The New York herald., 1876-03-17
AWOMAN HACKED TO PIECES
A Bundle of Human Flesh Hidden
Under Trap Door.
GUILTY KNOWLEDGE OF HIS MISTRESS.
Detected in Cleveland and Brought to
New jersey

quaint OF SteWartSville Is located on
Tho Morris and Essex division OF the Delaware, Lack
lwanna and Western Railroad, about FIVE miles from
It's terminus at Easton, Pa Though sur
rounded by the most rugged and picturesque scenery,
and though nestled in the lap of OF the most beau
tifu and productive valleys OF the State there s per-
haps, other village along tho line of the road that
$50 seldom heard Of another which furnishes such
Icanty amusement 10 the occasional visitor. Not that
stewarsvc is entirely shut OF from visitation Tor many
lciiy sportsman the nimbe fly in her tumbng
brooks in the spring time, and many OF her quail and
rabbit go ciyward IN the fall but aside from these
5tewartsvile stands almost much aoof from the out
side world If outside world existed, and nourshes
to-day under pretty nearly tho conditions It
aourshed thirty forty, ay, even sixty years ago. The
majority OF its 600 Inhabitants farmers who con-
Eregac even-tide about the four corners OF tho vii
lago square, where is discussed everything interest
That has transpircd during tho day. As night comes
and the conversation slightly flags hasty good
nights are spoken and the hardy farmer boys tumble
into early and honest beds Life is slow Stewards
vlc, truly, and is only intervals that anything
happens TO ru1lc its reposc.
A STARTLING RuxoR
On February Is 1867, just nine years ago. however,
At nm hour when than half the village was pre-.
pairing for sleep thero cry that chill OF
horror to every heart and which, cchoing against the
mountain sdc swept through the valley and heard
all over the United States 1t the cry that young
and Rmiablc wife well known to all had been struck
mutlated and finally murdered with hatchet; that
her body had been found rolled up If II had been
bale, then crammed through narrow trap door
door and concealed beneath the foundation OF her
home
will leave the reader to imagine tho effect which
'his dreadful intelligence wrought upon the town. The
name OF the murdered woman Margaret Keys; the
of anH
located along the Morris Canal the foot of incline
plane No 9, upon the farm OF Mr.. Philip S Kase.
DISCOVERY
No sooner had the cry rung through the village than
hundreds OF feet hurried TO the spot while tho women
reused from their beds awaited the of the men,
When the latter arrived at the little house they behcd
= terrible sight
There, upon the floor, lying in pool of blood was
putsrctchcd IN death the pale and delicate figure OF
Margaret Keys her clothing soaked in gore and her
bair matted and torn. Her left temple had been
crushed in with tho blunt end of hatchet which was
found the house and her face laid open here and
there in many frightful cash. There were bruises
upon her shoulders and upon her bosom, while ono OF
her nngcrs bitten entirely through. There was
indication that Margaret Keys had defended her
home heroicaly, and that she had yielded up her life
Dnly after the most terrific struggle Tho murderer,
after finishing his work. raised up title trap in
the floor, concealed his victim bcnsath il and then dis
appeared
MYSTERY
The villagers took up the body enderly and bore II
to the barroom OF the hotel where tho inquest was
held. Kind hands attended the corpse, shroud and
CONN given by the towns folk and a few DAYS
amer she buried. SO heavy was the shock these
people sustained from the Affair." and great their grief
Hpon behoding ono Of their number so mnnGled and
mutilatcd, that 1t was some time before they ever
thought Of looking for tho murderer
SUSPICIOUS.
John Keys the husband OF the murdered woman
laborcr upon the Morris and Essex Railroad He
steady and industrious, his credit good at the
stores aud, far as the people knew he had always
carefully provided for and tcndcrly loved his wife His
grief her corpse hcartrcndng lie seemed
utterly orazed His anguish could brook control
The last that had been OF Mrs Keys by any OF the
villagers was early In the morning, prior TO her death
during the conversation she mentioned how kindly
her husband had always treated her. Alter careful
examination u learned that though the body was
not found until evening the murder had been
mtied about noon, and is actually the fact that John
Keys came home, went in his house, got bite OF
lunch ate II directly over the body OF his dead WIFE,
concealed by the tapdoor, and went OF TO his work
again the afternoon without seeing the blood upon
the bed where the struggle took place or without sus.
pectng that the absence OF his wife was owing any
tragic
When he returned at night, however the continued
absence OF his wife disturbed him so he went all
the village looking for her. No one knew here
she VAS no one indeed, had seen her since early
morning An acquaintance OF John Keys, however
went back to tho little house along the canal and upon
lifting up the trap door disclosed the murdered aud
manglcd body.
rux HUSBAND ACCUSED
John Keys was accused OF the murder OF hts
wife II was natural that he should be-
he had expected IT, He acted strangely
sOmc people said "How could he act otherwise with
such grief at his heart and such charge upon his
shoulders ?" others asked Hence popular opinion
divided. though oil demanded thorough trial
The best detective skill IN the country vas secured.
Yet the experienced officers acknowledged them
selves bained at the end They, too laid the at
the husbands door they made him do the most un.
natural things. They even insisted that he should
enter the little house raise up the bloody trap door at
midnight and call the name OF his wife threo times
Try they would the link between HIM and the
was missing, and he was finally discharged
Ono year passed, and thcn another; still ccw 10
tue murderer though the story OF the deed the
term has been told a thousand times.
Now comes the most wonderful part OF the story. 1t
seems almost like nctlon--too strange be true IL
has been nine years since the murder, and during all
this time the mystery has grown deeper and deeper
The scene, however, now changes from the quiet io
village OF Stewartvilo large nourishng city IN
the Ncst-from the ht,lc house along tho Morris
Canal IL New Jersey, 10 No - Canncd street. Clcve-
land, Ohio. In this house. upon certain night a
man named John Cunningham Is iuriousy beating his
vile; he has her down upon the floor and Is about 10
crush her face with his heel when, terror she
out
As you murdered that woman In jersey"
Cunningham a few days after placed "in quodn
for abusing his wife The cry which the uttered
was overheard by one James o. DuHy a lawyer, who,
Cunninshs len the house. approached the
woman and told her that nc had heard the remark sho
made while Cunningham beating her. He asked
her what IL meant The appeared ter.
ribly alarmed and refused TO tell She said
she hated Cunningham and deeply feared
him, yet when In his presence did everything he
asked her 90. Finally alter much urging, she told
everything found IN the sequel Mr. Duffy at in
formed the police, who communicated with the author
Hics THIS county tWarrcnl about thi weeks ago.
Aga, was itlo sicwarlsvillo greatly excited. Two
gentivlucn resiulng ncrc. named, respectively,
lhsfaca. Price and Charles Godfrey. sol out at
once Tor llcyCand Tho following IL the interesting
anu sapnic narrative oi Nr ihaddeus g. Price, corroO
srateu "a every particular by Mr. Godirey.-
FRicEs STATEMENT
lcft for Cleveland late in February last Upon
arriving there found Il convenient to visit the
Slaughter OF the woman with whom Cunningham had
been living and questioned her concerning the mur.