Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-11-18
THE BLACK TARN.
How Il Murderer Was Discovered.

How a Murderer Was Discovered.
FIVE or six miles to the north of the
small town of Brompton, in Cumberland
England, there is a mountain lake known
as Black Tarn In the neighborhood are
sheep farms, and a few insignificant ham
lets lie here and there around. In one Of
these, known as Hayton, a murder was
perpetrated, accompanied by cruel out
rage. At the east end of the village there
resided one John Coulter, who kept a beer
shop and cultivated a small farm. He
was a rough, uncouth man, addicted to
drink, and when he was incapable of at
tending to his customers who came of
night for beer his daughter, a.comely girl
of seventeen, waited upon them. He had
a son, also, but he was in Carlisle, learn
ing 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
counting his daughter, but he had been
farmer, who was the latter's friend Arm
strong had quilted the neighborhOod, hav-
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 a 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, lie 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 byer
he again called her name, but to no pur-
pose. Then he passed into the bar, which
was small room with window opening
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 % hi A.
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 babe him
goodnight, and drew the bolt in the door.
1t was then ten o'clock. Peter Steele, the
village Constable, confirmed Redds state
ment, as they were in company, Steele
leaving the house only few minutes be-
fore Redd, who remained to get 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, were speedily on the spot, and the
whole country side 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 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 it to be a human
arm With branch of tree they pushed
ASIDE the PUSHES and water plants, and the
oooy q female was disclosed. They
were aV nrst disposed to run away, but
nnally resolved to haul out the body.
This they did with some ditficultv and
Ialo II on the grass. 1t was in an excel
leht 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