River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-01-08
AN OLD WOAAR'S STORY.
The Fate Of an Old Mcrchant--IIis
NepheWs Saw His Head Off.
[Erom the Leyant Herald.l

A singular trial for murder has taken
place at Missiyria, and has ended in the
acquittal of the prisoners, two brothers
who were accused Of tie murder of
their uncle, a rich old Odessa mer.
chant.
The old man, having retired from act
i've life and wound up his business, re.
turned from Odessa some years ago and
settled down in Messivria, his native
town. Here he gave much in charity
to the poor, and behaved handsomely
TO his nephews, with whom he lived,
ana whom he helped out of poverty
into a respectable position in local
trade. Three years ago the old man
suddenly disappeared. No serious in.
quiry, however, was made to ascertain
what had become Of him. His neph.
ews made liberal donations to the
churches, and inherited, or rather ap.
propriated, the old man wealth. Prob
ably they would have been left entirely
undisturbed in the enjoyment Of their
riches, but for circumstance which,
for time, must have caused them some
trouble and anxiety.
On certain day in the early part Of
tkis year an old woman asked for an
audience with the cadi, and on being
admitted, made deposition as follows:
+" 1t was a dark, stormy night" the old
woman said, 1.-THE wind had several
times blown in my window sash, put.
ting out my lamp, and causing the
embers of nay fire to Fly abo.t the room.
Suddenly, amid the bowling Of the
storm, heard shrek, then moan.
Strange sounds followed, which seemed
to come from the house of my neigh
Dor, the Odessa merchant. | crossed
myself, and drank little raki to keep
up my courage, and then | remem bered
that there was a crack in the wall Of
my closet, through which | could see
into the house Of my neIghbor, the
merchant. Thither / went, and APP.
Piled my eye to the crevice in the mud
wall, and this is what | saw:
Two men were pressing down pill.
low upon the face Of another man,
whom they kept PROSTATE, and wo-
man was holding light. The old man
II recognized him-was very strong,
for he overthrow his nephews, although
his throat was cut and blood gushing
from the wounl. lie would have
escaped, but the woman struck him IN
the face with chair. His head was
bent backward, as though ne could not
keep it in its place on account of the
cash across his throat. Still his eyes
flashed life; he staggered toward the
window; but there he was egain struck
down by his nephews. Then they
sawed away at his throat till the head
was separated from the trunk.
The accuser went on TO say that she
threatened the murderers with the dis
closure Of the crime which she had wit
messed, but that they promised her
"hush money" that, as she was poor,
she agreed in consideration thereof to
hold her tongue, and that she washed
the blood from the floor Of the room
where the old man had been put to
death. The 'hush money!" however,
had not been paid, and as she was
starving, she determined TO make known
her story. The story was told in March
or April, but no proceedings were TAX
en- until August. The accused parties
were then arrested and cOntired in the
Ziptleh "0da." The old woman, too,
was put in prison, and was logged and
half smothered between mattresses
night after night until tho trial ended,
and the persons whom the ror poputi
still stigmatizes as murderers were de.
clared innocent.