Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-12-26
THE HANTLAND MYSTERY.
Traces of the Supposed snrder-
Tpscks DIscSvereA and q Bloody
Jacket FSund-A G b Ost en-
the Scene.

Traces OF the supposed 81 Aurdef-
T,sck s DI-csvsred and q Bloody
Jacket Found "A G host On
the Scene.
Tbs Denton, MD Union. has the
following in regard to the supposed
murder of PHILIPPE, by Blades and Dill
No further dsve spmt nts have yet
come TO light by Which to detect the
hiding place OF young Phillips. That
he was murdered and the body secre-
I'D there cannot even be the question
et > doubt. Thst he Was heard to say
on the night OF the murder he Was
going to Dill's honse. and did start in
that direction, ia abundantly proven.
Since that hour he has not been seen
or heard Of His hat was found on
the river bank, some twenty yards ia
front nf Dills house, tho rext morning.
There were marks and footprints near
q tootpath loading 10 the house of Dill
showing there had been scuf1e al If
some parties had been engaged in
tussle, and fence rail near Ey freshly
broken into three pieces. Also hoe
have been used es q uIurderoua veap
or. Although the Ststes Attorney
so- ti.is cocnty has sent up several par
WOOD. and crippies, who have laborsd
diligently. Il, clue ies yet been found
whereby 70 lead to tbs discovery Ct
! the body.
One Of the parties sent up the river
last week found tracks leading from
the river Through one OF the crit pies
to the main land, near q mile below
the resideI.cs Of Dill. One oE the
ehoez taken from Dili's foot, having 10
heel On It, exactly fitted one OF these
! tracks. and showed the impression in
! the soft mud Of no heel on tbs left foot
; and other distinguishing marks left by
! the sole Of the ahoe. Other tracks cor
. responded exactly with boot worn by
| Blades; the nails in tho heel of the
boot and piece Of leather which had
| been pegEed on TO one side of the sole
| having left the impression IN the mud
as clear and as distinct as ever a pat
| tern was moulded in the sand by the
most skilful moulder. These tracks.
ut er leaving the cripple, led towards
Dill's house. This party also found
! near the house, hanging to q tree, an
| old jacket. having on it spots of blood.
| It showed evidence OF having been re-
Gently washed, no doubt, with the in
tention Of destroying all traces i blood
upon it.
Dill's wife is much troubled a. the
fate of Phillips, and seems TO msnifes,
great interest concerning his murder.
She has been heard to SAY that she had
rather lose John Cher husband) and al
the children, than that Phillips should
have been murdered. There can be NJ
doubt of the intimacy existing between
Mre. Dill and Phillips, and this, too
with the full knowledge Of Dill him
self. She has Fl auenty sent her has
band from home to invite Phillips tt
the house when he has been III the
neighborhood. and other times ht
would come and go at his pleasure. -
Only week before the murder, Phil
lips paid q visit to the house, stayst
all night, and was ferried across th'
river by Dill himself the next morning
The two prisoners now in Jail, Dill
aud Blades, resided in tho same house
Blades was only married last Octobe
and has no children. The wives Of tn
two prisoners, since their arrest, hsv,
continued to abide in the same hons
until lasr week. At the witohiug hou
, of midnight they either saw or heard
or fanoied they saw and heard, tn
ghost of yonng Phillips, which had re
turned to tcrment them. They the
became terribly alarmed. deserted th
house, and without waiting to taste
the door, fed in haste to the house Z
} a colored man, quarter of mile di'
, | tant, and there spent the remainder q
5 the night The next day Blades W.:
gathered up her personal effects adj
8 left the scene of the murder entirely.
3 The two prisoners in Jail are yer
, reticent, and deny all participation j
= the crime or any knowledge of its pei
. petration. Bisdes is 8 young nai
t snd from appearances we would nt
= suppose him to be over 35. Dill
: about 8s years Of age. The eharacts
of neither is said to be above reprcael