The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-02-04

A Young Married Woman Shot Dead in Her
Own House-A Terrible and Mysterious
Affair.
Haverhill N. H. Cor New York Herald
About ten o'clock yesterday afternoon
Mrs. Alma, wife of John O. Emerson, Of
Plermont, was seated at the stove with
her sewing. Her husband was at the
barn dong his chores, but, hearing the
report OF gun, he started for the house
and beheld his wife sitting Just as he had
left her, except that her head had been
severed from the body and blown en-
tirely to pieces, covering the further
side OF the room with flesh, blood and
brains. Part of the skull went through
pane of glass, and with such force as
only to break hole the size of the piece
sent through. A gun laid upon the floor
by her side, but her position showed that
she could not have used it, she holding
her needle as if about to take another
sttch III her work, her spool and scissors
remaining In her lap. It is not known
that any one was about the premises ex-
cept an old man named Sawyer some
sixty years OF age, who has been arrested
on suspicion.
The murder occurred early in the fore
noon. The weather was stormy, and
neither Emerson nor SAWYER went far
away from home. After breakfast
Emerson made pleasant remark to his
wife and kissed her and then went out to
look after his cattle. It is not supposed
that he ever saw her alive again. Saw
yer at the same time went into the door
yard to cut wood. In the meantime Mrs.
Emerson performed her ordinary house
hold duties Of the morning and then sat
down by the fire, in her cosey kitchen,
to do some sewing. The view looking
out OF doors was desolate, but within was
charming and pleasant. The room
looked tidy and pleasant Conspicuous
on the wall near her was the motto,
"God Bless Our Home" It was a
pleasing picture Of domestic peace and
happiness. At little past ten terrible.
explosion took place in the house. Mr..
Emerson heard it at his barn distinctly,
and started at once for his dwelling. The
nearest neighbor, John Flanders, about
forty rods northward, also heard it
plainly. Mr.. Emerson went through his
dooryard- he saw Mr.. Sawyer at
work-to the house. He opened the
door leading into the kitchen, and for a
moment stood almost paralyzed at the
sight.
Then he raised his arms and gave a
shrek Of anguish, and rushed to the
street crying, "My wife Ny wife !'' and
appeared almost like a maniac. Sawyer
exclaimed, els she dead 2" and went
quickly into the house. The scene pre-
sented was enough to sicken and appall
the stoutest heart Words cannot ade-
quately describe it. In chair by the
stove was the headless body of Mrs. En-
ersOn. About three feet from her, and
lying on the floor, was heavy double
barreled shotgun, the muzzle pointing
toward the chair. Almost the entire
head and neck were blown from the
body all that remained was small por-
ton Of the lower jaw, which hung upon
her breast, and small remnant of the
neck near the backbone, not over an inch
in width. From this headless body
blood was squirting in copious streams
and gathering In pools on the floor. The
head was almost wholly blown to atoms
and scattered on the ceiling and west and
south walls of the room.
On the stove, ceiling, walls and floor
were scattered blood, flesh and hair,
forming a scene CHASTITY and revolving to
all who witnessed it. The body rested in
the chair as natural as if in life. The feet
we're on the fender Of the stove one
hand held piece of cloth, while the 9th
er grasped a needle and thread as if to
take another stitch in the work The
position of the body showed Enthusiastically
weapon was fired.