully by his side, and then with
TIE pEvILIsH MALIGNITy AND
~ r|r'f cRAFTINEss
-t;.b .nnears to characterize all murder |
vs. wb;cb result from diseased insaeina- |
t;o,. inflicted the ghastly wounds through
wbicb uassed away that young hfe ne had
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