The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-06-07
SHOCKING MURDER IN NEW YORK.


TUESDAY $ Telegraph 6epa'Chcs hoih ->'"
York City bring the details OF fearful trag-
edy at the Sturtevant House, corner of 29,h
ST. and Broadway, in that city, at about q
O'Clock that morning. The tragedy cNci'cs
the more interest in Illinois from the intimate
association of the chief parties with promi'
ncnt families in this state
On the breaking out of the Mexican war in
1916. and the call of the government for vol
unteers, the first regiment in the state was
raised by Col. JohnJ, Hardin, ofJacksonvillc
Hardin was a native of Kentucky, son of the
famous Ben. Hardin, of Bardstown; had
moved to Illinois and opened a law office; be
came noted in politics. was member of the
legislature from 1896 to 1910; and the peer OF
Douglas in debate; in 1913 he was elected to
Congress: and in 1916 took command, as we
have said, of the first Illinois regiment that
volunteered for Mexico, and Of which regi.
ment the writer hereof held the honorable
position @. NJ Sergeant
Hardin was simply magnificent man.
Brave to Il fault, noble, manly, generous, the
soul of honor he was the idol of his men, and
the "crack" regiment in the ser.
vice. The only engagement he was in was
at Buena Vista, where he fought with dash
and bravery which was afterwards called
reckless only because, in the last charge that
his regiment made, they were overwhelmed
by numbers and the brave Hardin was killed.
Before that he had twice saved the day by
boldly facing ten times his number and drv.
ing them off the field.
Sadly, in June 1S47, the regiment returned
home bearing the dead body of their Colonel
with them, and witnessing its interment with
all the honors of war at Jacksonville
The family of Col. Hardin, thus plunged in
grief consisted of his wife, fine looking
woman well up in the thrties; handsome
BOY, the brave Gen. M. d. Hardin, of the late
var, now lawyer in Chicago; and Il
laughter of 10, Nellie, blooming into beauti-
ul womanhood.
The scene of the subsequent history of the
amily lies in New York. A few years after
he close of the Mexican war Mrs. Hardin re.
moved with her family to New York, where
he became acquainted with and married the
ate Reuben Hyde Walworth, the famous
then widower, whose name is
o familiar to every law student. Chancellor
" had n son who fell in love with Nellie,
nd, in about 1853 the two were also married,
the father being husband Of the mother and
he son husband of the daughter.
But the latter marriage was not happy
ne. Mansfield T. Wslworth the husband of
tellic, though bred to the law, preferred
literary pursuits, and became the writer of
ovels of the Sylvanus Cobb school, which
lis pen became so prolific that in quantity he
ycelled Scott or James. His character and
disposition were even more reprehcnsible
han his occupation. His treatment of his
wife and family was harsh and brutal in the
xtreme Reckless, eXtravagant, dissipated, |
lc wasted his own patrimony and that Of his |
wife and children of whom he had five, and
lis poor wife was reduced to the necessity of
eeping boarding school at Saratoga to
maintain her family. The wife had obtained
divorce from her husband, but even that |
rought herself and children no peace The
rute still pursued her, maligning her char.
cter, and with threats of killing her and
er children eXtorting from her her hard
arnings. Her oldest son. Frank Walworth,
boy of 10, could stand this no longer Last
ionday, while his mother and sisters were
n visit to her brother in Chicago, Frank
Saratoga opened another of those insult.
lg letters from his father in New York to his
lother. Enraged to madness, the boy hast
ned to New York, stopped at the Sturtevant
louise and dropped his father a note to come
nd see him, The father called on him at 6
! the morning at room 267 in the Sturtevant
louise. Ten minutes after the father entered
he room four pistol shots were heard in rapid
accession, and then the boy coolly walked
ut and told the first persons he met that he
nd killed his father. He went to the nearest
Dlice station, and told the same story, and
as locked up. An examination of the room
'oulSt 'oHhI Hl''' tlit u ulii vi HIS SiilciltHl
Dung Frank who is still mere boy, of limi
d education, awaits his fate with the calm
css of conscious rcctitude, while the family
| Chicago are overwhelmed with grief
here will now be the usual laws delay, the
ing trial, and what THEY'VE shall see But
hatcver the law may say, popular sympathy
i'll he with the boy