The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-01
Marderer Lynehed If Bellefontaine,
aAhiA

On "Wednesday, of last week. the citi-
zens of Huntsville and Belle Center,
in Logan county, were thrown into great
excitement, owing to the disappearance
of Young girl. sixteen years of age,
named Allie Laughlin. daughter of Mr..
J. Il. Lang lin, who resides near Belle
Center, under the following circum :
stances: On Tuesday Miss Allie wen +
with a tenant who lives on her fathers
farm, named Jas. Shell. to gather wild
plnms in the vicinity of the reservoir,
six miles from Huntsville. That even
ing Shell and his wife returned, and re-
in the brush that abounhs there, and
conld not be found. Search was insii
tuted at once by Mr.. Llughlin, assisted
bv Shell and other neigh hors, and as
the search proved inetfsctnal,. on
Wednesday the whole country was arons
ed, and yesterday and to day several
persons were engaged in the hunt.
About II clock this morning a couple
of young men residing in Bellefontaine
discovered tire object Of the search
stretched on the ground under thorn
bush. in secluded place, dead, and
having marks of violent death. Notice
was given to the other searching parties,
and messenger dispatched to Bellefon-
taine for the Coroner. By dint Of hard
= 1 e.
the noon train sonth to Bellefontaine
and returned Immediately with the Of
ficers of the law. Shell, who had been
engaged with other neighbors in the
search, was arrested, and his house
searched for anything that might throw
light on the transacuoe.
The excitement consequent upon the
finding of the body was terrible, and be-
came intensified almost 10 frenzy npon
the crowds gathering about the spot
and seeing the evidences of a.de7perate
struggle that were apparent in the brok
en- twigs and trampled ground, and also
that no one was allowed to touch the
body until the arrival of the officers. \
dark hrnise on the neck and head of the
victim indicated that fatal blow had
been struck with so me heavy weapon
/ The hands, too, were bruised and dis
colored.
A Coroner's jury was impaneled, and
examination, the Doctor found that sew
en- stabs of sharp instrument had been
inflicted on her person. No rape had
/ been committed.
] A later statement is that in searching
the house Of Shell his shirt was found
| in the wash tub, with spots on it which
the party searching thonght were blood.
Shell was taken to Bellefuntaine, and
lodged in Jail.
BELLEFoNTAIAE, September 24.-In
tie Laughlin murder case, Shells wi fe
testified before the Coroner's jury that
her husband had committed the murder
that he told her he intended to raviSh
her; failing in that, to kill her; that he
used a penknife and butcher-knife &c
create the impression that two persons
had been engaged IN the deed; that aitel
stabbing her with knife, as he did ii
twenty places, he crushed in her skul
with his boot heel, then washed hi'
hands and boots in the creek, and gave
the alarm. People are very much ex
cited. and grave fears are entertained fo
the prisoners safety.
LATER-A masked body of men en-
tered the town about l l o'clock. battered
down the doors Of the Jail with sledge
, and rams, took Shell out, and after Civ
ing him about ten minutes to prepar,
himself, hung him to tree in th'
Courthouse yard in the presence of 40t
or 500 people. He made no confession
but persisted to the last that his wife di'