Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-11-18
THE BLACK IA R N.
Mysterious Disappearance of an
lnnKeeper's .Siidghter---A Dls-

Five or six miles to the north of the
small town of Brompton, in Cumber-
land, England, there is mountain
lake known as Black Tarn. la the
neishborhood are sheep farms, and d
few insignificant hamlets lie here and
there around. In one of these, known
as Hayton, a murder was recently per-
petrated, accompanied by cruel outrage.
At the east end of the village there
resided one John Coulter, who kept a
beer shop, and cultivated small farm.
He was a rough, uncouth man, addict
ed to drink, and when he was incap-
able of attending to his customers who
came of mig mt Tor beer, his daughter,
u comely girl of seventeen, waited up
on them. He had a son, also, but he
was in Carlisle, his learning a trade,
and seldom visited his native village.
Coulter was reported to be worth a
few hundred pounds, and subsequently
passed in the neignbOrhood for man
Of means. A young man named Arm
stroug I.ai been courtlng his daughter,
but ne had been driven OH by Coulter,
for assaulting farmer who was the
latter's friend. Armstrong bad quilted
the neighborhood, having, Us was sup
posed, enlisted. At the time now re-
ferred to, Kate, CUuller's daughter,
Was receiving attentions fiom one
George Routledge, the son of grocer
in Brompton.
On the morning Of the 10th of last
Februory, Coulter arese late, having
been drunk rs usualthe night before.
Hearing 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 reach
ed the bottom he Saw the door leading
into the yard open. Thinking that his
daughter might be in the byer, he again
called her name, but to NO purpose
Then he passed into the bar, which
was a small room with window open
ing into the main roOm. The glasses
stood around unwasned there was no
fire in the crate, and the disc rider show
ed plainly that Kate had not been al
work that morning.
Coulter searched around, but could
see nothing of his daughter. The bed
ia her chamber had not been slept in,
and her cloak and bonnet were missing.
He summoned one of the neighbOrs,
aud when the news got around that
Kate Coulter had suddenly disappear
ed from home, "a crowd of sympathiZ-
ers gathered around the father and Of
fered assistance and counsel.
David Redd, "A 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 statement, as they were III CON-
pany, Steele leaving the house only a
Jew minutes before Redo, who rem aim
ed to get light IOr his pipe. Beyond
this there was absolutely no testimony.
Coulter, accompanied by his friends,
searched the neighbUrhood for the miss
ing girl, but with no success, George
RouIlcdge, 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, were speed
lily on the spot, and the whole country
side was secured. No traces, however,
of the lost one were met with.
ltdNS anu htCho NSlll Dy, duu tuC
mystery remained unsolved. One day,
about = week after the girls disappear
snce, Armstrong; old mother put her
head in at Couller's door, and said, i'll
q bitter tone:
"Ah, Mr.. Coulter, so you've lost your
pretty miss. Now we've 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
country lads, amusing themselves
around Black TarU, saw something
white among the rushes. On closely
examining the object they discovered
it To be human arm, With branch
Of tree they PUSHED aside the rushes
and water plants, and the bOdy of Il
female was disclosed. They were al
ritst disposed to run away, but finally
resolved TO haul out the body. This
they dia with some difficulty, and laid
il on the grass. Ii was in an excellent
stite of preservation, owing to the ice,
which had just broken up, aud the
features were perfect. Both the lado
identified the corpse as that OF the
missing 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 Coultei's