The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1872-10-10
NO. 46
Curious Mistake in Identify.

''''6 '-'t t'''N PN6~ "''NA POS" va lsatli'bS-
ing narrative upon this single theme, but
our limited space permits us to give but a
few examples. Those that We note, how
ever, will be found curious enough:
Ia 1851, Captain Johd Bucksou, master
Of sailing vessel, lived with lis wife
Nancy in beautiful little cottuge in the
yilluge of Scckonk, near Providence,
Rhode Island. lie was a man of sphot-
less character, religious almostto Puritan.
ism, but also very passionate and that
Nancy, being greatly younger than him
self, and very fair to. look upon, should
have grown fretful and unruly, did not
ada much quietnoss to histempor, They
quarrollcd often, and late one evening Il
ucighbor passing the cottage saw through
the open window the husband standing
over the wife in a threatening attitude,
with long whip-cord in his clenchcd hand
aud heard also an uncomfortable burst of
rage, and many threats Of violence. The
next morning the cottage was closed and
deserted. This, however, excited no at.
tention, us john was supposed TO have left
on sailing trip, and Nancy was accus-
toned to depart frequently, without ans
nouncemeut, to visit relatives in peiCh.
boring town. But that afternoon a little
dog accompanying picnic party in the
adjacent woods paved and howlcd at a
heap of sand until the merry party exam
ined it, and found there-the corpse of
Nancy Buckson, The people of the town
hocked around the body recognizing the
deceased, her clothes, and her jowelry.-
Lbe had been strangled with a cord, and
chloride of lime had been sprinklcd over
her body to hasten decomposition. The
cottage was searched, and a whip.co'd was
found upon the floor which Fitted exactly
to the mark on the victims neck and in
the cellar was box Of chloride of lime
like that scattered upon the body. Buck
son was arrested, indicted and on the dap
Of trial tLat would have sent him to the
gallows. Nancy Buclson, alive and we'll,
though cross as ever, walked into the VIII
lagc, fresh from a visit to distant relatives.
The mystery Of the murder was never
solved. The articles of dress and jcweIry
on the corps were recognized 10y Nancy as
taken from the bureau io her cettoge'
One morning in 1861, a New Jersey
wharfman complained to his master thata
barrel Of pitch had been stolen from the
pier. The same morning the clerk Of a
New York hotel complained to his pro-
prictor that Mrs. Ada Richard, woman
Of marvellous beauty, but frail of charac-
ter, had suddenly ard iucXPl!cabIy left
without paying her bill. The next day
there was foUnd floating in the North river
barrel Of pitch. and tied to it b7 a rope
around the neck was thocorpso Of beau
tiful woman, clothed only in a night dress.
4 gag fastened in the mouth was the only
mark Of violence; but that was sufficient
to evidence murder. The form was Of
wonderful beauty. Upon one Of the lower
limbs was the cicatriX Of an old wound
The body was inferred without recogni-
ton, but the head preserved. \ few days
after a gentleman intimately acquainted
with AJa Richard recognized the face as
hers beyond the shadow of doubt. The
police then interviewed her husbaId,
Cha. Ri hard, cautiously conceaIiug her
supposed death. lie freely entered into
a description of her history and person,
mentioned the mark, of an old wound and
its position, regretted the injury to her
beautiful teeth By the loss of one on the
left side, and laughed at her having worn
earrings SO heavy as to cut her ears and
pecessitate second piercing very high up.
The wound, the lost tooth, and the marks
on the cars coincided exactly with the
corpse. Richard was then shown the pre-.
served head, and fell back in utter horror
of sudden recognition. The mystery was
solved-but only for day. Of sudden
Ada Richard, as beautiful asever, return
ed from a months trip to New Orleans.
No further discoveries have eyor been
made.
Opr third and last case occurred in Tho
summer of 1896. in Luzerne Valley, Penn
NJ V-., ~. w IL