The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-03-23
THE HARPER MYSTERY.
From the Missouri Republican.l


Nearly q year ago, when the eyes of tho
whole country had been directed TO old
John Harper by tho exciting contests In
which his famous horses were engaged,
his old Kentucky homo became the scene
of a startling ard mysterious tragedy.
He had gone with his stable to attend the
spring races at Lexington, leaving his
| aged brother and sister, Jacob and Betsy
| Harper, ut home. The three old people
| had never married, and were tho owners
of a fine estate, worth at least half mil
lion dollars, TO which the heirs expectant
were certain nephews Of other relatives
| living in the same county, or but few
miles away in the adjoining county OF
| Franklin. The first or second night of
the old turfmans absence, Jacob and
Betsy were murdered in their beds with
an old short-handled AK that had long
been in use about tho wood-pile. The
servants found Jacob dead next morning,
and Betsy speeches. with a mortal
wound in the head, of which she died ~
forwards withcu. even recovering con-
ciousness sufficient TO give any clue to the
mystery.
The same night old John Harper was
aroused from his couch in Longfellow's
stable. on the Lexington course, by his
| ostlers, who informed him that q stran-
| ger wanted t.see tho great race-horse.
such request at such an unreasonable
hour was both singular and suspicious.
II seemed 10 grow out of some evil de.
sign against his 1eet-footed prodigy but
when the whole story of that nights
dreadful deed was spread abroad next
morning, the public generally saw in the
curious incident at Longfellow's stable
IL ~ 4. - a.. 9, ct,
taneous murder Of all three of the old
Harpers. 1t was rumored that they had
made their wills, and the story had gone
forth that these wills were unfavora-
bic TO their nephew Adam Harper
Of Franklin. All the circumstances in
dicated that the murder had been COM
mitted by some one familiar with the
premises. The furniture was untouched
except the particular drawer in which
tho supposed wills were said to be kept
That had been ramsackcd and those docu-
ments were gone.
Here was enough to direct suspicion to-
wards Adam Harper, and nothing was
ever discovered TO divert it. His conduct
during tho coroner's Investigation; his
anxiety to show from the wounds that
they never could have been inflicted by IA
left-handed person; his coming TO the
place at night with party of disguised
men, and his futile efforts to eXtort some
confession from the negroes by pretending
to hang them, had the efiec. OF confirming
the suspicion of his guilt. All the crcum-
stances put ordinary robbery entirely out
Of the question as q motive for tho crime.
The negroes were born slaves Of the family.
and were so much attached to the old
folks that they refused TO leave the place
when set free. Old John Harper set
corps Of detectives al work, and then sud
| denly dismissed them under circumstances
that tended still more to confirm the sus-
picion against his nephew.
| The murderers had come on two horses
which they had hitched in an enclosure
| back Of tho house where no other horses
had been for months. Leading from the
house TO this hitching place were the
tracks Of two men; one made by large,
heavy man. the other by q smaller man,
wearing dandy boot. The detective who
followed these horse tracks in the direc-
ton of Adam Harpcr's house, returned
and was closeted with old John Harper.
The investigation was prosecuted no fur
Their. The detectives disclosures were
not made public, but the community in
ferred that the trail had become rather too
warm for the old man to run il any fur
| Their in that direction. Adam Harper
went before the grand jury Of Woodford
| county, but that body found no evidence
| that would justify them in bringing him
TO trial,
Still she people would talk, and finally
| Adam brought suit againt his cousin j.
| HARPER for SANDER, in saying that Adam
Harper and his son John had committed
| 70 nr.4itI 4 ilp
against him in the neighborhood, the
plaintiff got q chang of venue to the adj
! Joining county Of Scott, and in George
town q few days ago his claim for $500,
900 damages WAS given to the jury. The
evidence for the defense in this trial made
tho case against him stronger than over.
The facts VIC have stated above
we're in evidence and something
more besides. His attempt to prove an
abb on the night OF the murder broke
down, and the affidavit in which his son
John claimed to have been miles away
from tho scene with man named Duvall
until near about the supposed hour OF tho
murder was contradicted by Duvall in a
way that il seemed the young man had
only met Duvall for the purpose OF max
ing an apparent alibi. Witnesses swore
that there was hardly man in WoodiOrd
who did not believe Adam and his sen to
be the guilty parties. Moreover detec-
tive produced in court the measures Of the
tracks leading from the house to the hitch
ing place and swore that they fitted the
feet of the two suspected men.
Under these circumstances the jury nc
quilted j. Wallace Harper Of SANDER, aud
tho verdict for the defendant was received
with enthusiastic cheering, which the
court and IT, officers could not suppress.
And thus the case stands. There is no
evidence upon which court could con-
vict Adam and his. son; bu. they are sent
? forth 10 wear without relief or remedy
the burning brand of a terrible crime--to
1.-Two where every neighbor IL detective
watching for the missing link that may
| c,,e.,,, thar, o., tho 1norn nf fuurlorprk