The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-09-27
The Mo'dcr Of EmHie Rogers.
A CURIOUS TRAIN or CIRCUMSTANCE
SWIFT RETE.BUTION.

The telegraph few days ago reported
horrible case of murder in Tennessee
The newspaper Tecouuts of the affair fur
niSh one Of the most remarkable cases of
circumstantial evidence on record.
1t appears that III the little town of Rip
ley, I4audcrdale county, Tennessee, Is a
small sheet of water, known by the name
of Jennings Pond. Some four weeks ago
n fisherman discovered In the middle OF this
pond the body of a woman. Drawing it
ashore. the coroner was summoned and q
haStv inquest held. The flesh had Sonear-
" disappeared from the face of the dead as
to make recognition of the features impos-
siblc The hair was of a dark auburn color,
and the general appearance of the body in
dicatCd a person about forty OF turty-t.Ve
wears of age. The clothing consisted of a
gray shawl. calico dress cut in wrapper
form, a chemise of fire material, fastened
the neck with a gold button; drawers
lufiled round the bottom and secured by
elastics neat cotton stockings kept in place
by the same kind of gaTters, and cloth
shoes, number two in size. laced up i'll front.
On one of the fingers WAS a well-wOrn old
RING inscribed with the letters ~. c.
In the back of the head was q wound. ap-
parcutly made 10y a pistol ball, sufficient to
cause immediate death. The woman had
uumcStiouably been murdered, but when
then todeteIminc verdict was rendered
i'll accordance with the scanty facts, and
the body was consigned 10 the resting place
which hides So many unknown and una
vcngcd victims Of mans malice.
But in this instance Swift-fOoted Meme
sis was abroad, and reached the assassin
by a path ciIcuitous indeed, yet terribly
certain.
In the nefghborhood Of Ripley there lived
hls wife and one child. Mr.. and Mrs. Hill
puarrcled, and she became exceedingly aux-
ions to leave him and return TO her parents,
who were living III Louisiana. Her father
came to Tennessee for the purpose of get
ting his daughter, but Hin threatened to
shoot him if lie attempted to Ike her away,
and he was obliged to desiSt. lie did.
however, succeed in culiSting the sympathy
of the community, two of whom. MeSSls.
kirkSey and Common, lent their aid and ia
cilitatcd the escape of Mrs. Hin To Mem
phis. kirkscy then sought an interview
with Hin. arranged some sort of domestic ic
compromise which resulted in the husband
selling of all his Irul crty and joining his
wife. when the whole family proceeded To
a new and, let US hope, a happier home in
Louisiana The efforts of kirksey as a
peacemakcrto took him away from Ripley for
several days. and during his abSeuce the
murdered woman was found III Jennings
Pond. For some reason not given in the
ill-digeStCd account we are following the
report was stated that the woman was no
other than Mrs. Hin, who had been killed
10y Kirksey to conceal. perhaps, the cvi-
dyuCeS of another crime. The accused.
conscious IF his own innocence. demanded
that the body should be cxhumcd and ex-
amiued more carefully, in order to satisfy
all that it was not Mrs Hill.
This was accordingly done, and the un-
derclothing being removed and washed dis
i'm plain German text. This of course. re-
Heved EirkSey from suspicion, and at the
same time revived the public interest in
the almost forgotten homicide. The ques-
tiuu was asked by every one ''Who is
Emile Rogers - Nv Is hermurdereT9''
Inquiry and discussion AT last brought a
slight though tangible trail from the infuI-
nation given 10y Mr. c.. G. Shipp, a ieweler
in Ripley, who remembered that n few
weeks previous man named w. !. Martin,
living in the ucighborhood, brought to his
shop two very tine gold rings To be reunited.
they having been, as the owner said, filed
from his fingers on account of being too
tight.
hirkSCy, with the instinct of a true de
tectivc. at once began Ia investigate Mar
tins antecedentS, and speedily struck 4
rich mIne OI l0ClS. he man, IL appears,
had arrived in i.audeTdale county in Jauu-
arv. 1870. it is said from entucky-though
nothing certain is known of his former res
idoncc He soon after married the daugh-
ter of a respectable farmer in the vicinity,
aud remained an inmate of his father-iu-
law 5 household until April of the present
year, when, without any apparent object.
he made trip to Arkansas, leaving his
wife behind. He returned from this trip
in the early part of August bringing sew
eIal horses and mules, a large Saratoga
trunk, and a wagon-luad of dry goods,
boxes, the contents ofwhici were url5Y9yn.
ii was aScertamcd. however. that a,nono
other articles he had presented his wifi,
with lady watch, bearing the inscription.
"N. j. Rogers, to his wife Emilie.'' 1hiS
watch he said he had purchased while alb
sent. Deemng this information sufficient
to warrant an arrest, kiTksey and the deu-
uty sheriff Of Lauderdale county, with a
small posse, called at Martin residence on
lseteuee Of wanting him TO 60 bun ing and
i.shing with them. He promptly made his
appearance, but after advancing me tif-
teen Iaces suddenly stopped and seemed on
The point OF e-cntcring the house. A gun