The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-01
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On the night of the 4th Of Aug; 1884,
Mr.. John Askern, =. hosier, of r. Leicester,
in England, was murdered under revolt
ing circumstances. Mr.. Askern,' was about
forty years ofsage. married, and the
father Of . numerous family.T His wife,
two years previously, had eioped with u
commercial traveller PANIED Powell. and
the two were supposed to be living; TO-
gether in London. Mr.. Askern's sistc r
was At the head Of his domestic q sstab.
lishment, and he had just instituted pro.
csedings to procure . divorce He was a
wealthy man. and resided in . wsll-lp.
pointed house; ON Belgrave Gate. In
front Of it was garden which extended
around one side to the rear. A high rail-
iNg separated it from the street, and =
WILL, fully twentyfeet high,proteetedit in
tn rear. On the left side Of the door, on
enering, was room which Mr.. Akern
used as library or private parlor. In
1rolt of it was = very large laburnum
tre|, which shaded ali that side of the
dividing. 43g.i H. j.: ~ *''+
Separated from the back of the premi.
SEES BY the high wall mentioned, was the
yam of an inn, and q shed for vehicles.
Alb ut 9 O'Clock in the evening Of August
18th one of Mr.. Askern's servants ran in.
to be kitchen from the back garden ard
exclaimed:
I'm sure saw the head of man look.
infover the WALL
Most likely it was cat,' was the re.
p3, and nothing more was said on the
sbject.
Soon afterward the lights in the
kitchen was exting1ished, and the do
lestics retired to their rooms. 1t so
hppened that the cook had forgotten a
ar Of stockings which she had been darn.
hg for herself, and returned to the kitch-
IN for them. A noise like the cracking
of q branch attracted her attention, and
she peered through the blind into the
yard. She distinctly saw the head and
shoulders Of man above the wall. 1t
disappeared ; and she heard noise as of
some one dropping into the yard.
The cook proceeded to the study and in.
formed her master Of what she had seen.
MIR. Askern lighted lamp, and taking 4
revolver in his hand, passed through the
garden and examined every spot where a
person could be harbored. Feeling salts
fed that no one was around, he returned
to the house, bado the cook 60 to bed,
and retired to his study,
The cook and kitchen maid occupied a
small room over the study, and, as the
night was close, they left their window
open. After they had retired to bed,
the cook said:
1--WE had better close the window, for
the wind is rising. Don't you hear the
leaves of the laburnum shaking?
The maid arose and went to close the
the window. She put her head out for a
moment and then said
''There's not breath. of air stirring.
III leave the window open little
Then she retired to bed, and the two
women slept undisturbed until morning.
Shortly after five O'Clock the :oachman,
who slept in the basement, arose and
went to attend to some work in the front
garden. He observed the window of Mr..
Askern's study open and the curtains
torn down. At first he thought that the
servants might have had orders to rem.
ovate the room, but he remembered that
he was the only person up in the house.
He entered the dwelling by the rear door
and proceeded to Mr.. Askern's parlor.
The door was unfastened and he entered.
An awful spectacle met his view. Mr..
Askern lay on the floor with his throat
cut. He was dead. His bureau had
been ransacked, and his watch and pocket
book were gone. An alarm was given
and the authorities were soon on tho
spot.
There were signs in the room Of des'
perate struggle. The carpet was ripped
up in several places, chairs were upset.
the curtains of the window were ripped
down, and there were bloody finger
marks on the wall. On the window sill
were the marks of dirty feet, and foot
steps were plainly visible in the soft sol
outside. One of the windows Of the par
Por On the opposite side Of the hallway
was found open, and there were evident
signs of some ones having entered by
that point. The marks Of feet outside
showed that the party had not quilted
the house by that means of exit.
At the inquest which followed, the fact
pf the servants having seen man climb
ng over the wall in the rear was brought
>ut, and also the circumstance Of Mr.
Askern's having gone round the premises
% search for intruders. The impression
vas that there had been two persons en-
jagged in the crime, That they had entered
The garden from the rear, and that they
lad concealed themselves in the foliage
# the iaburnum tree. Their presence
here doubtless occasioned the shaking q
he branches which the servants on re-
iring to rest supposed was caused by the
tind.
The man who kept the inn in the rea,
t Mr.. Askern's residence was examined
le was an old and respected resident, anG
is house was chiefly supported by gentle