The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-02-14
MURDER!
BRUTAL MURDER AR
SHERIDAN!
An Unknown Pedler'S Head
Beaten to a Jelly and
His Body Thrown
into Il Brook
THE MURDERERS SUPPOSED
TO HAVE ESCAPED BY
WAY OF AURORA!

On Wednesday information came to Sherlli
Mcintyre at Ottawa that brutal murder had
been committed the night before near Sheridan,
in this county, and that the body OF the mur,
dcred man was at or near Sheridan. The Sheriff
at once telegraphed to the Coroner, and took
the afternoon train to the scene of the murder
On arriving at Sheridan he found the following
to be about the state of facts:
On Tuesday peddler had been seen at Mil
Ilington with rather stylish wagon and good
team, with good stock of notions In his CON-
pany were two others, one apparently partner,
and the other pack peddler who appeared to
be spongng ride of the owner Of the wagon
II AZ events The la:t-.r ,,rnmhled AZ the others
riu'rs.g but the three left Mllington in company
and were next seen ut Newark, and next stopped
at the house of man named Terry, some three
miles north east of Sheridan, where one OF them
the pack man probably-askcd to stay all night,
but was refused This was about o'clock in
the evening, after dark, 1t was not over GO rods
from this house where the murder was com
mlttcd.
The ground presents every appearance Of a
hard struggle. Patches of snow are tramped up
arHl despatched with blood, and in one place the
entire print of body was left in the snow. Here
was also found common carpenters hammer,
and an ugly looking patent wretch, the latter
covered with blood, and cheap cotton hand
kerchief, also with blood upon it.
After killing the man, the murdcrers appsar to
have tied rope around the limbs and necr Of
the body and placed it in the wagon, and gon.
about 2l5 miles southeast towards Fox river,
but not being able to reach the river bank the
body was dumped into the ravinc through which
Mission creek runs. While doing this, the
horses seem to have taken fright and run away,
for a short distance from where the body was
taken out the wagon was overturned, and badly
broken up, one of the pcddler's boxes being
smashed and its contents scattered around The
horses becoming disengaged ran as far as Nor
way where they were caught next morning
They are now in charge of Mr.. Robinson, hotel
keeper at Sheridan.
The body is said to have been first seen by
couple of boys who passed the place returning
from a singing school about IL O'clock on Tues
day night but information Of the murder was
first given at Sheridan next morning by u gen
tleman living near the place where the body was
found.
The murdercrs were tracked to Serena, where
cs early as five o'clock next morning one of them
appeared at the dcdot and bought two tickets
for Galcna Junction, representing that the other
ticket was for lady at The hotel. About the
time the train started, howevcr,a very hard look.
ing man, with his face badly battered aid be-
smcarcd with blood and dirt, emerged from be-
hind the cars and took his place in the coach.
The two were seen together at Aurora, from
which place they were traced to Gaena June
ton, where they took the train to the west.
This is the last that is known Of them. No
efforts, however, we are told, will be spared to
trace them up and secure their ultimate arrest.
A Coroncr's jury on the murdered body was
held on Wednesday, and the facts elected sub
as above.
Nothing is known as to the identity of the I'M
fortunate pcddler. Among his papers appear
the names of 81. johnson e Co.." " Waxman,"
and jones' but none in such connection as
positively to indicate his name.