Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-26
MURDER MOST FOUL.
An Aged Lady Taken Out OF Her
Bed and Hanged.
7 he Crime ShrOuded in Mystery.


len sville pike, there lived an old lady, 60
ye ars of age named Susan Housen, widow
CT the late Ben Housen, whose name was
familiar to the residents of Nashville many
years ago. We have heard it stated that
Mrs. Housen upwards of twenty years past
occupied the same house as renter, but not
elected by the owners. Smarting
made VOW that she would one day return
to the place, mistress of the domain. So
declaring, she came without means TO
Nashville, set to work industriously, and
in q lew years accumulated considerable
means. True to her word, she sought out
the over of the aforesaid property, pur-
chased the same, and for a considerable
period has lived there quietly, and bearing
the reputation of good christian woman.
Her homestead consisted of a comfortable
house, and upwards of seventy acres
of land, most OF which she kept under cul-
tivation. In addition to this property, she
also owned lot in this city, ana one in
Edgefeld. Living With this old lady at
her quiet country retreat was her son Viii
liam and his wife, and one or two children.
Having given our readers the benefit Of
the above predatory remarks, we will now
attempt to give the details of a tragedy
which is more or less shrouded in mystery,
but of which, however, sufficient is known
to chronicle the death by violence of
woman over whose head sixty
summers had passed, and whose history, if
all were told, has been an eventful one?
On Monday night last, according to the
statements made, Mrs. Housen, the daught-
er-in-law and the children retired to bed at
an early hour-the first named in a separate
room and the others in one adjoining. A
short while before sundown, William, the
son, proceeded to Mill creek on q little
fishing excursion, and had not returned
when the balance Of the family went to
bed.
1t was about P. NJ. when the daughter
in-law was awakened by screaming, and,
jumping out Of bed, she discovered that the
door leading to the old lady's room was
open. Feeling sure that something was
wrong, she ran Immediately to the resi-
dencG of the nearest neighbor, Mr.. Thomas
W. Barnes, who lived about three hundred
yards distant, and aroused him. That
gentleman came out as soon as possible,
carrying with him his gun. The two were
proceeding along the road, in the direction of
the house, when they came up with
Robert II. Patterson, another neighbor, who
hearing the screams that had proceeded
from the residence of Mrs. Housen, deter
mined to walk out and learn the cause. He
also took the precaution to get bis gun be-
fore leaving his premi es. Mr.. Barnes and
Mr.. Patterson, accompanied by the lady,
proceeded at once to the home of Mrs.
Housen, went into her room, and found the
feather bed and bed clothes on the floor,
the mattress still on the bedstead. They
called for Mrs, Housen, but she did not an
swer. They looked under the clothing
and under the bed, but she was no
where to be seen. After thorough
search had been made about the
house, without finding her, these gentlemen
took down a path that led from the house,
and discovered flannel petticoat. Going
along the same path, and about two hun
dred yards from the house, they found, to
their horror, the body of Mrs. Housen
dangling from q cross beam or pole which
had been used for suspending hogs after
tey they had been slaughtered. A cotton
plough-line had beeH wrapped around her
neck five times, and afterwards fastened as
securely to the pole above. Upon exami-
nation of the gallows, there were indi-
cations of the rough manner in
which the lady had been handled,
and other evidences which made
it certain that she met death not By her own
hands, but from some demon in human
shape. Upon the impulse of the moment,
one of the gentlemen pulled from his pocket
a knife and cut at the cord, but did not
sever it by tha stroke. The other gentle
man then said that she was lifeless beyond
doubt, and probably under the crcumstan-
ces it would be Better not to cut her down
until the Coroner was notified of
the fact. The body, however, in |
a short time afterwards fell to
the ground. The son returned from
the creek about IL O'Clock with a good
string of fish, which he dropped a short |
distance from the house, when he was ap- |
prised of the shocking event that had oc- |
Cured during his absence.
Coroner Everett was notified of the oc- |
currence before daylight by some market |
ers who came from that neighborhood, and |
proceeded Immediately to the place, where,
jury composed of Thos. w. |
Barnes, Thos. Chambers, John w. Lee, j. |
S. Smith, J. A. Dixon, j. F. Fields and |
K. III. Patterson, an inquest was held !
over the dead body, and every effort made l
to ascertain, if possible, the party or parties /
TO this foul murder, bat without success.
We have given above all the facts elected in
the Investigation before the jHry. Visiting
the place of execution, tracks of bare feet
were discovered and traced through field
in a westerly direction. Suspicion for a
rested on negro man who lived !
on the premises, but upon examination his
feet did not answer to the tracks made. |
The jury, after celebrating and patient
y listening to sll the evidence, returned
\ verdict, saying that "the said Mrs,
HOusen came to her death /
from being hung by the neck with a cotton
plough line, and it is the opinion of said
ury that she was hupg by some other per-
son than herself"
The deceased, we hear it stated, was a
of Sterling Guy, and was
he third one of The children who met an
death. One was drowned in the
James River, Virginia, another frozen TO
1eath, and this third one met death by
hanging.
After the Coroner returned to the city,
We understood that all her papers had been
'ound, but that blank book and pocket
book were missing-the latter containing
S100 belonging to the old lady, and small
AMOUNT Of money belonging to the
ION. The condition of the room
when Patterson and Barnes arrived, looBed
very much Ike it had been thoroughly
The fact of the bed and bed
ling being thrown on the floor seems TO
cad to that belief. 1t is to he hoped that
developments will occur in the next day or
wo which will bring the guilty parties to
his horrible deed to justice.
ON HAND.