The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-30
The Mcbride AIessncre-Arrest and
Confession of she Murderer at Will
nnss1snavf Rsn

L - sAN isASASEksaG Is Observation-Disclosures anu
Confession OF the Murderer nc Will
ltamsporf. Pm.
| A dispatch from Philadelphia gives the
particulars of the murder OF Mrs. Isabella
Mcbride near Wiiliamsport, Pa, on Tues
day evening last. The dispatch says:
| The arrest Of Nelson Wade, brakeman
on the Philadelphia and Erie. railroad.
charged with the murder of Mrs. Isabella
Mcbride few miles from Wiliamsport.
Pa, on Tuesday evening last, has created as
much of sensation as the JennerviIle muir
der. Wade is we'll known in Philadelphia
and Camden, and previous to his arrest
charged with this crime bore good name
among bis associates, and It il difficult
matter TO convince them even now that he
committed the deed, although the evidence
to that effect is overwhelming by his own
confession.
The murdered woman. together with her
husband. have long resided in Linden. not
| great distance from Williamsport. They
| were both industrious, and by hard labor for
| near forty years had contrircd to lay by u
considerable SUM of money, some estimating
| 1t at $4,000. On Tuesday last it was noised
around the village that old Mcbride was
crazy, aud was giving his money away to
| any person who called upon him" Among
those who heard this -rumor was Wade, who
visited McBridc'S house, and was seen to
leave il late on Tuesday evening, together
with one or two other railroad men. The
visit was supposed by the neighbors to have
been simply for fun, but the later trip of
Wade, as it now trflnspires. was fraught with
! deed of blood that Mortified the people.
At the time of the murder,
TIE AGED COUPLE
| were making preparations to eat their eve
ming meal. Mrs. Mcbride, previous to set
ting down to the table, went to the cellar,
on the outside of the building, with Jar of
milk. The door being closed, she placed the
jar on the steps, and while cndcayoriug to
untastcn il she was approached from behind
by Il man who, without uttcrin~ q word
dealt her Il terrific blow on the head with
huge club, knocking her TO the ground,
Two or three more blows FROM the same in
strument and Mrs. Mcbride was a horribly
distgured corpse, her head having been
crushed TO Il jelly.
Wade, for such was the mIlrderer's name.
| then paused 4 moment and searched the
body, and found key to the closet in which
| We're stored the earnings of the old couple
With this and the same CORY club in bis hand
| he entered the farmhouse and encountered
| old MIR. Mcbride. The struggle between the
| two was but brief, and one or two heavy
blows on the head rendered Mcbride sense
| less, but not dead, as the ficnd supposed.
Wade then ranSacked the house. and sue
| cecdcd in finding between eight and ten
| thousand dollars in gold, with which he fed,
after having set the house on fire to destroy
| all traces of the horrible tragedy.
| On "Wednesday afternoon Il farmer riding
| by the Mcbride mansion was startled upon
hearing groanS, and upon alightng and pro-
ceeding to the house found old Mr.. Mcbride
writing in agony, but unable to speak above
whisper, and then unintcligiblv. Upon
going to the outside Of the building he dis
covered the body Of Mrs. Mcbride, and sscill-
| derS where the murderer had kinuled the
| fire, but which, fortunately for the ends OF
justice. did not accomplish the object for
| which it was intended. The news of the
murder soon spread like wild-fire. and the
farmers for twenty miles around flocked tc
| the scene of the deed. Couriers were dis
patched in every direction with directions to
stop Il certain farm-laborer who bad excited
suspicion !; but later in the day Wade was
arrested in house of ill-famc in Williams
port with fully $4,000 in gold on his person
and upon being pressed closely made Il clean
breast of the affair. He offered no resist
ance. and appeared as cool and uncOnccrncd
rs though nothing had happened. The pri
soner is now heavily ironed, aud is closely
guarded in the Lyconing county jill. Me
Bride is not expected to recover.
The arrest Of Wade was brought about
through information received by the sheriff
of Lycoming county from Il lad to whom
L Nr,I, Ii OF Ia.
so excited the boys curiosity that he asked
Wade to allow him to count the money, and
together they went TO Il barn in the out
skirts of WilIianl$port. when Wade opened
large bag and threw lis contents Of gold
and silver TO the ground. lie followed this
up by producing two more bags filed with
treasure, and, upon the boy making inquire,
us tn the manner in which he got the money
answered. laughingly. . That's my business
and lis all right a portion of the money
, lie buried near the barn in the presence Of
the lad after asking the latter to promise
HIM that he would not reveal its where
abouts to any person. This the boy prom
ised. and Wade then told him that he in
tended burying the remainder, and if III
should fail to return after Il certain date tht
lad could dig it up and retain it for his OWL
use. He then, accompanied by the latter
went to another spot i'll the vicinity OF TIT
| barn and
| THE SPECIE WAS BURIED
and the two separated. This information
was speedily communicated TO the authori
ties, and the murderer was shortly atlcrwart
arrested and placed in irons. Once in th'
. prison he began to laugh, and seemed TO b,
greatly amused and pleased on account o
, the sensation he had created. After an hou
OF so of confinement he sent for IN office
: and related the whole story of the murdc
, of Mrs. Mcbride. giving Il description OF TIN
| old lady's actions when he struck her tn,
, first blow with the club and went so fur II
!. to even attempt to initiate her cries. In thi
hcartlcSS undertaking hr was speedily check
ed, and he assumed an air Of injured limo
Z ccncc because he was not allowed to pro
coed. lie said that during his career he hat
/, killed several people, among whom WAS
: Spanish woman, and that the desire TO mllr
der had grown on him. and it WAS the eaScs
thing imaginable to make Il mn "croak
Z. when a person wanted to get lid of al oh
iectionable object. His first murder. as h
| related, was committed on the plains sever;l
wears ago, and since that time he had "pu
out Of the way" all whom he did not like
and he had never been even suspected. III
said he did not fear death, land was
READY TO SWING
whenever they got ready" His troubles b
tl,@ .p1,f nf fTn