The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-04-03
A HORRIBLE MURDER.
THE WIFE OF A CLERGYMAN CHARGED
WITH KILLING ANOTHER WOMAN IN
FIT OF JEALOUSY.
The Clergyman and his Wife formerly resi-
dents Of Port Byron, in this County.


Port Byron, in this county 1t was known,
at the time they resided there, that Work
mans wife suspected her husband, the
sauctimonious parson, with having little
more 20 do with some Of the sisters than
was proper. and that they did not live on
the most amicabe terms, for that reason
II now seems that she had good reason to
be Jealous and that bis licentious propcn-
stiles have been the cause Of most horri-
bic crime. The parties were residents Of
the little town of Eureka, in Woodford
county, not far from Peoria, and the Peoria
Democrat, Of Wednesday morning gives
the details of the shocking affair as ioi-
lows
Last Sunday morning about Gight o CLOCK
a little boy. child of Mrs. Potter was
attracted to an object lying on the ground
In the rear Of the west school house IN
Eureka a town situated on the railroad ~
miles east OF this city There were some
Young pigs about the object. The child
went near, aud on getting distinct view
ran home, with fear and alarm depicted IN
his counteuance ~ tell his mother that
the pirs were eating the flesh on the face
of a woman over at the school house, The
story seemed too absurd to believe, but
the child was so earnest in his tale that al
last the mother, with some others repair
ed 10 the spot and were Mortified with the
CHASTITY spectacle of the face and neck Of a
deccntly dressed woman torn by the hogs
so a. 70 he past recognition. The fearful
tale was noiscd abroad Immediately and
hundreds were drawn to the spot to behold
the sickening spectacle. y messenger
was Immediately despatched 70 Metamora
the county seat for Coroner j. NJ. Johns
In the meantime coniectures were rife ~
u who the woman could be Whoever il
wa, she had been out visiting somewhere
as was Judged from her style of dress, with
black muff, black velvet hat and overs
shoes.
She was observed a. have q set of false
teeth She was short and stout built ana
1t was supposed she was about forty years
of are. Puddles of blood were found IN
different places near by, and blood wa,
spattrred upon her clothing Some was
also observed on the back OF her hands
and on her cuffs All this forbid the idea
that she had fallen down in a swoon or tlt
Il was evident that she had been violently
dealt with hy some person or persons IN
known. As the day wore on the whole
village was absorbed in the discussion of
the problem of who was she and who com
mittcd this awful deed2
About noon the body was identified %,
that Of Mrs Elizabeth Hedges, widow
lady whose residence was in the south part
.ut the village more than mile from the
scene of the murder The woman nus
band David j. Hedges. was killed seven
wears ago by a man named livingstone, and
she had four or five children living with
her A quarterly meeting of the Mrthp
dist Episcopal Church was in progress the
Saturday before and Mrs Hedge, GA the
Saturday Left home intending % be- az the
evening meeting She was member OI
the church and had been collecting som,
small sums for church purpose, Her
course was traced rs follow, In % stOr,
where she had deposited some money u
her own she called between three and
four clock IN the afternoon and Gtet
SI@J which with the collection money
might amount In the total tn $50 Nhl
next called at the residence of Mr.,
Gnuld near the west school house. an,
there took tea. She left tt1uld abou
seven t1 call uu q Mrs Woods prcviou, q
going On church She was not seen aliy
after this. In going IN Wood house sh
had tu pas. by the school house. and mu,
hav, been attacked by the way, for she dI
not reach Mr., Wood AT all
M money was found on the person ,
the murdered woman. which fact gave ri,
t. the suspicion thar she wa, killed for hc
money During the examination of Oh
body letter was found pinned IN her ur
dprclothlug for cOnCealmeut This lttte
had neither date. address or slgnatur,
The purport Of the letter was o. show tina
Abraham of old had more wives than on,
aud solomon had numerous concubiuc,
What could a widow woman mean by c1u
re3lIug such paper rs this about her per
SON just about this time some one men
toned that between nine and ten clock 0
the saturday evening the wife OF the Rev
I. g. Workman. Methodist minister ha
come home with % scratched and blood
face and explained hy saying she had ri
celved IL hy fall on the sidewalk
The coroner arrived from Nrtamor
about one o clock in the afternoon. \ b.
named Potter saw two women standing @
the sidewalk AT o clock gu Saturday nigh
Rev Mr. Workman was examined IN
admitted that he had written the lett,
found upon the deceased woman He Ia
given n tn her at prayer meeting at h
church two weeks before. He denied al
criminal intimacy with the woman b
would NOT explain what he meant hy giyil
her such % document
The case now seemed clear enough
many Workman or his wife it W
thought. had some connection with {
fearful crime Mrs Workman was mt on
summoned and placed on the witness stan
She Immediately tainted away and "
then removed to neighborinp hou
whore one Painting fit followed another
that it was impossible to obtain her tc,
m0ny
Mrs. Workman is represented as be
Of the same age as Mrs Hedges, and
a Family Of six children Her temper
said 70 be violent aud she wa, known to
jealous Of Mrs. Hedges. The convict
now Is that she Is the murderer. II
thought by some that Mrs Hedge int
ed 70 pay or did pay, the money she
tO Mrs Workman as a peace offering
that the latter after receiving the MOI
in the madness Of her jealousy, killed
on the spot.
Last night we received telegram Fl
Eureka as follows
The evidence is strong against y
Workman. She is crazy. When brou
into the court room she was wild. Go
not make anything out Of her at ALL ~
The Peoria Rericr gives a similar
count closing as follows
Mrs Workman is woman of yiol
temper and is said 10 have been iealou,
Mrs. Hedges for some time She is at
torty-siX years Of age aud has six child
the youngest an infant The murdt
woman was about forty years old, str
and active OF course there is no enc
theories Of the murder some people
posing tina; the two women met at
school house by appointment, Mrs He,
having drawn the Sl3j to purchase
Workman's silence that Mrs W '
there intending murder, and COMM
the crime by striking her victim on
head with club, atterward cutting
throat Others think the meeting wa,
cidental and that the first blow was stl
under the sudden impulse Of passion
Indicted for Murder.