The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-09
MEADOW FARMS TRAGEDY.
MYSTERIOUS DIsAPPEARANCE OF
WELLINGTON COLEMAN.
A wsyward Youth. Supposed 10 have been
Murdered, Rum Away TO sea, aud aftc
Twenty Years Returns Home 20 Die.

Murdered, Rum Away TO sea, aud aftcr
Twenty Years Returns Home TO Die.
ELMIRA, N. Y, July Twenty years
ago there was more charming spot in North
ern Pennsylvania than Meadow Farm, the
village Of Westport. II was owned by a gentle
man named Cyrus Coleman, who was then a
wealthy contractor, doing business in Phlladel
phia. lie was a wdower, his wife having died
at sea in giving birth to son as they were emf
grating to this country from Cornwall, England,
The infant was taken In charge on the vessel by
a widow lady named Callahan, who became Its
nurse and afterward the housekeeper OF the
widower. Mr.. Coleman bought the Meadow
Farm and removed his housekeeper and son
thither in 1853. The boy was then fifteen years
old disposed to be wild. and had strong desire
t. he a sailor. His father hoped that by tho
change from city to secluded country life he
would lie weaned from the allurements OF such
a career. French tutor named Louis Paret
was employed by Mr.. Coleman to educate and
train his son, he himself being necessarily alb
sent from home most of the time.
| ono looking at Meadow Farm to-day Will see
a picture Of con, lete desolation and ruin. The
| fields are grown up with rank underbrush the
| grounds surrounding the house. which were
diant with flowers and attractive by their foun-
tains aud walks, are now covered with weeds
and briers and wild vines. while the once elegant
mansion Is diapidated, Wondering ruin. II
has been untenanted for nineteen years, and
the superstitious to thus day shun the spot as II
| II were the seat of plague. The circumstances
| that wrought the great change have been told
! for years. as follows.
name was Wellington. lie was. moreover an
eccentric man, reserving the right to Keep his
| own apartments in order, and cook his own
food IN his own room, where he often remained
DAYS at time. He made a few acquatntances
In the village, and when Win theIn wa con on.
| to visit among friends he had made in the yicn-
ty, and one summer day In 1885,, Paret told Mrs;
! Callahan. the housekeeper. that the boy had
| gone away to stay two or three days. The house,
Keeper was considerably surprised at the relax
| alton Of the tutors strict discipline. but at
| tachcd no Importance to II. Two days after
ward she went to Wellington's room to procure
some article she wanted. and on opening the
door. found the apar tment IN great confusion
The bed clothes were tumhlcd on the noor,
and several articles OF furniture over
turned. as II there had been scuille
callahan turned to horror when she discovered
blood on the floor bed. and walls. She To
a near neighbor and told what she had seen.
Word was sent to the village, and men came up
q spanish dirk on the floor. stained with blood,
and the handle marked with the initials " L. p
ransacked. aad money and vauables which Mrs.
Callahan said had been kept there. were missing
In a closet on the room was found bloody
shirt belonging to Wellington Coleman. with
three cuts through the left side, and the collar
torn and twisted rs II II had been Vlutched by
some one. Parets room. which connected with
young Coeman's, was found to be empty, and
had not been occupied eVdenty IN some Gay LAYS :.
II wac clear to the mind OF Mrs. Callahan then
that the Frenchman had told her the boy was 10
be absent fortwo or three days merely to explain
his non-arpearance and had then .nuruerea ana
robbed him and He'd. This theory was still fur
Their strengthened 10y the fact that Wellington
had not been seen at any Of the farmers houses
Mr.. Coleman was sent for at once, and arrived
at the farm the next day He was almost insane
over the fearful tragedy, but directed the woods
10 lie searched, ponds and streams III the vicinity
dragged. and every effort made to find the body
of the murdered boy He also took measures to
have the Frenchman traced. but nothing was
ever heard OF him nor was the body ever found.
In a few weeks Coleman and Mrs. Callahan left
the farm. tenant could not he found willing
to occupy the place. and gradually fell into the
...NNf "a - fsaAtAN y IA a. - ~
Coleman to look after the property. hut after a
year or two all communication with the owner
the country The property has been sold or
offered Tor sale Tor taxes Tor years but no one
The narration OF this sad domestic history has
been made necessary by recent event which
forms sequel TO the story, at once strange and
On the twenty sixth day of June last, a
taVeps in Wsitpor, Y lie was gain rsnt and feeble
and dressed in rusty clothes. His hair WAS ex-
ceedingly long and crowned by broad-rlmmed
hat. lie Walhed INTO the pdr-r"olil ana drank a
glass Of rum. shortly bfterward. he wended his
way up the road in the direction OF Meadow
| Farm. lie was gone about All hour. when he re-
turned, and seemed greatly disappointed. lie
ASKED for room, aud said lac would like to say
word To the landlord III private. Inc TWO
were absent long time. and when they al'-
pearcd II was nearly dark.
The stranger showed signs ~ emotion and
drinking another glass of rum. walked away
again IA the direction he had taken before.
II a bomhshell had exploded among the groups
Of loungcrs that We're collected about the tay-
ern II would not have had n more startling effect
than had the announcement Of the old land
lord, after the stranger disappeared from view,
that he wa, no other than ellington Coleman.
who was supposed I" have been murdered
twenty years ago. According To the landlord
the newcomer had told him. alter he had as
cortained from him the history OF the Coleman
tragedy. that there had been no murder, but
III Il he. Ia order Co escape from home and go To
sea, had planned this whole matter, SO that
people would believe him murdered, aud Ms
father would not attempt 10 follow him. He
hated his French tutor and knew that he was
very anxious to return to France. One day he
told Pare, that II he would 60 To his native land
at once, and say nothing TO any one that he was
going he himself would provide nun WIN tn a.,
once, and Wellington gave him San and gold
watch liz only Te9sest was thai the tu ,,
visiting. to be gone three days, The pir-
gr4mme was all carried out. instead ~
going visiting young Coleman went on into the
wood. taklng a.ldrpe coach dog that lie owned.
Late at night he returned to the house. let hiul-
self in. and went to his room with his dog. lie
collected his valuahlcs and then placed the room.
Ia the state of confusion that II was found In by
Mrs Callahan. Then he stabbed his dog through
the heart it lay sleeping ON the floor, killing Il
Instantly The dirk he used he had obtained
from faret. staining the bed and ioor and walls
with the blood he wrapped the dog In thick
quilt, carried IL away into the woods and buried
II. Early the next day he reached station on
the Erie Railroad, aud bought u ticket for New
York and three DAYS afierward was CA his way
to the West, serving ON board merchant ves-, l.
all over the world, Ia $50 he went to Peru and
al last, broNeu in health. determined to return
home. lie had vi ten home several times, and
did not expect 20 hnu the utter ruin and dcsuld-
tion that confronted him on his return
A larmer on his way To Mestpurt on the night
OF The day the stranger came TO estporl' heard
rw0 pistol shots la the old Meadow farm house
as he was passing 10y il. lie hastened into the
village ana told what he had heard. The
stranger had then been absent an hour. NUM-
her Of men started for the place, and
the dilap,daled ana gloomy interior OF the
house was lighted up for the first time
In years. On the floor OF what had
once been the handsome parlur Of the
Colemans, lay the body Of the stranger revealed
by the light Of a lantern. Two wounds In the
forehead, from which blood was oo1ing, showed
that the two pistol shots had done the work that
1t was supposed the knife of an assassin had ac-
comIshed twenty years before. They brought
the body out, and the next day II was buried II
the deserted ground.
THE cry nan MISEIM