The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-07-07
STRANGE TRAGEDY.

Far-Reac1lfng Vengeance of a
Deserted Wisconsin Wife The
FaitIless Husband and His
Paramour Hunted Down. and
Murdered. n 81 f@s.-.--.
The Florida papers. received here,
contain an account of a peculiarly
interesting tragedy in1 which Mr..
Keech. long missing from Fon du
Lac, Wisconsin, enacts a very i'm
portaEt part. He arrived in Florida
about a year and q half ago. He
purchased farm i'm St. Johns coun-
! ty, not far from Matanzas inlet He
was industrious and energeties and
soon became noted as one ofadhe
most prosperous farmers in the coun-
try. Mr.. Keecl1 was accompanied
by his wife. or by a woman.supposed
to be his wife. To all appearances,
the. two lived together in the utmost
peace and tranquilitys Some time
ago aFman calling Fhi4nself,J. S. New
ton. and representing himselflsas a
land Inspector, made his appearance
in. the Keech neig ghborhood, and re-
manned several days. lie. finally left,
and neither Mr. Keech nor his neigh-
bors thoughts any more of the stran-
ger. "A few days ago. however. be
again made his appearance. aud af-
ter making some inquiries OF AFR.
Williamss proceeded to Mfr. Keech s
house. Itshappened that Mr.. Keech
owed Mr.. Williams small sum Of
money, and had promised to call and
pay it the next day after Newton
made his appearance. That day,
however. and the next passed, and
Mr. Keeeh did not appear 60 fulfil
his promise. S Knowing his neighbor
to be avery prompt man i'm lis bust
ness affairs, Mr. Williams at once
proceeded to investigate the cause of
the unnsual delay. Mounting horse,
he rode to the farm of Keeeh, and
there discovered that a most afro
eious murder had sheen eommitted.
Mrs. Keech was found in her room,
shot to death, while Mr.. Keeeh lay
near by with his throat cut. bullet
hole in the back Of his head, and his
skull crushed in. Mr.. X Keech's neigh.
bors Immediately assembled and or
ganized two pursuing parties. one
under the command of Mr.. Virgil
Dupont, and the other under the
command of the Sheriff of ST. john s
county. They followed the murder
er nearly fifty miles. sparing neither
whip nor spur, and finally came up
with him in Volnsia county, where he
was endeavoring to make hissway on
foot to St.John's river. THE confess
sion ofthe murderer, which has been
made, invests the crime with mystic
rious interest. His name is j. Smith
Newton. and he says he was born in
Buenos Ayers. of English parents.
He says that his purpose was not
robbery, but the hope Of ultimate
gain. He states that the woman
known as Mrs. Ellen Keech was not
the wife of Mr.. Keech. but his mis-
tress, and that the real Mrs. Keech
is a resident of Fon du Lac, Wiscon-
son. Keeeh deserted his real wife,
took up with the murdered woman,
and fled to Florida. The prisoner
says he was employed by Mrs. K,
who is his aunt, to follow her truant
husband and murder him and his
mistress. AS a reward for bis trou-
BILE, Newton was to receive a share
of the estate of Mr.. Keech. which is
said to be worth about $4,000. An
= II. 80 - i T. ssgz Fl = a7 j.
citizens of Orange county to lynch
Newton. and it was the fea= Of this
that lead him TO confess his crime.