The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-10

THE MURDER OF MRS. HEDGES.
A strange story Of Intrigue, JealS
Ousy and Blood aan

A strange story Of Intrigue, Jeals
Ousy and Blood sau
correspondence of the N. 7. World
PEORIA, ILL, April 5.-The discovery
IN startling murder committed on Sun
ity last under peculiar clrcumstances at
Eureka, Il town about twenty miles dis.
aa, from this city, is now tho topic Of
general conversation in Central Illinois,
Indicative as it Is no less Of horrible
crime than OF q melancholy evidence Of
moral dcpravlty. II the facts Of the case
m they now appear should eventually
proye 10 he true, then can Eureka claim TO
nave given to the world one Of tho most
unusu4l and revolving causes celebres Of
the times. The victim Of this crime, by
whomsoevcr committed, was a Mrs. Eliza.
b.lh Hedges, widow with five children
and u resident of Eureka, whose husband,
David J. Hedges, was killed In that neigh.
blrbnod some six or seven years ago by o
man named Kingman, in dispute about
fence boundary. The facts OF the dis.
cyvrry Of the murder and Of some singu-
lar circumstances connected with 1t are as
UJws:
About eight o'clock on the morning oil
Sunday, March 80, little boy while pass
lag school house situated on the west
side Of the town ard enclosed ina yard
Of half an acre in extent, surrounded on
three sides by isolated dwellings and the
other side adjoining wood pasture, OBJ.
served some hogs gathered about an OBJ.
cCt that was lying in Ou unused railway
clr about two feet deep, which extends
d.lgurally across the yard and close to a
corner Of the school house. Approaching
the spot the child observed to bis terror
that the dark object was the form Of
woman, fully dressed as If for the street,
with black muller, black velvet hat, and
0ycrshoes Fear added to the speed Of
the child us he ran honU to inform his
mother Of the strange discovery, coupled
rs 1t was, with tho announcement that
tue hogs were eating the flesh from the
wOman's face. AT first the boys mother
refused TO believe tho story, but finally
satisfied by tho child's carnestness that
something was wrong, she, with several
others, repaired to the school house and
found the child's account too true. Tho
body was that OF woman, short, and Of
stout build, and about forty years old
aud was ut first not recognized, as the
hogs had eaten away the face and neck Of
the unfortunate creature so as almost to
destroy all chance of Identification.
Blood was spattered about on her dress
and was lying in pools near by. Crowds
OF hOrrorstriCken people soon collected
ut tho spot, and surmise was rio as 10
who the woman could be- Nothing d.
rcClly proving that murder had been
committed was discovered for some time,
owing to the condition in which tho hogs
had lett the head and face, when it was
found that tho throat had been cut and
the head had been struck by club or
some similar heavy instrument. This
discovery was made by physician who
Ind reached the scene pending the arriv'
al Of the Coroner who had been sent for
al the county seat, Mctamora, about nine
miles distant. II was at first supposed
TINT the woman had fallen In swoon,
and in that state had been attacked and
icvOured by the hogs. Shortly after,
however, the body was identified as that
u Mrs. Hedges.
About noon u startling fact was devel-
opcd while searching the dead woman's
clothing. In order TO verify tho suspi-
ciOn that the murder had been committed
Tor the sake OF robbery, her clothing was
examined with the view Of discovering
whether large sum Of money which Mrs.
hedges was known TO have had with her
had been distracted. There were no
traces of this money, and what was more,
Letter was found upon her, pinned TO her
GnLcrclothing in such manner US to in
d.ca,e that il had been placed there for
concealmcnt. This letter, which had
neither address, date, nor signature, con-
tanned remarkable contents. 1t was Np-
p,rcnlly M argument Of peculiar nature
and had much 10 say about Abraham'E
having had more than one wiIo and thai
solomon had many concubincs. There
was more Of this sort Of thing, and while
the author Of tho letter was unknown, Il
Vas clear to all that It's possession by TIT
lead woman promised further unexpected
revelations A new train Of suspicion:
was evoked by the discovery OF this let
Ter The attention Of the community wa!
turned in the direction OF the Rev. Il. Q
Workman, the Minister OF tue Methods
Episcopal Church OF Eureka. Then FOL
lowed additional rumnrS and statements
to the elect that Mrs. Workman, the wifi
Of the preceding, had returned to heI
home on Saturday night between mint
aud ten o'clock with her lace scratched
and bloody, for which she accounted, OF
Icing questioned, by saying that she has
fallen on the sidewalk and had go injured
heTsclE
About ono o'clock Coroner Johns ar
rived from MetGmora and, after empauel
ling u Jury, he proceeded to on examina
lion. The first facts developed related I
the movements OF Mrs. Hedges on tn
previous day, Saturday, up 10 the hou
when she was last seen. II was show
that on that day she left her home In til
south part o! Eureka TO go up town wit
Tue intention Of attending a Quarterl
meeting that night OF The Methods
Church which was then in session and
which she was member. Between til
hours Of three aud tour she stopped ut
Store and obtained thOsum Of 1884 whiC
vas deposited there to her credit. Sh
hAd some other moneys with her ais
partly some small change that was in hC
pocketbOOk when she lett home IN
partly funds that she had collected f
lhe church, making IN all about $l6