River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-09-24

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tunatoiy glanced, and the assassin nearly
fell, only saving himself by clutching at
William loFse. The animal was start.
led, and bounded forward, and never
Stacked until he reached the hall.
The young man. wound was found not
to be serious, and in ten days time he
was able to go about as usual. In the
meantime every exertion had been used
to discover the perpetrators of the our.
rage, but without result.
On August IL, following, about O'Clock
at night, when the moon was shining
brightly, the elder Leigh, his son, and
two daughters, were seated on the ter.
race in front of the dining-room windows,
which were open. The garden lay cut
below them, extending over several acres,
and beyond that was a small park thick
ly dotted with trees.
There are pei sons moving among the
trees in the park the elder girl said,
directing her fathers attention in the d.
rection of the figures.
The eyes Of all were turned toward the
park, and three persons were distinctly
seen lodging from one tree to another,
and advancing toward the hall.
"What can this meant" the elder
Leigh said. Whatever it may signify
let us be on our guard"
81 think, father, we had better 60 in
and close the windows" the elder daugh-
| ter said.
william" Mr.. Leigh said, summon
the men with their firearms, and let us
be prepared for the worst"
All this time the son had not spoken a
word, but had stood gazing intently to-
wards the mysterious figures. At his
fathers summons however, he turned
towards the house, and in ten minutes
six armed men were standing in the
shadow of the hall door, awaiting the APP
proach of the trespassers, whoever they
might be. In little time there was a
noise as cracking of brush, and the watch.
ers judged that the intruders were forcing
their way through the black-thorn hedge
that separated the garden from the park.
The bushes in the garden were thickly
planted and in full foliage, so that the
app zach Of any one from the park to-
wards the hall was thoroughly masked.
After having waited for half an hour with
no other signs ofsthe intruders, search
Of the garden was resolved on, and while
the elder Leigh and the butler remained
| to guard the approach to the dwelling,
young Leigh and three servants made a
Jhosough examination of the garden with
j out result. They returned to the hall,
which was then closed and properly bar.
| ricaded previous to the tImily's retiring
| to bed.
In the dead Of the night awful shrieks
reverberated through the dwelling. The
father and son, who had occupied adam
ing apartments since the latter's illness,
started from their sleep, hastily donned
a garment or two, seized each pistol and
a sword, and rushed forth to the corri-
doris. Hele they were almost Immediately
joined by the servants, who had also been
aroused by the terrific shrieks. The big
bell on the tower was rung to arouse the
villagers, and then the two Leighs hasten
ed to the rooms occupied by the girls.
The doors were fastened, and no response
came to the summons for admission. The
most dreadful fears took possession of
father and brother, and after some diff
Guilty the ponderous door was forced
! open.
Mary and Alice occupied suit Of three
rooms in the west angle of the hall with
one door of communication with the cor
ridor. On entering the first room, hich
was parlor or boudoir, everything was
in its accustomed order. But on enter
ing the adjoining room, which was the
sleeping apartment of the younger
daughter, Alice, dreadful scene was pre-
scented. The bed.clothes were gathered
in heap on the floor, and half covered
with them lay the beautiful alice, with
her night dress torn into shreds and
covered with blood. One eye protruded
from its socket, and the throat and face
were torn and bruised. The bosom was
dreadfully larcerated, and there were evil
dences that an atrocious outrage had been
perpetrated. In the inner room. occu-
pied by Mary, the elder daughter, the bed
was found unoccupied, and search dis.
closed the atfrghted and half-crazy girl
concealed behind the screen which in
summer covered the opening Of the large
fireplace. She could give no explanation
Of the scene beyond the fact that she was
aroused from her sleep by the shrieks of
her sister. She arose, and on reaching
the uOOF Oh communications SAW hllCe
struggling in the grasp Of two men. Sud
denly Mary was sliced from behind and
flung into her own room She Tell against
the fre-screen, and in a moment conceiv-
ed the idea Of concealing herself behind it
in the huge fireplace. Half dead with
fright, and shuddering A. the screams Of
her sister echoed through the rooms, she
lay there until she became unconscious.
Who the men were, or by shat means
they gained access TO thu apartments,
and quilted them, she knew not. Alice
lived Tor twelve hours after her discov.
cry, but remained unconscious to the last.
The dreadful shock to the system Of the
elder Leigh produced apoplexy, and he
died within the next week.
The whole neighborhood was stirred
with Indignation at the horrible outrage
and tragedy. How the perpetrators -
evidently the three men who had been
seen to cross the park had gained access
to the hall and to the apartments Of the
girls, was Il mystery. There was but
one door. as already said, leading
into the suite Of rooms from the corridors