Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-09-02
FIRST EDITION.
THE HUNTINGDON TRAGEDY.

LOVE uNRETURNED TAR AND FEATHEBs-THE
LADY IN THE CASE" SUMMONED TO VIEW HER
FEArHERED LovER-A PROBABLE MURDER-THE
MIssING BODY FOUND.
Last Friday, two oystermen found the mutt
lated remains OF man, in the water between
Cold Spring Harbor, and Oyster Bay, on Long
Island. They have since been identified az those
Of Chas. @ Kelsey, Of the town of Huntingdon,
few miles distant from where they were found.
He has been missing since the 4th Of last No.
vember.
Associated with this discovery is most singu-
lar and shocking narrative OF love, outrage, and
crime. MIR. Kelsey was young aud wealthy
resident of Huntingdon, with All ambitious, II
indiffsrently exercised, turn for literature. He
wrote what was intended for poetry; and he fell
in love with Miss Julia Smith another vlllager.
His suit did not prosper. She accepted the at
tentons OF Mr.. Royal Sammis, who remonstrat-
ed with him on his unwecome attentions, and
he promised to foreg0 them. Here the ulner-
ence begins between his friends aud his foes.
The latter say he wrote indecent letters to- and
constantly persecuted, his coy iadntordtd. The
former say he did no such thing, and was too
much gentleman to think Of annoying one he
loved. The foes however. assumed his guilt,
and resolved to punish hin. This they did by
masking themselves waylaying him. stripping
him on a bitter cold night last November, cut
ting off his long. poetic curls. gashing his head
in doing 30, anu covering MIN from nbdu 10 iOOl
with tai and feathers after which they invited a
party OF ladies' and among them the object OF
Ills unrequted affections, to inspect him, kind
v holding a lantern to expose the agony
# shame OF the wretched maltreated man. At
the Lantern he hurled b5ot, and brokef ON his
captors and was never seen again. He was
heard at home, going down-stairs into the yard,
and next morning bucket was found by the
well, with which he had evidently tried to
cleanse himself. There were evidences OF a
L. ~. hNF md a n n
| and wheels leading toward Lioyd's Beach. five
miles off. AT the beach his shirt bloody, was
| found with one boot, two lemons, anu neck
| tie The next day, James Hood, OF Lloyds
| Beach, said he saw two men with large bundle
| in a boat the night before, and they returned
without the bundle. There were now two, OF
| ather three theories about Kelsey. One, that
| he had made away with himself in fit OF pass
| ionate shame; another, that ho had been muir
| dered on the principle that dead men tell nc
tales. as in his struggles he had torn the masks
| from two OF his assallant5 and declared that he
| recognized them. The third theory started by
/ his avowed foes, was that he had kept away
/ simply to create a sensation, and that his where
| ab0nts we're perfectly well known.
The village was in ferment, Which hat
/ pcarcelv subsidized ever since. Henry II. Kelsey
| a BROTHER made an affidavit before Justice Mont
| fort, accusing DIR. George u. Banks, Royal John
| and David Sammis Claudus b. and Arthul
| Prince and others, all of them prominent mem
| bers Of the First Presbyterian church of the will
/ age, OF being the perpetrators of the outrage
/ The Justice held secret investigation agalns
| the protest of the accused, which resulted il
| their indictment for riot and assault The tria
| was set down for Sept. 18th, but was transferre'
| few days ago by an order from Judge Barnard
| to the Court OF Oyer and rerminer, which meet
/ in October.
This is the main part Of the story, up to thu
| time of the discovering of the body. The tw'
/ oystermen who caught 1t sent for the Coroner
| and an inquest has been held. The remains still
| had some tar aud feathers sticking to them, ant
they were positively identified by watch-chain
| a comb, and some other articles. 1t was testte
| to- before the inquest that the clothing OF tn
deceased found Lear his house, after the lynch
| ing was bloody.
The remains were ahockingly muti'ated, an
| without head or arms Kelzey'F relatives deslre
| to have funeral on Saturday, but it was decide
| to postpone it until tomorrow. The inquest wi
| be concluded to-day Naturally, there is grea
excit ment and division of public sentiment i
| the immediate neghblrhood of Huntingdon
| Even the churches are divided on the question
| and discussion of the case has led to more com
motion and bitter feeling than ID usually me
with in quiet suburban village. One side in
| niEts that the punishment OF Kelsey was deserve
and necessary, and that his turmentors shout
be permitted to GO scot free. The opposltlon,o %
| the contrary declare that the perpetrators OF tn
outrage must be punished at all hazards an
now that the body OF X slsey has been found, tn
cry OF murder is again and more vehementl
| raised