, 1874-12-06

! rooms being divided by poaTu PAlslt1ons.
lcan-to at the rear was finished OF aud used as :
| bedroom for the hired man, while 1Ir. and Mrs
! Davis occupied bedroom DOWNSTAIRS. large
chamber at tie head of the stairs WAS occuploe
bv Martin Bunpell; and Jennie Davls-a school
teacher-slcpt in tue adjoining room with a hel
! tragedy, was the youngest of the family bu
| little over 16 years of age, with splendid com
pie1ion. black hair, and sparkling eyes, she wal
Tie net and beauty Of the household.
| night last, Almeda Davis bade her parents gooc
=! night, and sought her couch In the little
! chamber above. Ten minutes after Almedn
had retired, Bunnel1 took OF his coat and
boots and, leaving them IN m the fam family sitting
usually cold. Mrs. Davis feared that her guest
! might not rest qnietly, and accordingly, about
| fifteen minutes after Bunnell went to bed, she
| went to the head of The stairs and asked him II
be had clothes enough to Keep him warm. He
! same question to her daughter, but received no
| answer. The second aud third time was the
! same inquiry put, but without obtaining any
| reply, At last the mother stepped into the
| daughters room, and felt Of the bed, but found
| 1t empty; at the same time she saw something
like womans form standing near tho window
| III Bunnells room. The mother said, "Meda,
I'll settle with you for this in the morning, " and
went down stairs. Another report says that
| Al1neda soon followed her mother, went into her
fathers room, and then returned upstairs; pos
| sibly this may be no.
About fifteen minutes had passed, when Bun
nell suddenly made his appearance i'll the family
room, seized his coat and hat, and, not stopping
to sit down, drew on his boots and rushed out OF
DOORS passing jennie Davis, aud asking her II
she WIS writing. Not more than twenty minutes
after Bunnelr5 abrupt departure, Jennie went
up-stairs to bed, not taking any light With her,
as she expected to ind candle IN nor sisters
room. all Was dark. however. but, being fan1ii-
lar with the position Of the furniture, she did not
strike match, but proceeded at once to unureas
herself. She had taken of her collar and belt.
when she called her sister, but received no att
swer, Again she spoke, aud, Almeda continuing
Silent Jennie thought to awake her. aud put her
hand upon tue bed. At first she felt nothing
save the bed-clothes then her hand was thrust
into what che supposed was water, and, ID q
moment after, she touched her sisters arm,
which was limp and ifeless.
In moment the fearful truth flashed through
Jeunie's: mind her sister was deadl Her cries
at once brought the family TO tue room, and. as
the light flashed upou the scene, all snrank bacd
horror stricken ut the signt. Poor Meda lay
Lfeless before them, her lise's blood flooding the
bed and carpet, and bespatlerinG the walls. The
room is very small, requiring the bedssead to be
placed diagonally from the window IN order to
allow the door to be opened Tho head Of tue
bed WAS towald the window. and but 3 short dis
lance from it. The body Of the girl lay dlago-
nally across the bed, her head near the window;
the right side Of the face was turned slightly
upward the back WAS upward, and tue left leg
hung over the side Of the bed; the body Was cor-
cred with an army-blanket, LEAVING exposed
OF the body and face prevented the par
ents from ut first learning the cause OF
the death OF the daughter; but, upon
close examination, it WAS seen that her
head had been nearly severed from her body,
and the instrument with which the deed had
been committed lay, reeking With the poor girls
blood, but q few inches from her head. The
throat had been fearfully mangled, no less than
FIVE cuts appeared upon 1t. Two OF the cuts
were superficial penetrating only through the
akin and flesh; thud injured the Wiudpipe
slightly, while tho fourth penetrated that organ;
the ffih and most fatal wound nearly severed
tho wlndplpe, cut through the jugular vein, but
escaped the principal artery. lie organs Of
sound we're also destroyed, which would pre-
while the bloody deed was being perpetrated.
The body was dressed only in chemise and
stockings; the chemise was OF course saturated
with blood; little blood WAS upon her stock1nE-
legs, as II the deceased had been standing up;
and considerable blood was upon the bottom. show
Ing that the soles Of the feet had been upon the
door. There wero few evidences Of struggle,
indeed little else than bruises about the face
aud nose, as If & hand had been pressed violent
IL over the mouth to prevent outcry. A rag
carpet upon the floor WAS a mass Of gore. and
the blood had sIe1ted in several directions, some
OF the streams flying at least eix feet The
razor belonged to Alr. Davis, but its place Of
keeping Was well known to deceased, and alho
Bunnel1.
Neighpors came in in few minutes,
and particulars OF the affair were
sent to Deputy Sheriff Dennis, at Bron-
son. Circumstances pointed out Bunnell
as the perpet,ator OF this hendish crime, and
Mr.. Dennis resolved to arrest him. TAXING
posse OF five men, he stated for Dunnclls
home, miles distant, which was safely reached
after most fasiguing journey through the oriv-
ing storm. Upon arriving at the house OF
BinneIIs father admittance refused the
party. although the Sheriff made known his Of
tice and object Of his vihit,-the parents OF
Bunneu stoutly denying that their son was at
home. The Sheriff was not to be driven from
his purpose, and, bursting open the door, pro-
ceeded to search every apartment,-the parents
OF Bunnell protesting against 1.-THE outrage"
and asserting that Mattln had not been at home
for day or two. Their protestatious were un-
avalling, aud finally the Young man was found
in an upper room, secreted under the bed. lie
was Immediately taken to BrunsOu, and confined
under guard until Saturday.
In Brouson nothing was talked about on
Saturday, except tho murder, OF, az many be-
lieved, the suicide, Of Almeda Davis. The
friends Of the family maintained that it Was q
clear case of wauton murder. aad were anxious
that justice should be u1eted out to Buunel,
whose guilt. they declared, was too plain to admit
Of doubt. Others, however, believed that the
unfortunate girl took her own life rather
tlan meet tNe reprOacaea 01 ReI 1a1nlly An III
quest was held by Esquire Morreu over the re-
mains OF the deceased, Dr. Burns examin-
ing the body and giving description Of the
wounds. The jury, after hearing all the
circumstances and looking 1T the su1-
roundings. returned verdict of suicide. This,
however, did not e1culpate Bunnell, and he was
still held in custody, aud placed in jail in this
city for safe-keeping. His examination will take
place some day tLis week. but the time and place
We have not been able to ascertain. 1nnumera-
1o}ir ri
heart1ending affair. some Of them materially af-
feeling tae prisoner and others calculated to
injure the character Of the poor girl. It would
be improper for US to givo currency to these re-
ports, and thus prejudice the public mind for or
against the prisoner We have therefore, given
only the facts concerning the tragedy.
touching upou attending circumstances or altud-
ing to current rumors.
POLITICAL.