The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-11-18
THE BLACK TARN.
How u Murderer Was Discovered

THE BLACK TARN.
How Murderer Was Discovered.
FIVE or six miles to the north of thu
small town of Brompton, in Cumberland
| England, there is a mountain lake known
| as Black Tarn. In the neighborhood art
sheep farms, and a few insignificant ham
| lets lie here and there around. In one OF
these, known as Hayton, murder was
pcrpetrated, accompanied by cruel out
rage. AT the east end of the village there
resided one John Coulter, who kept bee1
shop and cultivated small farm. He
was rough, uncouth man, addicted to
drink, and when he was incapable of at
tending to his customers who came of a
night for beer his daughter, a''comely girl
Of seventeen, waited upon them. He had
son, also, but he was in Carlisle, learn
ing a trade, and seldom visited his native
village.
Coulter was reported TO be worth few
hundred pounds, and consequently passed
in the neighborhood for a man of means.
A young man named Armstrong had been
courting his daughter, but he had been
driven off by Coulter for assaulting a
farmer, who was the latter's friend. Arm
strong had quilted the neighborhood, hay
ing, as was supposed, enlisted. At the
time now referred to Kate, Coulter's
daughter, was receiving attentions from
one George Routledge, the son Of IA grocer
in Brompton.
On the morning Of the 10th of last
February Coulter arose late, having been
drunk, as usual, the night before. Hear
ing no sounds below that would indicate
his daughters being around, he went to
the top of the stairs and called her by
name. No answer came, and he hastily
donned his clothes and descended. The
stairs led down into the back kitchen, and
when he reached the bottom he saw the
door leading into the yard open. Think
ing that his daughter might be in the Dyer
he again called her name, but to no pur-
pose Then he f,assef9 insa the har, zrhinh
was Il Sllldll lDbin W llll q NlIIip" olICillllE
into the main room. The glasses stood
around unwashed, there was no fire in the
CRATE, and the disorder showed plainly
that Kate had not been at work that morn
ing.
Coulter searched around, but could see
nothing of his daughter. The bed in her
chamber had not been slept in, and her
cloak and bonnet were missing He sum-
moned one of the neighbors, and when
the news got around that Kate Coulter had
suddenly disappeared from home crowd
of sympathizers gathered around the fa-
ther and offered assistance and counsel.
David Redd, the blacksmith, testified
that he was the last to quit the inn the
night before, and that Kate bade him
good night, and drew the bolt in the door.
1t was then ten O'Clock. Peter Steele, the
village Constable, confirmed Redd's state
ment, as they were in company, Steele
leaving the house only few minutes be-
fore Redd, who remained to get a light for
his pipe. Beyond this there was absolutely
no testimony.
Coulter, accompanied by his friends,
searched the neighborhood for the missing
girl, but with no success. George Rout,
ledge, her lover, who had been notified,
reached the village in the afternoon and
Joined in the search. Mounted police
from Brompton, and then officers from
Carlisle, wepe speedily on the spot, and the
whole country was secured. No
traces, however, of the lost one were met
with.
Days and weeks went by and the mys-
terry remained unsolved. One day, about a
week after the girls disappearance, Arm
strong's old mother put her head in at
Coulter's door and said in a bitter tone:
"Ah, Mr.. Coulter, so you've lost your
pretty miss! Now we're even. You drove
away my boy, and now the devil has drove
away your daughter"
Then she gave malignant laugh and
departed.
Toward the middle of March two coun-
try lads, amusing themselves around
Black Tarn, saw something white among
the rushes. On closely examining the
object they discovered Il to be human
arm. With branch of tree they pushed
aside the rushes and r-plants, and the
body of female was disclosed. They
were at first disposed to run away, but
finally resolved to haul out the body.
This they did with some difficulty, and
laid it on the grass. 1t was in an excel
lent state of preservation, owing to the
ice, which had just broken up, and the
features were perfect. Both the lads
identified the corpse as that of the miss.
ing girl, Kate Coulter. Covering it with
rushes and leaves, they started for the
village and informed the grief stricken
father of their discovery. The body was
carefully removed to Coulter's house, and
a Coroner's inquest was held. The body
when found was entirely naked, and
search was made for the unfortunate girls
clothing. They were found under pile
of stones about 200 yards from where the
COl psf was uiSSoNOiSu. lhCy "SAS VII
and blood-stained, and traces of blooo
were observable on them. What the OBJ
iect of the murderer was in removing thu
clothing was beyond comprehension; bu
that he had an object was evident. A
verdict of willful murder against som'
person or persons unknown was returned
by the Coroner's jury, and the corpse wa
inferred with becoming solemnity.
A large reward was offered for any in
formation which might lead to the appre
hension of the guilty person, and tn
Lord Lieutenant of the county special.
interested himself in the matter AM
caused expert detectives to be sent fron
London to investigate the affair thorough
ly. 1t will be remembered that Kat
Coulter disappeared on the night of Fet
8. The detectives accidentally cam
across one Robert Johnstone, a ashoemake
who said that on the night mentioned
about seven O'Clock, he was at work in hi
shop in Brompton, which was on the d