Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-16
THE MISSOURI TRAGEDY.
AnOfhek Version of the Cause Of the
Double Murder.

Anothck Version of the Cause OF the
| Double Murder.
The telegraph has reported the kilhns
| in Carroll county, Missouri, on the night c.
| the 10th inst, by Robert Austin, Of bis wifi
ana Elijah Haley. 90 the alleged ground o.
| improper intimacy between them. The St
Louis Republican has q statement from ar
entirely different standpoint, and yet said
| to be equally reliable as to its source Of In
| formation, which is as follows;
"Robert Austin. and bis family lived on
farm on the Waconda pra'r.e. This farm
| was owned by Mrs. Austin, purchased from
her brother, out of money inherited from
her fathers estate. Austin, it is said, de-
| sired to possess himself OF this farm, and
used all endeavors to have it transferred 70
his name. Mrs. Austin resisted, express.
| ing her belief that Austin would desert her
| and the children if she consented. The
statement goes on to charge, that
falling to attain bis ends in this
| particular, Austin determined to
| murder bis wife aud SO obtain possession of
| The land in that way. H.s leaving home on
| Friday to 90 the Fair was merely p.etense;
/ iu This beth accounts agree. He said s.good
| byeD all rou. d, mounted bis horse, and rode
| away In the direction of Carrollton. 1t
does not appear whether he went to Carroll
| ton or not; it Is of no consequence. He
did not 90 to ST. Louis, but returned secretly
to his homo In the darkness and Stiffness OF
the night, entered his wife's chamber By an
outside door, fastened by string, which be
cut, and then conceaed himself. So far, up
to this point, there is no conflict between
the two statements, but from this the two
reports are wide as the poles apart. Elijah
Haley was young man whom Austin had
employed TO s0perintend the farm during
his absence. Hearing the noise Of Austin's
entrance, by the outside door, which was
evidently not the usual mode Of entrance,
Haley arose from bis own bed in an adjoin-
ing room and passed into Mrs. Austin's
bed chamber, where Austin was con-
cealed In the darkness, to ascertain the
cause Of the alarm. Just as Haley reach
ed the center Of tie room, Austin rose and
fired three shots. A moment afterwards,
Mrs. Austin, dresdfully shattered aud torn
in vital part lay, dreadful:y dying, and
Elijah Haley, the young farm Superintend-
ent, lay stone dead, with load ofbuckshot
in him. The statement has it, that Austin
Immediately sent for the relatives of bis dy-
ing wife, and his neighbors, and assumed
the role of the injured husband" He at
tended closely by the dying woman, who
must have suffered excruciating agony for
those five lingering hours of life, and frus-
trated all opportunity on her part to make
statement. Ali that she said was, just be-
fore she died, oh, Mr. Austin, why didn't
you kill me outright and save me this awful
agonyr Well might she say sol In any
event, whichever Of these two statements
10 az be correct, we'll may she have said,
why not kill me outright to save ME this
awful agonyp
"Mrs. Austin is reported by this state
ment to have teen devotedly attached to
her husband, but opposed to his possessing
himself Of the property for the reasons pre-
viously given. She is also reported TO have
expressed fear that Austin would kill her
about it. They we're in ST. Louis st the
Fair in 1872 on visit to friends on Olive
street, and her fondness for hin Was fire.
quentiy the subject Of remark. The bloody
drama Is so shocking in its nature ana the
parties to it SO widely known, that we can
well imagine the intense excitement which
is said to prevail on the stage of It's occur
renee. A day or two viii bring to Us the
full particulars and the fsc.s. OF these two
statements, while one must be false, the
other may Lot be entirely correct. In
case of such terrible results as this, where
so much of reputation is at stake on both
sides, Judgment has no basis short Of the
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