Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-06-19
A Diabolical Crime Unearthed.
From the Atcbison mo. ! Champion.

From the Atchison (Mo. Champion.
Yesterday afternoon, Gays the Atchson
Champion. one OF the most diabolical and
fendish cases of cruel maltreatment that it has
ever been our duty 10 record wns discovered IN
Northwest Atchison, near the corner OF lnde-
| peDdence Avenue and Division street. About
one year ago, as the neighbors say, man by
| the name of A. w. Futile moved into the
house, frame cottage one and half stories
| high, brought with him some very good furnl-
ture and proceeded to establish himself to all
appearances permanently. The man was des-
crihed as being about forty or foriy-fve years
OF age. of rather small stature, and to all APP
pearance quiet and unassuming, The women in
the neighborhood evinced u friendly feeling
toward the family, and went over to call on
his daughter, a young lady about twenty
years of age They were met in the most pc.
lite manner, and told that he WAS living there
with one daughter, whose mind was not very
strong, and who was subject 20 epileptic hts
whenever a stranger came into the house, ana
he knew il would be unpleasant for them to
see her. OF course this satisfied the desire of
the ladies who came 10 call, but 1t did not IN
the least alay their curiosity.
Afterward woman in the neighborhood
went 10 the house when the man was away
and conversed with the young woman. She
seemed reticent, but showed no signs ofepilep-
tic fits, as her father had represented.
This was early in January, and it proved
not only the first visitor who got inside the
house, but it was undoubtedly the last. All
winter long the man seemed to hare nothing
to do, and was continually seen around his
house. All this was regarded suspiciously,
and as occasionally, at night, sort of fright
full cry was heard from the house, it became a
sort of chronic rumor that he was in the habit
Of hucir0 HE dauohtar and that IL wae thic
cause alone that led her in this mental condi-
ton. So strong had these rumors became that
Marshal Grail was informed of them, and for
several DAYS he had the house ''shadowed,o or
closely watched, until yesterday afternoon,
when the man not being seen around all day
it was determined to at least see the cause, and,
accompanied by an officer, he entered the
house.
The girl stated that her father had gone to
Kansas City for work, and would not return
for number of days. After looking about
the house for time the officer proceeded to
explore a cellar into which the girl forbade
him going.
Lighting a lamp the officers proceeded TO the
cellar, and there found one of the saddest and
most sickening sights that could be magned
In one corner, upon dirty, filthy pallet lay
a half-naked woman, chained with an iron
band around her ankle to a staple in the wall.
The FIRST question showed the half-crazed mem
tai condition in which the poor woman was,
and the cause which produced her horrible
confinement in this miserable hole. But one
little aperture permitted ventilation, and the
hole had a sckening smell, that was caused
by REORGANIZATION and the filthy surround
ings. On box, in dirty old yellow dish,
was some meat and stale bread. The chain
was taken off her leg by the use of small
iron bar and file, and the poor woman stood
on her feet.
For one year she has thus been confined,
and never once saw the light The girl said
the woman was her step-moiher, and was
crazy; but the quiet manner in which the wo-
man acted would tend to dissipate the story, or
if it was so the alteration of the mind must
have been very slight. The poor woman,
nearly dead from the excitement, was taken by
the neighbors, kindly washed, dressed and
cared for, and by the change would hardly be
known. She is tolerably fair looking wo-
man, and doesn't bear the appearance of harm
ing an infant. Her husband has disappeared
along with the daughter, and an attempt will
be made to arrest the parties.